Sound Shore

Port Chester prides itself on its big helping of restaurants. But food trucks seem to be causing discomfort.

There’s a rule on the books saying the trucks must move 50 feet every 15 minutes. That’s widely ignored and difficult to enforce. Nine streets are designated off limits, and three years ago there was talk of adding more streets to the list. Not that there are many trucks looking for a spot: Seven food and ice-cream trucks are currently licensed to operate in the village.

Officials are revisiting the issue now that three trucks are parking regularly along Abendroth Avenue. That’s one of the few downtown thoroughfares where they are allowed. Trustee Bart Didden protested what he sees as unfair competition with restaurants that pay property tax.

“They don’t contribute anything to the village coffers, except for maybe the 25 cents that they’re throwing in the meter,” he said during Monday night’s board meeting. That echoed the sentiment of a recent Westmore News column. But actually – as the vendors on Abendroth were quick to point out to me Friday – they pay $450 a year each in license fees. They also noted that they generate sales tax and that they’re an inexpensive option for lunch.

The off-limits areas are: Westchester Avenue, North and South Main Street, Grace Church Street up to Fox Island Road, Midland Avenue, Pearl, and North and South Regent Street. They may not be within 200 feet of a church or school.

What do you think the rules and the fees should be?

New York City, by the way, has cheaper fees but long waiting lists (and ever-expanding menus). And in some places, food trucks are being sought after to help turn a place around.

We know — golf isn’t about food. But everyone has to eat, right??

If you’re at the 2011 Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship at Westchester Country?Club in Harrison this week and hunger pangs hit, there are four spots to go. The main concession, next to the 18th fairway and called the Michelob Ultra Grove, has tables with umbrellas, scoreboards and video boards so you won’t miss a moment while you’re lunching on cheeseburgers, turkey clubs and hot dogs. The three other spots — at the 1st tee, the 11th tee/12th green and the 16th green — are more grab-and-go.

But for a nice lunch or dinner nearby??We have a few suggestions for you, like Le Provencal in Mamaroneck, right, and I’ve arranged them from least expensive to most — plus a 19th hole if you’re really in the mood to splurge. The list, after the jump.

The Waldenbooks in Rye Ridge Shopping Center held out longer than most, but it’s closing as a result of the Borders bankruptcy. Customers were lamenting the loss today. But despite that departure and the lagging economy, the busy shopping center is gaining occupancy with the arrival of new stores: the salad chain Chop’t and the Asian restaurant Buddha are up and running. Indigo Chic boutique opened a couple months ago; the frozen-yogurt place Red Mango is planning to open this winter near the new Chipotle, and Lv2bfit Active Wear, a Go Wireless store and Elevation Burger are also on the way in.

“It’s always been survival of the fittest in retail,” leasing agent Erin Hinchey said. She credits the shopping center’s overall success to the “synergy” of uses there, with visitors coming regularly for groceries, health appointments and dance classes along with the smaller boutiques and restaurants. The center is considered a kind of town square for the surrounding village of Rye Brook.

Given the online competition, a new bookstore is an unlikely prospect, even if customers want it. “I don’t think we’ll be able to duplicate that exact use,” Hinchey said.

Our intern Jenny Kessman has a very timely story in today’s paper: Cool drinks! She visited 6 local spots and recommends her favorites. Take it away, Jenny!

The Miami Vice Smoothie at Beanberry’s Cafe in New Rochelle. Carucha Meuse/The Journal News

The kind of blistering heat predicted for this week — can you say upper 90s? — calls for air conditioning, swimming pools and cold drinks.

We hope you’re covered on the first two. As for the cold drinks??There are coffeehouses and bakeries all over the region ready to help customers stay cool and hydrated, and below, we’ve recommended a few of our favorites.

And here’s a thought: head to one of these spots, enjoy the air conditioning, then set off for your favorite pool — cool drink in hand.

Port Chester families are being encouraged to go out for dinner and conversation this summer as part of an anti-drug initiative that works through the schools.

Families in the district will receive a discount card for use at certain restaurants on three “First Fridays” — July 1, Aug. 4 and Sept. 2. At the restaurant, they’ll receive cards with conversation-starter-type questions, geared toward improving communication about the use of alcohol and drugs.

The promotion ties in with the notion that regular family dinners result in better grades, better communication and a reduced risk of smoking and drinking among children.

Details are at the Port Chester Cares Community Coalition website. The coalition has a range of efforts toward drug abuse prevention. Earlier this year it spoke out against the ice-cream truck being used for cigarette sales at a local gas station. It also held a “Family University” awareness event Port Chester Middle School

Discounts vary by restaurant; here are the participating sites: Garden Catering, P&D, Panera, Acuario, Euro-Asian Bistro, Restaurant Salvadoreño, T&J, Tandoori, Applebees and Cousin Frankie’s.

