New Castle Selects Restaurant Operator for Chap Train Station
It looks like the Chappaqua train station will finally be home to a new restaurant this summer but the issue may not be entirely settled.
The New Castle Town Board announced Tuesday night that it has selected restaurateur Leslie Lampert, owner of Ladle of Love and Cafe of Love in Mount Kisco, to operate her latest venture, Love at 10514 at the more than century-old town-owned building. The name references the Chappaqua zip code.
The two parties have entered into a 10-year lease with a five-year option to renew with a starting monthly rent of $3,300, said town Supervisor Robert Greenstein.
Lampert said the 40-seat bistro will be inspired by Ladle of Love, a small takeout-only establishment that specializes in hearty soups and stews and farm-to-table selections such salads, wraps and sandwiches. Patrons can choose to eat in or take out.
“I really feel privileged and honored to be chosen for this fantastic opportunity,” said Lampert, a White Plains resident. “Having lived in Chappaqua for 24 years, raising my family here, it was always a dream to find the right place to open here because it represents so much of my family’s growing up. When this became available it felt like the right fit.”
Plans call for Lampert to take over the morning coffee and breakfast service by early July. It is now currently operated by Carla Gambescia, owner of Via Vanti! at the Mount Kisco train station. Love at 10514 is scheduled to become fully operational by later in the summer.
However, Gambescia, who was originally presented with a lease late last year by the previous town board to be the proprietor at the site, may look to contest the decision. Although unavailable for comment this week, her attorney, P. Daniel Hollis, said she will evaluate her options and decide whether to force a permissive referendum.
There is a 30-day deadline for Gambescia or Peter and Erin Chase, another respondent during the town’s Request for Proposal process, to file a petition to trigger the referendum, Hollis said. She would need to collect valid signatures from 5 percent of the turnout at the last gubernatorial election in 2010, which would be about 350 names, he said.
Gambescia had a disagreement with the town regarding the general public’s access to the building’s bathrooms. This year’s town board majority contended that the bathrooms must be available for public use and and reopened the RFP process.
Greenstein said Love at 10514 suits the town’s needs best by providing a good variety of food from early morning until evening but won’t be a full-service restaurant. Only minimal renovations will be required.
“A majority of the board believed that converting the interior of the depot into a full-service restaurant was not in the taxpayers’ best interests,” Greenstein said. “In our view, Leslie’s proposal meets the needs of our community and provides the best re-adaptive use of (the) depot’s beautiful interior space.”
Lampert was diplomatic when asked about the prior controversy between the town and Gambescia. She didn’t want to comment directly on the brouhaha between the two sides.
“I have great respect for Carla in her restaurant in Mount Kisco,” Lampert said. “We have co-existed harmoniously for the years she’s been there–I’ve been there longer– but for the years she’s been there. I wish her all the luck in the world. I hope she finds another spot in Chappaqua.”
Although the board approved Love at 10514, it wasn’t unanimous. Councilman Jason Chapin voted against the selection.
“I just want to let residents and others know that–no offense to you and I wish you great success–but I voted for Carla and I voted for her in the first go-around and in the second go-around and I think she offered the best proposal,” Chapin said.
Lampert said she will eventually offer a more extensive breakfast menu, which will include items such as a scrambled egg pesto wrap, dairy-free oatmeal with coconut milk and Coffee Lab Roasters coffee.
“I’m going to be servicing another segment of upper Westchester but close enough where it will be very easy for us to keep working the same farm-to-table, Hudson Valley local mission that we’ll be doing,” she said.
Tentative hours will be 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays; and 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
