Actor Chazz Palminteri Opens Italian Restaurant in White Plains

By Morris Gut

Former Bronx boy, actor, writer, producer and restaurateur Chazz Palminteri and his partnership has taken over the former Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza space on Main Street in White Plains.

The new eatery is called Chazz Palminteri Restaurant & Pizza.

Palminteri is best known for his hit 1993 film “A Bronx Tale,” which was filmed in the “Little Italy” neighborhood around Arthur Avenue, and his roles in “Bullets Over Broadway” and “The Usual Suspects.”

The Bedford resident has already added his name to a restaurant in midtown Manhattan, in partnership with Jack Sinanaj, who also owns Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse and Empire Steakhouse in the city. During my first visit, I was greeted by partner Tony Sinanaj.

The menu combines upscale classic Italian specialties along with dishes for the whole family to enjoy. There are specialty wood-fired pizzas including a traditional margherita; tartufo pizza with truffle oil, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella and mixed herbs; Bianca pizza (fresh mozzarella, ricotta, olive oil and black pepper); and short rib pizza with arugula, sweet peppers and mozzarella.

Hearty main courses include the Gamberi E Scampi (shrimp sauteed with shallots, garlic and cherry tomatoes in a white wine sauce, served with saffron risotto); veal parmigiana; A Bronx Tail (lobster tail with clams, mussels, shrimp and light spicy tomato sauce with homemade fettucine); and Chateaubriand for two, which is grilled prime beef tenderloin served with a demi-glaze sauce.

The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. There’s also a bar and lounge menu. An Italian market is in the works. According to the partners, Chazz stops by from time to time, too. More details as they become available.

Chazz Palminteri Restaurant & Pizza is located at 264 Main St. in White Plains. Municipal parking available. Info: 914-600-8430 or visit www.chazzpalminterinyc.com.

Macelleria Italian Steakhouse Offers Prime Dining

Macelleria, a new high-end Italian steakhouse, serves classic cuts of prime beef and chops along with a hearty helping of Italian-American specialties.

Proprietors Tony and Johnny Lala and their crew will take good care of you. Be seated in the handsomely renovated dining room and bar and lounge and peruse the menu over a glass of wine from their vintage list.

A recent celebratory meal here started with the freshly made jumbo crab cake appetizer served with an herbed mustard sauce and an arugula salad, which included navel orange segments, fennel, goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette.

As a main course my beautifully marbled rib-eye steak was a tender hit, served with a flavorful brandy peppercorn sauce on the side. My companion went for the big diver scallops served with asparagus, mushrooms, leeks and a touch of truffle butter. We had to have the addictive home fries and garlic spinach as sides.

Both entrees were large enough to share. Leftover steak to take home, too. For dessert we shared a most extraordinary house-made tiramisu.

Additional specialties to look for include steak tartare, spaghetti Carbonara, pappardelle with short-rib ragu, zuppa di pesce and a classic burger. Carnivores should consider the lamb chops, veal chop or New York strip steak.

Macelleria Italian Steakhouse is located at 111 Bedford Rd. in Armonk. There is also a location at 142 Fifth Ave. in Pelham and soon in Byram, Conn. Open seven days for lunch and dinner. Free parking. Reservations suggested. Info: 914-219-5728 or visit www.macelleriaarmonk.com.

Henckels Sale in Pleasantville

During a recent drive through Pleasantville, we noticed the sign out in front of the Zwilling J.A. Henckels headquarters on Marble Avenue – a sale cookware with up to 30 percent off.

Some of their sales are ongoing, if you are in need of kitchenware, knives, pots and pans. There’s a nice showroom, too, with helpful staff.

Zwilling J.A. Henckels is located at 270 Marble Ave. in Pleasantville. Open to the public Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: 800-777-4308 or 914-747-0300 visit www.zwilling.com.

Restaurant Help Hard to Find

In recent weeks during my travels through Westchester, I have been hearing the same complaint from restaurant owners: “Can’t find any help!”

Now that COVID-19 protocols are being relaxed, restaurants are hiring again, but the going has been tough. The reasons vary. Some argue restaurant workers are staying home and doing fine with their unemployment checks and supplementary payments while they last. Others say, the pandemic caused many workers to just leave the restaurant industry for other lines of work with benefits.

While some states are cutting off supplementary unemployment checks as inducement to get people back into the workplace, New York State has said it will continue the extra payments through September. You can’t help but notice “Help Wanted” signs all over the county right now.

Credit Card Fees Added to Your Bill?

Another trend I have noticed as part of the new normal: restaurants in increasing numbers have started posting up to a 5 percent credit card processing fee to the final bill.

I realize the restaurant industry is emerging from a very difficult period, and now it seems it is also becoming partly our obligation to help them. Some have signs posted on the premises announcing the charge. Have you experienced this? Will this become permanent?

While the actual dollar amounts are small, I don’t like this.

Morris Gut is a restaurant marketing consultant and former restaurant trade magazine editor. He has been tracking and writing about the food and dining scene in greater Westchester for 30 years. He may be reached at 914-235-6591 or at gutreactions@optonline.net.