Lucy’s Bar & Kitchen, Pleasantville
To locals living in and around Pleasantville, Lucy’s Lounge is simply known as “Lucy’s.” The establishment, located a short stroll from the Pleasantville Metro-North train station, has long been known as a friendly bar offering great live music and a steady staple of elevated pub fare, including salads, small bites, pizza and sandwiches.
With the hiring of Executive Chef Terry Burrus in September, Lucy’s has stepped up its menu, hoping to attract a wider audience with an innovative weekend brunch and combining it with Sunday jazz sessions to create a more relaxed ambience. The popular local destination has been known as a rock venue for established artists and up-and-coming musicians.
Burrus, who designed the menu, once served as a private location chef for upscale magazines Vogue, Elle and Glamor.
She features specials such as a bagel and smoked salmon platter – a toasted mini or full-size bagel topped with sliced smoked salmon garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion and capers, along with cream cheese.
Other delicious options include egg in brioche, topped with shaved pecorino cheese and tomato sauce; the breakfast burrito, which consists of egg with andouille sausage, Cheddar cheese and sage wrapped in flour tortilla; and chicken and waffles, a fried chicken dish popular in the South.
Burrus, who was in the marketing and advertising business before training to become a chef, said the new brunch menu includes locally sourced ingredients from a variety of Hudson Valley farms.
“Customers are not always thinking of eating when they are out for a few drinks,” said Eric Mason, who also serves as executive chef and Lucy’s general manager.
Mason, who spent several years as an executive chef in high-end Manhattan restaurants before arriving at Lucy’s last year, said attracting prospective customers who will enjoy the bar’s eclectic live music along with its growing food selection is the goal.
Like the new brunch menu, Lucy’s has experienced a transformation in recent months. Last year, it was renovated to include a new party room in the back, which can accommodate up to 60 people, and two additional floors, ideal for family celebrations and private gatherings, Mason said.
“What we’re trying to do is to make the dining experience more pleasurable,” said Burrus, who is always open to suggestions from customers who may be seeking additional items on the menu.
Planning a holiday party or even a family get-together at Lucy’s is easy. Burrus said she is willing to stray from the menu for guests who want something different. However, locals who enjoy their burgers, wings and chicken fingers need shouldn’t worry that the bar menu will change because of the new brunch. The bar menu has been designed with the front of the house in mind, Mason said.
Mason, who is also a musician and periodically performs at Lucy’s, said his years of restaurant experience will be important as he continues to convert the Pleasantville hotspot a more diverse dining destination.
“The closer a restaurant gets to reaching people’s expectations, the better it will be,” he said.
Lucy’s offers live music five nights a week, including open singer/songwriter jams every Monday night, open jam on Tuesdays and acoustic night every Thursday, in addition to Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Fridays feature $5 craft beer, $6 wine by the glass and $6 Margherita pizzas.
Lucy’s Bar & Kitchen is located at 446 Bedford Rd. in Pleasantville. To find out more about the bar’s new brunch menu or to book a party, call Mason at 914-747-4740.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.