Want to try something different? In the photo is a Peruvian dish from Acuario, Yuca a la Huancaina.

(Photo: Carucha L. Meuse / The Journal News)

I must admit, when I first heard the cb5 Restaurant Group would be opening China White in Purchase, I was pretty excited — and not just because it’s nother pre-theater option for the Purchase Performing Arts Center.

China White is the group’s first restaurant in Westchester, but if owner Jody Pennette’s take on Chinese is anything like his take on Mexican over at Lolita in Byram, we are in for a real treat.

Owner Jody Pennette, left, and manager Rob Moss. All photos by Mark Vergari/TJN.

Pennette and his group are describing China White as “sleek, modern and sophisticated,” but my bet is that it will be fun, bustling and convivial, too.

“Think ‘dumpling noodle house’ meets ‘Chinatown street vendor’, prepared by Hong Kong cooks,” says the press release, except here, you’ll find natural chicken, local pork, grass-fed beef, organic tofu and wild-caught fish. The eggs are cage-free and the vegetables are organic. (And yes, there are gluten- and wheat-free noodles, too.)

Chef Joe’s Spicy Dragon Chicken, with red chile and sugar peas.

There are communal tables and counter seating — for more of that buzz and energy — and there are Asian beers, sake and house-made sodas.

As for the menu, I have it — and some of the specialties — after the jump.

Remember all the hub-bub about Spadaro, the Italian restaurant in New Rochelle where there is no menu, just a couple of friendly sisters who recited the evening’s specials? Well one of the sisters, Rosa, and her husband, Angelo, have opened a restaurant in Mamaroneck. Jessica Rao reported on it for us:

(Photos by Seth Harrison/TJN)

Angelo and Rosa Merenda named La Scarbitta Ristorante after a variation on the Italian word for “little shoe,” because it describes the act of sopping up the last bit of sauce from your plate with a hunk of bread.

And the chef, Rosa, who was born in Puglia, Italy — and whose sister runs Spadaro Ristorante in New Rochelle — hopes you will do just that. She says that to her, “cooking is love.”

Shrimp Alla Rosa.

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Mamaroneck Avenue just got another eatery. Hash-O-Nash, a Middle Eastern “country kitchen,” complete with a long list of Jewish, Greek, Lebanese and Jordanian food, opened in April on the lower end of the street, not far from Enzo’s.

Photos by Carucha L. Meuse/TJN

Owner Abe Abdalla knows the ups and downs of the business — and the area. He has owned Avenue Bagel just up the street for more than eight years (he also owns Chappaqua Restaurant and Café in Chappaqua).

The kitchen is open, with a wood-burning grill and smoker. Entrees include falafel, shawarma, gyros, hummus, shish kabobs, spanakopita and moussaka, all cooked by Mohammad Al Hawa, a chef with more than 24 years’ experience in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Baba Ghanoush, taboulleh, falafel and hummus.

More photos, after the jump.

Here’s an event with some serious potential: “A Taste of Port Chester.”

This is a village famous for its many tastes drawing from Italy, India and just about every corner of Central and South America. It sounds like a lot to do in one day, but the Tamarack Tower Foundation, which provides grants for school programs and special projects, has organized this event for Sunday, June 5. Participants pay $25, or $30 the day of the event, to tour the village’s restaurants at their own pace. Here’s the flier for details:

The Scarsdale/Edgemont Family Counseling Service’s annual Gourmet Galaxy benefit is set for 6:30 p.m. May 4 at the Westchester Country Club in Rye.

Honored this year are the late Rita Aranow and the Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation, who will receive the Open Door Award for community services. Their “integral and generous support has enabled the birth of the “At Home In Scarsdale Village” program,” according to the organization’s press release.

The gala features food from the area’s caterers and local restaurants and a silent auction. Tickets are available to the general public. Invitations for the event will be sent out shortly, and can be seen on the organization’s website: www.sfcsinc.org/Upcomingevents.

‘At Home In Scarsdale Village’ was launched in November 2010 and was created to allow village residents over the age of 60 to live in their homes and remain connected to their community.

SFCS, founded in 1920, is a nationally accredited nonprofit family service agency offering programs encompassing youth services, older adult services, family and individual therapy and family life education.

For further information about Gourmet Galaxy Tickets, SFCS programs or volunteer opportunities, please call 723-3281, or visit www.sfcsinc.org. Tickets also are available at the agency’s office, 405 Harwood Building, Scarsdale.