The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Pleasantville

Root2Rise, a Pleasantville Newcomer, Offers Delicious Vegan, Gluten-Free Options

by

Root2RiseNY Chef Mike Kagan, Jyoti Tewani and Raj Tewani.
Photo by Adrianna Cmiel-Walsh

Raj and Jyoti Tewani are a married couple who manage Root2Rise. A gluten-free, vegan, 100% plant-based, locally sourced, and organic restaurant. Their foods are made with no processed ingredients, no preservatives, no refined sugar, and all their items are made fresh every day. Their inspiration for the restaurant came from Jyoti’s passion for cooking healthy meals. She believes your body is a temple and you should always be mindful as to what you put into it. 

After their kids had grown and Jyoti had practiced healthy and gluten-free cooking for years, she thought the next step in her life had to be culinary school. Since she’d always liked helping people through food, she also thought she could expand even more with the proper training. 

After culinary school, Jyoti continued her mission by preparing meals and diet plans for people in her community. She helped so many people lose weight and adapt to a healthier diet. When asked how she was able to help so many people her husband Raj Tweni stated, “She has the knowledge to help heal.” Even after helping lots of people, her mission was still not over. 

Jyoti and Raj wanted to open a cafe that met their dietary goals. Unfortunately, their opening got delayed because of the March 2020 pandemic and again a year later when the news broke that the delta variant had come to the United States. Even though they had these setbacks, they managed to open their cafe Root2Rise in February of 2021.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Family on a Mission

 Jyoti and Chef Mike Kagan made it their mission to create a delicious vegan and gluten-free menu. For months they went to multiple restaurants and cafes tasting their vegan and gluten-free options. They did this to not only perfect their menu but make sure it was the best. 

 Chef Kagan worked relentlessly until he perfected their gluten-free bagel and naan bread.

 If their bread options are not for you, their 100% plant-based meat substitutes are definitely worth trying alongside their “addictive” mulligatawny soup. If you are interested in eating healthy and delicious foods from a local business, it is worth paying a visit to Root2Rise. Visit root2riseny.com

Benvenuto! At Tesoro D’Italia, Expect an ‘Old School Attention to Detail’

by

PHOTOS BY Donna Mueller

Enjoy Tesoro D’Italia for their New Event Options and a Fine Dining Experience Anytime!

Tesoro D’Italia is quickly becoming one of Pleasantville’s go-to spots for a date-night, private event, family dinner, and everything in between. Located at 160 Marble Avenue, the Italian restaurant caters to Pleasantville and the surrounding area. The space is quite large, but it’s inviting too. Inside, the decor is familiar: authentic, yet fresh. Bottles of wine line the walls of their private event room. It’s a space you want to enjoy an Italian meal in!

“My menu is mostly classic Italian northern cuisine, with a little bit of southern,” said owner and proprietor Peter Lucaj. The menu ranges from kid-friendly dishes like Penne Alla Vodka to more refined options like Chicken Ripieno, which is stuffed with asparagus, mozzarella, and fontina cheese. “My restaurant is like three restaurants in one,” said Lucaj. It certainly is. Tesoro D’Italia has just about every Italian entree you’ve heard of, plus some you haven’t.

As with all great restaurants, sometimes it can be difficult to decide what to eat. Luckily, Lucaj has us covered. Their signature dish is the Pappardelle Tesoro, which he highly recommends. The pasta dish is made with their homemade meat sauce, fresh tomatoes, basil, and mushrooms, with light cream.

If you’re craving chicken, you can’t go wrong with Chicken Della Nonna, an intriguing dish of pan-seared chicken topped with prosciutto, broccoli rabe, and mozzarella cheese in a pesto cream sauce topped with two jumbo shrimp. The dish is named after Lucaj’s grandmother.

Not only does Tesoro D’Italia feature an extensive menu, they are proud to offer a weekly rotating-specials menu. Lucaj is adamant that the specials not just include an appetizer, entree, and a desert, but one of each type of appetizer and entree, i.e. a pasta special and a seafood special.. A friendly staff are always more than happy to assist with ordering from the many choices on the menu.

