Gino and Floria Uli — the husband-and-wife team behind Divino Cucina Italiana in Hastings and Hudson Prime Steakhouse in Irvington — have added another restaurant to the family, this time in Sleepy Hollow.
North River Oyster Bar — a nod to the original name the Dutch used for the Hudson — opens May 19 after two-years of permitting delays. As the name suggests, the focus is seafood with crudo among the specialties.
Because Gino’s “old school” — according to Floria, he personally checks the eyeballs of every fish he buys as a way to judge freshness — the day’s catches (i.e. Orata, Branzino and red snapper), are centered on an ice display between the bar and dining room. Diners are encouraged to pick what they want, opting for either grilled or fried, depending on preference.
Other seafood dishes include black sea bass served with cilantro, lime and street corn, and Faroe Island salmon, finished with a ginger-honey glaze and string beans.
The menu also includes East and West Coast oysters, picturesque seafood towers, crab arancini, tuna tartare, grilled octopus, a butter flight trio, crabcake sandwich, fish tacos and a fried oyster Caesar salad.
For non fish-lovers (Floria, for example, doesn’t eat seafood), there’s lollipop lamb chops, chicken paillard, gnocchi and a host of vegetables such as Brussel Sprout skewers, cauliflower bites, and charred street corn.
There are also favorites from Hudson Prime with a 28-day dry-aged prime burger (in this case with truffle and brie), filet mignon and steak frites.
A complete interior redo
While food is the main draw — the menu offers something for everyone — Gino and Floria were just as focused on creating the right atmosphere. One of the biggest changes from the restaurant’s former life as Hudson Anchor was moving the bar front and center, instead of keeping it tucked in the back. Paired with floor-to-ceiling doors that open onto the sidewalk, the setup gives the first and second floors an open, breezy feel that’s especially inviting in warmer weather.
The tri-level space — complete with a rooftop patio — dates to the days when it served as a watering hole for employees at the General Motors plant (now the Edge-on-Hudson development), and, according to Gino, needed a complete re-do. Not only was the bar reconfigured and strategically placed, the demolition of a second floor apartment meant the Uli’s were able to add more seating to the third floor dining room, upping their overall restaurant capacity from 55 to 89.
From the foundation to the roof, the whole place was completely gutted and rebuilt — even the staircase is brand new. “First I built a four-story building; then I built a restaurant,” joked Gino, who has a background in construction.
The end result is a minimalist industrial feel, with exposed brick archways framing the bar and extending through each dining room. Subtle design touches (think black-and-white photographs of fishermen and colorful oyster prints) soften the space alongside white fish sculptures — made of Styrofoam but convincing enough to look like cement — which swim across the walls of both the second and third dining rooms, adding a playful touch.
In another fun twist — and adding to the family business — the Ulis’ 23-year-old son, Frank, is opening his first breakfast and lunch spot sometime in the fall. Grand Cafe, in an office building at 140 Grand Street in White Plains, further solidifies the family’s hold on the local dining scene, making them ones to watch.
If you go
Address: 222 Beekman Ave, Sleepy Hollow, 914-418-5770, northriveroysterbar.com.
Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.
Crudo creations: All fish can be made into crudo though on listed on the menu are Florida red snapper crudo and hamachi crudo.
Good to know: Along with the rooftop, there’s an outdoor backyard (not yet open to the public), with apple trees, hanging lights and picnic tables.
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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Sleepy Hollow’s newest restaurant is oyster bar with fresh focus
Reporting by Jeanne Muchnick, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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