Seafood platter in Briarcliff Manor is Jeanne Muchnick's Best Thing She Ate This Week
I'm a summer gal so the thought of eating fresh seafood at a place where the front windows open to the street (and where you can also dine alfresco!) appeals to me. Add a towering selection of oysters, clams, lobster, shrimp and crabmeat and a cold rosé and I'm in my element.
Which is why the raw platter at Dive Oyster House in Briarcliff Manor is the best thing I ate this week. The two-tiered dish easy feeds four (or more) and features crabmeat that's chunky and super high quality (I'm originally from Maryland so I know my crabmeat); jumbo shrimp that were sweet and meaty; firm and chewy lobster and an assortment of clams and super slurpable oysters (specifically East Coast local blue point and West Coast Kumamoto from Washington).
I got the cold platter but the restaurant also offers a hot version with half a lobster, four baked clams, four grilled oysters and two grilled shrimp.
Owner Kenny Neziraj who's been in the restaurant industry for more than 20 years (his family has long been in the biz) is meticulous about getting the freshest high quality products and sources his seafood from New Jersey-based Monarch Seafod.
More: Summer bucket list: What to do this season in the Lower Hudson Valley
Along with fish there's also a host of meat dishes which are equally as good such as veal tenderloin, pork chop, steak and lamb. You'll also find chicken, pasta and salads.
But my other fave — and a definite must — is the whole grilled branzino which comes sizzling to your table and features a garlic and white wine sauce poured directly on top. I love that the fish is cooked with veggies underneath and that, after the presentation, you can have the chef filet it in the kitchen (always my preference).
I loved the sauce so much that I highly recommend saving some of your bread to sop it up with.
The lobster tails, lobster roll or two pound lobster also rank up there as personal faves (those who know me know I'm a lobster girl).
Round out your meal with an apple tart, chocolate lava cake or a chocolate pastry filled with hazelnut cream decorated with praline hazelnuts that's listed as "hazelnut passion." Or perhaps a cappuccino or another glass of rosé.
Eating at the bar — or enjoying a cocktail — is highly encouraged as the bar itself is like a piece of summer. It's seriously the most gorgeous creative bars I've ever seen. A glass top is set against a blue background that showcases a variety of seashells underneath, giving the look of a river. Neziraj spent a lot of time (and money) creating this "under the sea" masterpiece which resembles the ocean floor. "Why have a restaurant called Dive if we didn't honor it with something that makes you think of diving for oysters?" he said.
More: Paella in Piermont and Tarrytown is Jeanne Muchnick's Best Thing She Ate This Week
Neziraj's attention to detail translates to the other spaces within the 45-seat restaurant (65 is you count the outdoor dining space) with no expense spared. Tiles come from Venice, lights from Milan and the dining room floor from Indonesia. The booths and tables, like the bar, are custom-made.
Neziraj, who opened the restaurant three years ago (August 5 marks their official anniversary) said he likes stuff you can't buy and doesn't look like anything else. He also wanted something that will last and make an impression.
If you go
Address: 1201 Pleasantville Road, Briarcliff Manor, 914-236-3911, diveoysterhouse.com.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Good to know: A 3 to 7 p.m. Happy Hour Sunday to Thursday features $2 East Coast oyster and $2 clams with all house drinks $10 and $5 beer.
Price: From $13 to market price items with averages in the $22 to $35 range.
Newsletter reminder
Want more behind the scenes info on where I'm going and what I'm eating? My weekly newsletter is free; sign up at profile.lohud.com/newsletters/manage.
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: Muchnick's Best Thing I Ate: Seafood platter in Westchester
