Nyack Feasts restaurant event running through March 9th

February 8, 2023 — Foodies, friends, and families hankering for good food will find great eats and great values in Nyack during the village’s third annual Nyack Feasts! restaurant event.

Nyack Feasts 2023 runs from Wednesday, March 1 through Thursday, March 9 for brunch, lunch, dinner and in-betweens, matching a variety of appetites and tastes with a wide array of hosting establishments, cuisines and culinary styles.

The event is sponsored by Audi of Nyack, in partnership with an enthusiastic contingent of local organizations and individuals.

During this nine-day culinary celebration, diners can choose formats and flavors from 30 participating restaurants offering a variety of options — special menus at special prices, discounts of up to 40% for on-premises dining, pick-ups and special items, plus free giveaways to accompany orders.

What’s more, visitors are invited to “pair your fare” with specials offered by 20 participating retail shops and personal services businesses – a great way to combine good food with a day of exploration in Nyack’s one square mile of eclectic, one-of-a-kind businesses.

A full listing of participating restaurants, shops and service businesses – with details on specific offerings — is available on the Visit Nyack website at Nyack Feasts 2023.

The fare…

Cuisines include French, Italian, fresh-made pasta and provisions, Thai, Mexican, Latin Fusion, Filipino, Peruvian, Vietnamese, Indian, Greek/Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Southern ‘comfort food’, Continental, upscale American, charcuterie and imported cheeses, homemade soups and deli food, specialty coffees and baked goods, casual pub eats (including Irish favorites), diner-style breakfasts and burgers, and artisanal beers and brewery fare.

“Variety is the spice of Nyack,” said event organizer Mark Davidoff, director of Rockland Community College Hospitality & Culinary Arts Center. “Feasts is about Nyack’s rich variety of cuisines, but it’s also about freedom — a departure from the cookie-cutter ‘restaurant week’ approach where every business is required to deliver basically the same offer in a traditional full-service dining way.”

“Nyack is not a one-size-fits-all community,” added Davidoff. “Our restaurants are all about creativity and multi-cultural cuisines. In addition to avoiding the standard one-offer restaurant week approach, we’re including any local purveyors of good food who want to participate. Each participating establishment crafts its own offer and special brand of culinary magic.That’s what Nyack is all about.”

A Feasts sampler might include a stack of fluffy pancakes for the kids at the Breakfast & Burger Club, or a cheese/charcuterie tasting at Scott & Joe, a pint or two of artisanal beer made onsite at Marlowe’s brew pub on Main Street, or mezze and dinner at The Greek-ish, or tacos at Casa del Sol, or rich, authentic Indian curries at Mumbai Dreams, or home-made soups, fresh salads and hot-out-of-the oven muffins at Hartell’s Jukebox Deli — to name just a few options for exploring the 9-day event.

For cookie monsters and their care-givers, a pop-up cookie shop will be held on March 3 at the RCC Hospitality & Culinary Center located at Main and Broadway. The Center is also offering a family-style take-out dinner for four on March 9.

The pairings…

Another unique feature of Feasts is the connection with Nyack’s retailers and personal service establishments. Diners are encouraged to ‘pair your fare’ with the many additional experiences available in the village at participating businesses. The full listing of special deals is available on the Visit Nyack website at Nyack Feasts 2023.

“Nyack is a treasure trove for the curious and adventurous,” said Roger Cohen, President, Nyack Chamber of Commerce. “Browsing our one-of-a-kind shops and service businesses is a great way to combine lunch or dinner with a unique Nyack ‘discovery’ experience.”

In addition to shopping, creative ways to couple dining with other enjoyments might include, as an example for the guys, a classic hot shave at DSZ Barbers; for the ladies, luxury products or a relaxing shampoo or treatment at one of Nyack’s top-flight spas or salons — or for both gentlemen and ladies (why not) a celebratory indulgence at Casa Hispaniola Fine Tobacconist’s cigar bar – described by one patron as a “cool place in a cool town.”

