CROTON‑ON‑HUDSON NY 10520
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NEWS & REVIEWS
JULY 2020
OCEAN HOUSE VOTED "BEST FRIED OYSTERS"
We made the list again! (After 15 years and counting)
Editors pick WESTCHESTER MAGAZINE
may 2019
"THESE ARE THE TOP ZAGAT-RATED RESTAURANTS IN WESTCHESTER" By Samantha Garbarini
Before Yelp and social media were the standard-bearers of crowd-sourced restaurant reviews, there was Zagat. For nearly 30 years, the maroon guides could make or break a restaurant with their 30-point rating system for food, service, and décor.
Since its sale to Google in 2008, and the subsequent decision to stop print publication and change to a five-star rating system, the guide’s influence has waned in recent years. (Don’t worry NYC foodies, Zagat is poised to regain some of its prestige with the return of its print guide for the metropolis in 2020.)
Still, we were curious to see who’s at the top of the Westchester rankings on Zagat’s online listings. Here are the seven restaurants that scored 4.5 or higher for food — because isn’t that the most important?
Since its sale to Google in 2008, and the subsequent decision to stop print publication and change to a five-star rating system, the guide’s influence has waned in recent years. (Don’t worry NYC foodies, Zagat is poised to regain some of its prestige with the return of its print guide for the metropolis in 2020.)
Still, we were curious to see who’s at the top of the Westchester rankings on Zagat’s online listings. Here are the seven restaurants that scored 4.5 or higher for food — because isn’t that the most important?
Ocean House Oyster Bar & Grill
49 N Riverside Ave, Croton-on-Hudson
914.271.0702
Food: 4.6
Décor: 3.7
Service: 4.4
What Zagat Says: “‘Superb seafood’ reels in fans to this ‘charming’ Croton ‘favorite’ set inside a ‘tiny’ restored 1920s diner that feels like a ‘cross between a dining car and a trailer,’ where an ‘always-attentive’ crew serves up ‘delicately prepared’ fish and some of the ‘freshest oysters around;’ with already ‘fair prices’ and a BYO policy* to ‘keep the costs down,’ its ‘no-reservations policy’* over the phone is the ‘only drawback, but come in person before 5 p.m. to sign in.’”
*Editors note: As of 2016, Ocean House is no longer BYO but does allow same-day reservations if you call after 4:30 p.m.
49 N Riverside Ave, Croton-on-Hudson
914.271.0702
Food: 4.6
Décor: 3.7
Service: 4.4
What Zagat Says: “‘Superb seafood’ reels in fans to this ‘charming’ Croton ‘favorite’ set inside a ‘tiny’ restored 1920s diner that feels like a ‘cross between a dining car and a trailer,’ where an ‘always-attentive’ crew serves up ‘delicately prepared’ fish and some of the ‘freshest oysters around;’ with already ‘fair prices’ and a BYO policy* to ‘keep the costs down,’ its ‘no-reservations policy’* over the phone is the ‘only drawback, but come in person before 5 p.m. to sign in.’”
*Editors note: As of 2016, Ocean House is no longer BYO but does allow same-day reservations if you call after 4:30 p.m.
July 2018
Ocean House voted "Best Oysters"
Yes, we made the LIST! Voted BEST OYSTERS in Westchester in the annual reader's poll.
WESTCHESTER MAGAZINE
07/21/2017
Ocean House Oyster Bar & Grill
BY WESTCHSTER MAGAZINE
It could be easy to miss Ocean House, tucked across from Route 9 in Croton, but that would be a mistake. Even on a Tuesday, the intimate seafood restaurant thrums with activity. Bottles of wine recline in an ice bucket behind a little four-seat bar, and guests gaze intently at the chalkboard covered in specials. Chef-owner Brian Galvin may have been producing some of Westchester’s best seafood here for 13 years, yet the dishes express a youthful energy. From the specials list, both calamari and octopus are treated gently — grilled, not fried, to retain their flavor. The octopus, with its slightly crunchy exterior and perfectly tender interior, is typically dressed only in a drizzle of olive oil, although on a May evening it appeared with chickpeas and a salsa verde. Chickpeas and a wonderfully rich broth make the shrimp cassoulet more reminiscent of a Provençal seafood stew. Scallops get a gentle touch — a quick sear and a light saucing — and their sweetness shines through. Sides here, such as mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach, are a bit standard, but you’re not here for the sides; you’re here for the whole orata, the crab-stuffed trout, and the Cajun-spiced catfish topped with bright jalapeño and surrounded by a perfect andouille mustard cream.
02/01/2017
Dining Scene News and Notes
BY JOHN BRUNO TURIANO
Diners will no longer have to wait down the street at The Tavern for a table at the first-rate New England-style seafood restaurant, Ocean House Oyster Bar (49 N Riverside Ave, Croton-on-Hudson, (914) 271-0702
; www.oceanhouseoysterbar.com). Owners Brian and Paula Galvin have renovated the tiny converted diner, so there’s a new vestibule/waiting area and 30 seats (up from 24), plus the former no-reservation policy has been replaced with a day-of call-ahead system (starts at 4:30 p.m., Tues through Sat). Other changes include a beer-and-wine license (New England brews, 10 wines-by-the-glass, and international bottles from $28-$54) and a terrace with 10 tables. Lunch is being considered for the spring, as well.