Discover its Jewel of a Private Wine Cellar

The multitude of options aren’t limited to the food. “I have over 350 different wines by the bottle,” Lucaj said. The gem of Tesoro’s collection is a jaw-dropping $1,600 Schrader Cellars wine out of Napa. But you don’t have to break the bank at Tesoro either. Bottles of wine start at $30.

Tesoro’s private dining room also happens to be a private wine cellar. Lined with thousands of bottles, the room is the perfect place for events of up to 25 people. Tesoro also has a semi-private area that can accommodate up to 150 people. With all the different private spaces, you would think there’s no room for the main dining room, but you would be underestimating Tesoro D’Italia’s building. “I love this place,” said Lucaj. It’s almost like it was purposely built to host his business.

Most people who host events at Tesoro opt for house wine, but Peter will work with you if you want to upgrade. There are many different event packages available. The private wine cellar space even comes equipped with a flatscreen TV on the wall for corporate events. In fact, events are part of the DNA of Tesoro. Lucaj worked hard to ensure his restaurant is the perfect place to host a part of any size. 

Lucaj and his entire team at Tesoro work hard. Tesoro D’Italia cares about their customers, and it shows. “As soon as a customer walks in the door, we do everything we can to make them feel at home,” said Lucaj. “If just one person leaves my restaurant before I get a chance to ask them personally how their meal is, something is wrong.” It’s that kind of old-school attention to detail that makes Tesoro D’Italia the truly special place that it is. While great for events, it’s also perfect for a date-night, or a family meal. “I always tell my customers, don’t come without the kids,” said Lucaj.

Whatever your occasion is, Tesoro D’Italia can make it special. Start off with the Antipasto Platter and finish off with the Pappardelle Tesoro for your main, if you’re going for dinner, and enjoy some wine from their remarkable collection. It’s a perfect night or day out, no matter the occasion. Visit tesoroditaliany.com 

“A Unique Vibe” as Pleasantville Day RETURNS on May 21

by

Reconnect with Neighbors and Friends on this Family Fun Day

Mayor of Pleasantville, Peter Scherer
Photos by Peter Rogovin

Pleasantville Day is returning Saturday May 21. Come meet your old and new neighbors of Pleasantville that have moved here in the last two years. Our goal for Pleasantville Day is a fun time showing casing the unique vibe for our big personality village. Pleasantville Day is a village event that entices residents of all ages for several hours of fun and sun (hopefully!) and to mingle with their neighbors and friends. It takes place on Memorial Plaza from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There will be a Kids Zone with a Velcro wall, gaga, archery, and crafts all thanks to Kiwi Camp. 

The adventure zone is for our large activities such as a bungee trampoline, bouncy obstacle course, and more. Open to adults too!

Entertainment will include live band, stilt walker, juggler, my favorite big bubble maker, and crafts. 

Aiming for 75+ vendors/booths, a wide assortment of local organizations, and local food vendors including a pizza truck.

We aim to have a free fun experience for all residents. I have been involved since 2016 as a co-organizer, and this year the number of volunteers as co-organizers has doubled to 6. So, I’m hoping our fun level doubles as well. We’re going to be focused on bring out the best of Pleasantville Day to all the residents.

Pleasantville Day is also about philanthropy. In addition to supporting local organizations such as school groups, the tips for the entertainers are collected to donate to a local organization in the area.

In addition to the Village of Pleasantville, Kiwi Country Day Camp sponsors the Kids Zone activities.

Pleasantville Day will be held in place of the Pleasantville Farmers Market, which will return May 28th.

Looking Back with the Inside Press

Editor’s Note: To discover more of the flavor of the day, see Charlotte Harter’s Inside Press story and pictures about Pleasantville Day 2019: https://www.theinsidepress.com/pleasantville-day-an-annual-celebration-of-fun-friendship-and-community/

Pleasantville Farmers Market: Turning the Fun Back On

by

The Pleasantville Farmers Market is getting its mojo back, with a rich slate of music, kids, culinary, and other events right around the corner.

“We spent the last two years trying to stay open and keep everyone safe,” says Peter Rogovin, president of the community nonprofit Foodchester, which operates the Market. “Many people saw us as the safest way to shop: outdoors, socially distanced, masked, with food direct from farms so minimally handled. We even implemented an online shopping platform to get people in and out quickly and with contactless payment.” 

