TO find this gem of a restaurant situated on a sharp curve of road on the border of Westchester and Putnam Counties, follow the fly fishermen, who are drawn to a stocked stretch of the upper Croton River nearby.
When it first opened four years ago, the restaurant, Stoneleigh Creek, was a welcome newcomer to this woodsy area in the middle of the proverbial nowhere. Back then, although lesser efforts would have been tolerated, the place served decent food. So it's a pleasure to report that the food has become even better.
In the small simple dining room, tables are placed so that parties are sufficiently separate from one another. Crisp linens and elegant table appointments belie the restaurant's country roadhouse look.
Artwork featuring arresting images of fish any angler might like to hook reflects the sport popular at the nearby lakes, reservoirs and rivers.
The variety of dishes on the menu, it would seem, takes into account everybody's favorites, but updated. Succulent grilled prawns came deliciously matched by splendid corn relish. Puff pastry strudel held a center of vegetables and zesty feta, and though it was a neat idea, the pastry was loose and flabby and the two slices we received fell apart before reaching the table.
A splash of balsamico enhanced carpaccio of beef, a winning dish with capers and horseradish cream. A generous hit of garlic enlivened steamed mussels in white wine sauce. But pretty ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers had little flavor, and Bistro salad brought the usual romaine, tomato, cucumber and carrot mix awash in blue cheese dressing.
Patrons might begin a meal by sharing an order of satisfying pasta like wide, slippery ribbons of pappardelle Bolognese, with meat sauce ladled on so generously that it almost concealed the pasta.
Most entrees were appealing, including mighty sea scallops set on a bed of yellow rice, and pan-seared halibut sparked by miso-ginger glaze. Diners undecided on which seafood to order can have them all, and more, in a luscious paella. Expect a mountain of mussels, clams, big shrimp, slices of sausage, olives, peppers and peas imbedded in saffron rice plump from absorbing the seeped seafood liquors.
Interesting theories do not always translate into successful practice. Pieces of cod came wrapped in overly fried pastry -- like hardened egg rolls. Black rice, touted as rare (meaning unusual, we thought) accompanied a few dishes and proved to be rare, meaning undercooked. And a thin cutlet billed as citrus chicken was unpleasantly dense, dry and flavorless.
In a surprising departure from this restaurant's careful selection of napery and glassware, steak sauce and cole slaw in stainless steel cafeteria cups accompanied a juicy rib-eye steak. The presentation, however, did nothing to alter the meaty goodness of the rib-eye, which was better than the bloodless sirloin buried under a mound of fries. Nicely timed pork ''porterhouse'' with spinach and prosciutto made a better choice.
Most desserts were inspired, like gently warmed pineapple millefeuille with excellent coconut ice cream (ribbons of crisped pastry atop looked festive but were excessive); classic, crackly crème brûlée; and mango sorbet. Strawberry-rhubarb crumble needed more time in the oven to bake the somewhat raw pastry dough.
On two of three visits, sweet desserts were merely recited. Ask to see the dessert menu, as it lists an annotated selection of cheeses, $8 for three, as well as a few dessert wines.
To end a meal, two or three diners could share one portion. The combination of tangy cheese and icy, sweet, fruity wine is a match made in heaven, dessert enough.
Stoneleigh Creek
166 Stoneleigh Avenue,
Croton Falls.
(845)276-0000.
VERY GOOD
Atmosphere -- Plain dining room painted in dingy yellow brightened by fishing-themed artwork. Formal table appointments. Service usually attentive, but understaffed when the house is full.
Recommended dishes -- Grilled prawns with corn relish, carpaccio, mussels in white wine, rib-eye steak, pork ''porterhouse,'' pappardelle Bolognese, halibut, paella, braised sea scallops, pineapple millefeuille, crème brûlée, sorbets, cheese assortment.
Prices -- Lunch, three courses prix fixe at $14, with a glass of house wine, $17. Dinner, appetizers, $8 to $12; entrees, $18 to $28, pasta $16 to $19.
Credit cards -- Major cards.
Hours -- Lunch, Tuesdays through Sundays, noon to 2 p.m. Dinner, every night, from 5 until closing.
Reservations -- Necessary on weekends.
Wheelchair access: Street level.
The ratings -- Excellent. Very good. Good. Satisfactory. Poor. Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
Review published: Aug. 1, 2004
