When John Gazzola purchased four storefronts on a tired stretch of East Post Road in White Plains, the seasoned restauranteur wasn’t just thinking food — he was thinking revitalization. Gazzola, 32, grew up in White Plains, and he’s watched with a careful eye as the city has evolved over the last decade. In came the Ritz Carlton, then NYC transplants like Serafina and BLT Steak, among others.
Now Gazzola is leading his own White Plains renaissance of sorts — centered on the stretch of bars around Mamaroneck Avenue and East Post Road.
In May, he opened Mulberry Street Italian Kitchen, a red sauce Italian joint that’s as family friendly as it is fun with its Saturday night piano bar. They’ve got lots of high chairs. “We’re used to crying babies,” jokes his partner Ralph Battista Jr. (below, left), who also grew up in White Plains. “The more the merrier.”
In the next few days, Gazzola (below, right) will open a second location of his midtown favorite Butterfield 8 on East Post Road, just a few doors down from Mulberry. With a gorgeous mahogany horseshoe bar and American comfort food favorites, Butterfield 8 is going to be the perfect spot for date night. Between the wood paneled walls, the herringbone floor tiles, and the open kitchen, the space is truly stunning. It will also offer great people watching, since the double doors open up to the street.
Later this fall, Gazzola will open Lola’s Mexican Kitchen, a small plates style taqueria, in between Mulberry and Butterfield 8. Best of all: Lola’s double-door style windows will open up to the street, just like Butterfield 8′s, giving the restaurant an open-air quality. (There is a Lola’s in Stamford, Connecticut.)
“Every area needs a downtown, and White Plains has become that in Westchester,” says Gazzola. “I wanted to create a destination for people to go to eat.”
The area has foodie chops to vouch for it. The head chef for all three restaurants is Matt Safarowic, the protoge of The Cookery’s Dave Dibari. (And we heart all things Dave DiBari, particularly his Pizza Truck.)
What is Gazzola going to do with the fourth storefront he picked up? “I’m not sure,” he chuckles. “You got any ideas?”
Well, since he asked…
I vote for a classic French brasserie a la French Roast in the city. You can sit with a cafe au lait and read the paper, or order steak frites. Whatever he does, get excited, Westchester: Gazzola is about to establish an epicenter of good eats.
What do you think is missing from the Westchester dining scene? We’ll forward all comments to John Gazzola. Maybe he’ll take your idea!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I grew up in White Plains and have a soft spot for my hometown. Even before all the new additions to the White Plains restaurant scene, WP was a place where you can find a variety of different foods that were actually tasty too! Now living up the line a little, I find it a lot harder to find variety and taste. There are some delectable restaurants, just few and far inbetween. I always seem to head down south to White Plains or the City.
I wish John and Ralph much success!
And what I think is missing in WP, is a nice after dinner place. Where you can find a selection of Scotch, cognac or ports, or just have a really good espresso with a splash of anisette. The place should have a select wine list and music thats soft but invigorating. Live music maybe? A place where couples or groups can go who are not ready to go home yet but don’t want to go to the very young and loud bars of white plains. I think I just described Stevensons Library @ the Grand Hyatt in Kauai…I always thought they should have something like that in White Plains.
White Plains could benefit from a brasserie type place–Belgian or French! Mussels and Fries would be great—Flex Mussels in the city now has two locations and is wildly popular and always booked. I think a moules and frites joint would be a perfect fit in WP!
i love white Plains! my fave is Mamaroneck ave…. my fave ice cream Haagen Dazs is right there!! i will definitely check butterfield!!