When the Olde Stone Mill opened in 2003, the sensitive restoration of a shamefully neglected piece of Tuckahoe's history was applauded. The stone building, a mill in the early 1800's and later a succession of factories, sits proudly on the edge of the Bronx River, and its current use seems most apt.
Canny landscaping shuts out much of the commercial present, and from a riverside table in the dining room or on the patio, a diner might imagine an earlier time, when the stone factory stood in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by fields and brush and roads unpaved. But the charms of the building cannot make up for serious lapses in the kitchen. Menu, timing and presentation need the kind of care and rehabilitation that have been lavished on the building.
We rarely found an outstanding dish on our visits. Some were merely better than others; a few were simply awful. Choosing a number of appetizers or small plates may be the best bet. A do-it-yourself appetizer of Thai lettuce wraps proved simple, tasty and fun. The dish arrived with a pile of Boston lettuce, strips of grilled chicken, noodles and a small pot of peanut sauce. Enclose the chicken and the sauce in a dewy lettuce leaf: cool, crisp and refreshing.
Crab cakes also made a decent showing. Mild yet perceptible spices, a quick last-minute crisping in a hot pan and a lick of deliciously pungent cilantro sauce took them out of the ordinary.
Chopped salad was another pleaser. Chunky blue cheese dressing mingled in a cylinder of neatly chopped tomatoes, greens and hearts of palm; a superstructure of fried onions capped the tower.
Other starters fell between ho hum and inedible. Standard fried calamari, presented attractively in a napkin, came with a yogurt and dill dipping sauce. Spiced peanuts were an ill-conceived addition to marinated, grilled Portobello under a pile of arugula, creamy goat cheese and spikes of asparagus. Breaded mussels seemed to be mostly bread. Lobster-mango roll — with overly salted soy and sesame sauce, negligible lobster and a wonton wrapper that might have been leather — should not have been brought into the dining room.
The best of the entrees was the simplest: two pieces (one dark, one white) of flattened chicken perched on a huge mound of mashed potatoes — pure comfort food.
On the other end of the scale was one of the most unappealing-looking dishes we've ever been served: burned roasted duck on a blackened pastry shell, the entire arrangement blanketed in dark, bitter plum sauce.
A sole special smelled and tasted well past its peak of freshness, although the server argued otherwise. Nor was the sirloin burger anything to write home about. Edges of the patty were blackened, and the bacon was tough, as was the bun. Burned fries shared the plate.
Chipotle barbecue sauce was an unusual mate for ahi tuna, but it worked. Two "colossal" but fatty pork chops arrived under a mountain of flavorful vegetables — onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms and potatoes. In a backup role for dry salmon, grilled endives were first rate; however, a potato croquette was overly salted. An order of filet mignon brought the standard issue, no surprises or disappointments. But the shoestring potatoes on the side were merely lukewarm.
Except for a few interesting sorbets — blackberry on one evening — desserts were an indifferent lot. Apple Brown Barbra, despite an appealing description, was bland and depended upon the scoop of vanilla gelato for flavor. The "classic" ice cream sundae was vanilla ice cream topped with a scant spoonful of thin chocolate sauce. Key lime tart was overly sweet; crème brûlée had a sticky rather than crackly top; the cheesecake was bland.
Tuckahoe can use a restaurant as handsome as this one, but a restaurant's main purpose is to serve good food. Here is where the Olde Stone Mill needs to return to the drawing board and pay this historical landmark its due.
The Olde Stone Mill
2 Scarsdale Road
Tuckahoe
(914) 771-7661
SATISFACTORY
THE SPACE Completely renovated 200-year-old stone factory on a grassy bank of the Bronx River. In the new addition, French doors open from the spacious and tidy but nondescript dining room to a pretty patio for outdoor dining. Wheelchair accessibility on street level.
THE CROWD Mostly older. Families seem to prefer the patio. Service can be unfocused.
THE BAR A roomy wood-paneled beauty, intimate and romantic, carved into the original timbered old mill. Extensive cocktail, wine and liquor menu.
THE BILL Lunch entrees, $8 to $14. Dinner entrees, $14 to $32. Children's menu, $10.
WHAT WE LIKE Thai lettuce wraps, crab cakes, the Olde chopped salad; Olde Fashion chicken; sorbet.
IF YOU GO Lunch, Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner: Monday to Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 3 to 9 p.m.
Reviewed June 18, 2006