A number of Nyack establishments have built-in ways to combine good food and drink with great entertainment. Black Parakeetz Paint, Swig & Sing features specialty bar ‘bites’ and cocktails, plus a karaoke lounge and painting studio led by local art instructors. Maureen’s Jazz Cellar, an intimate – yes basement — night spot in the center of town, rivals the best venues in New York City, serving up a full menu of live music, including jazz, classical, piano bar, cabaret and acoustic, along with a selection of tasty knoshes to accompany the great music.

The community…

Many people come to Nyack because they appreciate good food, according to Sadik Demir, chef and owner of newly-established Dolce Vita restaurant. “Businesses come to Nyack because they can have a connection with their customers,” Demir adds. “You can be creative here. I can take suggestions from customers, change my food in ways that please them, and keep our ideas in the kitchen fresh.”

Just across Main Street from Dolce Vita at 67 Main is another newcomer to Nyack, Rose Lighting – a purveyor of vintage goods and clothing – notably, hard-to-find, vintage lighting fixtures. “We’re part of a growing group of Nyack retailers who are responding to customers who value well-made products and want to exit the world of disposable consumerism,” said Richard Rose, owner, Rose Lighting.

“We opened our business in Nyack five months ago, right around the time when neighbor Dolce Vita arrived across the street. We felt at home right away, eating at the restaurant and sharing customers with them,” added Rose. “If you’re having dinner across the street at Dolce Vita and see our lights on, come on over and knock on the door – even if it’s 10 pm. We’ll welcome you!”

“Nyack Feasts is a community event, and an expression of what our community is about,” said Don Hammond, Mayor, Village of Nyack. “Great food, of course, but much more.”

“Nyack is all about community,” added Dylan Kelehan, owner of The Rock Shop, a landmark business on Main Street offering music lessons, instrument rentals and repairs. “We’re a family business. We treat everyone like family. Our customers become friends. We take pride in becoming a part of people’s lives.”

The benefits…

“Small businesses – restaurants, merchants and services – are vital to the health of our community.” said Cohen. “They drive our local economy. They depend on attracting patrons locally – but also from the broader tri-state area and beyond who will return to Nyack and become loyal customers”

With marketing outreach touching Westchester, Fairfield, Bergen and the New York City boroughs,

Feasts plays a role in keeping the restaurant ovens lit, employees on the payroll and energy up in the business community as a whole. The event has blossomed since the 2021 inaugural, growing from just 17 participating restaurants to 30, and now including 20 merchants and service providers as well.

“Many of the participating restaurants in the 2022 event reported double-digit percentage increases in the number of guests served or checks closed, with one restaurant reporting an impressive 50% increase,” said Davidoff. “Similar results are expected this year.”

Grassroots support from the community is integral to the success of initiatives like Feasts, and ultimately to the vitality of local businesses.

“We thank Audi of Nyack for generously supporting this event as our main sponsor,” said Hammond. ”Their leadership brings tremendous value to this event, and to the community at large.”

Ingredients…

Feasters can join the ongoing food fun by joining/following Visit Nyack on Facebook , and by joining a dedicated social following through the highly subscribed local Facebook group Nyack Eats. Now counting 4,500+ members, the group shares lively conversation about food experiences in Nyack. All are welcome to join at Nyack Eats 2022 Facebook Group.

Feasters looking for fresh ingredients for their own kitchens can plan to visit the Nyack Farmers Market, outdoors every Thursday all winter from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Main Street parking lot. Visit the Nyack Chamber of Commerce website for Market details.

While at the Market, it’s not uncommon to run into one of Nyack’s chefs browsing through the fresh produce and artisanal products – food that will appear on diners’ plates later in the day. Alain Eigenmann, owner of Brasserie D and Alain’s Petit Bistro across the street from the Market, is one of those chefs.

“Feasts offers Nyack’s best food at great prices,” said Eigenmann, “We’ll be serving our full menus with a 20% discount during the 9-day festival. Our cuisine is modern French made in the classic way – the freshest ingredients, impeccably cooked.”