09/24/2014
seafood with new england flavor
BY M.H. REED
A Review of Ocean House in Croton-on-Hudson
The New York Times - Dining Review | Westchester
By M.H. Reed (published September 19, 2014)
Despite its out-of-the-way location and its history as a funky diner, the Ocean House restaurant has transformed its deficits, and without nets and ships' wheels. Colonial-blue trim suggests an old fisherman's cottage on a briny New England shore. But it's the Hudson River that runs beyond the front door of Ocean House in Croton-on-Hudson.
The restaurant's grand subtitle, Oyster Bar & Grill, belies its frugal rectangular dining space, with table seats for 24 and five spots at the counter. Patrons bring their own beer or wine; no reservations are taken. The menu reflects that same sort of Northeastern spareness, especially the short blackboard menu, where diners will find the restaurant's latest catch, which changes frequently.
The helpful serving staff knows its oysters, which are beginning to come into season. Right now, the salty, meaty ones from Prince Edward Island are in, as well as some of the more delicate, sweeter oysters from the West Coast, like the popular Kumomotos. More will be ready in the weeks to come. Ignore the feisty-flavored sauces; perhaps add a drop of lemon.
Ocean House cooks up one of the best New England clam "chowdas" we've had in recent memory. Here the kitchen doesn't thicken its soup and, mercifully, goes easy on the cream and the salt. What fills the bowl are neatly diced potatoes and chunks of chewy clams, onion and bacon bobbing in a superb, potent broth.
Apart from their bivalve name, sautéed oyster mushrooms with chunks of goat cheese made an odd appetizer item. Not so classic grilled calamari, the tender rings and the shower of baby tentacles drizzled with olive oil, lemon, garlic and parsley.
Equally satisfying was the Maine lobster roll. The soft, disintegrating bun would have benefited, though, from toasting to support the big hunks of sweet lobster mingled with a soupçon of mayonnaise, the way it should be. And a shout-out to the delicious coleslaw that came with it and to the bulky sticks of virtually greaseless potato fries.
On the wall, a blackboard menu steers diners to the simply prepared catch of the moment. Fluke were running (I'd seen them fished out of Montauk the weeks before) and the small fillets were offered stuffed with crab, which is usually mixed with assertive seasoning and loads of bread. Here this stuffing was neither, instead a delicious crabby understatement that allowed the fluke to shine. And snowy cod broke in perfect glistening pieces, its accompaniments — lovely fresh tomato and fennel — appropriately muted in their supporting role. But overly astringent citrus vinaigrette overwhelmed the skate wing, a great springy-textured fish with a flavor likened to lobster or scallops. Best to have the sauce on the side.
On the regular printed menu, two items — grilled New York strip steak with chimichurri sauce, and linguine with shrimp, fennel, tomato and capers — should please non-fish-lovers. Sad to say, the printed menu's fish dishes were gussied-up disappointments. Heavy doses of aggressive herbs and spices from Indian, Moroccan and Mexican cuisines concealed rather than enhanced the sea fare, like roasted Norwegian salmon and seared shrimp.
Accompaniments of green beans, wild rice, potatoes and coleslaw were all well turned out.
After feasting on the rich flavors of the previous courses, diners nevertheless in the mood for something sweet might like a bit of ice cream. Skip an ill-conceived, bitter banana and ice cream "sushi." Stick to basics like a scoop with caramel or chocolate sauce or fresh fruit under a cap of whipped cream.
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Ocean House
49 North Riverside Avenue
Croton-on-Hudson
914-271-0702
oceanhouseoysterbar.com
Very Good
THE SPACE Black-and-white photographs of shore life and cheery Colonial-blue trim brighten a spare, unpretentious former diner. Beachy cushions soften hardwood seating that accommodates 24 at tables and five at the counter. Not wheelchair accessible; three steps at the narrow entrance.
THE CROWD Mostly adults in casual dress. Efficient service from a knowledgeable staff.
THE BAR Ocean House carries no liquor license, but for a corkage fee of $6 a bottle, diners can bring wine or beer.
THE BILL Some prices fluctuate, reflecting the market price of the day's catch. Raw oysters, $2.25 to $3 each. Soup by the cup, $6.50; by the bowl, $8.50. Other starters, $12.50 to $15. Entrees, $24.50 to $31. Major credit cards accepted.
WHAT WE LIKED Raw oysters, grilled calamari, New England clam "chowda," skate wing (sauce on the side), cod with fennel (special), lobster roll, fluke with crab stuffing (special), ice cream with fruit or caramel sauce.
IF YOU GO Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. until the last customer departs. Street parking.