HaverstrawLife.com

On any given weekday evening, the Haverstraw Ferry runs its rounds to Ossining and back, shuffling commuters home from their daily work grind in the city. Little does anyone realize that the ferry can be used as a tool to quickly get to some of the best dinner spots in the Hudson Valley. Simply catch the boat at any of the times listed on NY Waterway’s website (5:00 and 5:40 PM are recommended for dinner). Enjoy a spectacular ride across the widest part of the Hudson River. As the ferry departs Haverstraw, and as the peak of High Tor Mountain shrinks into the evening sky, the cliffs of the Palisades Escarpment dive into the waters of the Hudson. The Pocantico Hills of Westchester gently climb and roll up to the horizon. The Nyack downtown shimmers from afar. Once reaching Ossining, get to the Metro-North train platform (southbound) and wait for one of the many Grand Central-bound trains. Take a sleek metro-liner south to Yonkers; get off here. Dozens of high-class, international restaurants now line the main street outside of the Yonkers Train Depot. Make your way to the Hudson River’s edge by crossing beneath the train trestle and to the famed Yonkers Pier. The Pier will soon offer a top-notch restaurant on its second floor, created by the famed Peter X. Kelly, dubbed “Xaviar’s on the Hudson.” A turn-of-the-century custard stand and coffee shoppe will be featured on the first floor. Eat outside on the sidewalk at the Pier View Restaurant and enjoy the dramatic vista of the Palisades cliffs across the river. Once finished eating, stay for dessert and drinks. Don’t worry you have time to catch a ferry back to Haverstraw; the last ferry leaves Ossining at 8:15PM. That gives you 2 hours to enjoy dinner, take an exciting ferry ride, and enjoy the unbelievable views of Haverstraw Bay and the Palisades. I strongly recommend this dinner “trip.” You’ll feel as if you’re in Europe and far, far away from your daily routine…

You may also wish to visit downtowns like Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and Ossining for their amazing dinner options. Their main streets are jam-packed with all kinds of ethnic, international and classic restaurants. Skip the ferry all together and stay in Haverstraw to eat. Of course, if you live in Westchester or in the city, this dinner trip can work in reverse. Catch my drift? Haverstraw has amazing restaurants like Gallito’s (Mexican and traditional Spanish) and Civile’s on the Hudson (Italian). The Bricktown Brewery on Main Street offers pints from numerous local breweries, not to mention its amazing dinner menu. Sit in Bricktown’s rear, outdoor court-yard and get a cigar from the Village Cigar Lounge that connects to the restaurant from there. Dozens of restaurants are also being planned and will be open within a couple of years.

Photos courtesy of www.gdc-homes.com and the Rockland Journal News.