Now, with the kind of cautious optimism that is appropriate in these times, Rogovin continues, “This spring is a great time to restart the amazing programming and culinary events that helped PFM become a place where so many in the area start their weekend.”  

The market’s live music series will showcase the area’s abundant creative talent to provide a fun and vibrant atmosphere. With 21 dates in total, the music series will start on Memorial Day Weekend (May 28) and will go every Saturday until October 15. 

“Live music and top-notch food–what a fantastic combination,” says Stuart Vance, leader of the Music Committee. “Look out for some very special programs this year.” The market’s music area is located near popular vendors selling pretzels, ice pops, tea and coffee, and more, and there’s a comfortable seating area for the shoppers to enjoy.

All Things PLEASANTVILLE in this Crossword Puzzle! How’d you Do?

by

ACROSS

1 ___ Speedy (Pleasantville printer since 1985)
4 Wallace who co-founded Reader’s Digest
8 Guy’s date
11 Like some drinks you might get at Lucy’s
13 Pleasantville’s ___ Horse Grill
14 Boxing champ Muhammad
15 Annual summer event in Pleasantville since 2005
18 D.C. ballplayer
19 When the lights go on at Pleasantville’s Parkway Field, in brief
20 ___ Scherer, longtime Pleasantville mayor
23 Corner of a diamond
25 On ___ with (equal to)
26 Tampa Bay N.F.L.er
27 Pet adoption site in Briarcliff, in brief
31 Commander in Chief: Abbr.
32 Before, to poets
33 ___ Village (part of Pleasantville where Broadway meets Bedford Road)
34 One course requirement for Pleasantville High School srs.
36 Dead ___ (Pleasantville’s Sutton Place or Hobby Street, e.g.)
37 Emotional state
38 Rowboat propellers
40 Quick shots of liquor, as one might get at Foley’s
41 Auto at a Pleasantville dealership
43 Cereal grain
44 Weekly event in Pleasantville that’s been voted “Best of Westchester” every year since 2014
50 ___ Stages (performing arts theater in Pleasantville)
51 Harlem ___ (what trains to/from Pleasantville run on)
52 Palindromic boy’s name
53 Beverage served at On’s Chinese Kitchen
54 Black, in poetry
55 When Pleasantville’s 44-Across occurs each week: Abbr.

DOWN

1 ___ card (smartphone insert)
2 Locale at the Westchester Med. Ctr.
3 Where one lives: Abbr.
4 Feature at the north end of Pleasantville’s train station
5 Anger
6 The “L” of L.A.
7 Poker wagers
8 Contributed to a nonprofit, as PCTV
9 “So sad”
10 Pleasantville’s ___ Chocolate Shoppe
12 Pleasantville ___ (village icon since 1937)
16 Something parked at Memorial Plaza
17 “As I was going to St. ___ …”
20 University in Pleasantville
21 Totally awesome
22 The ___ Project (Pleasantville eatery)
23 Jacob ___ Film Center
24 Scored 100% on
26 Pleasantville’s Craft Pizza & ___
28 Village ___ (part of the Pleasantville Parks & Recreation Department)
29 Blood problem
30 Does some basic arithmetic
35 Average
37 ___-North (train service to/from Pleasantville)
39 One-named English pop diva
40 Oink : pig :: ___ : sheep
41 It’s currently $14.25 for a one-way adult Peak ticket from Pleasantville to Grand Central
42 Killer whale
43 Sign of the future
44 Obese
45 Braised short ___ (offering at Pleasantville’s Southern Table)
46 ___-cone
47 Units at Pleasantville’s Twin Jewelers: Abbr.
48 When a plane is due in, for short
49 Newcomer at Bedford Road School

Will Shortz, a resident of Pleasantville since 1993, is the crossword editor of The New York Times, and puzzle master for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday. He also owns Pleasantville’s Westchester Table Tennis Center, one of the largest ping pong facilities in the country, where he can be found almost every weekend and on weekend afternoons.

Answers can be found in the back of the new print edition of Inside Pleasantville & Briarcliff Manor. We will also publish the answers online in about two weeks!