vip in the city

Purdy’s Homestead

To celebrate J and B turning another year wiser, we convened near Grand Central (48 hours after the massive steampipe explosion) for dinner on the town – the town being, for tonight, North Salem in Westchester County.

Purdy’s Homestead is named for Joseph Purdy – one in the long chain of Westchester Purdys — who built his colonial farmhouse circa 1775 farmhouse in the hamlet that now bears the family name. S and I had read various reports in the paper of record over the years, and weeks ago she set out to plan the celebration weekend.

But first, a quick trip to the Cupcake Café for a small cake – aren’t they pretty?

One traffic-clogged ride up to Westchester later – seems we weren’t the only ones planning a quick summer getaway – we pulled up to the quaint, iron fenced homestead. A walk through the small bar area was like a glimpse into the landmarked house’s past: stone fireplace, beamed ceilings, wide-planked floors. No doubt cozy in wintertime, but tonight was clear and cool, so we elected to dine on the screened porch.

Chef couple — another one! — Charles Steppe and Maureen Brown-Steppe, who met as students at the Culinary Institute of America and married just after graduation, opened Purdy’s Homestead in January 2000. The New American menu was casually elegant: we started our meals with well-presented appetizers of artichokes, calamari and oysters, and as darkness fell, proceeded into a round of four solidly satisfying entrees (for which there was hearty-cross-sampling.)

And for dessert: chocolate birthday cake, topped with astronaut-themed candles. Despite not quite being the surprise that S and I intended (tough to smuggle a cake in such close quarters), it was a sweet ending to a festive meal.

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