59°
CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. A new French bistro-style restaurant will open in Croton's upper village. The owners say Brasserie Grand is set to open on Grand Street in two months.
"Umami covers the kid-friendly side of the market," said co-owner Craig Purdy, "This is going to be a little more of a date night." Purdy and Jon Pratt, the pair who opened Umami Café and Peter Pratt's Inn, said the menu will have a Moroccan flare and will use pizza ovens to cook tagines.
Tagines are traditional clay braising dishes used in Moroccan cooking. The dishes are shaped like pie pans with cone-shaped lids. Chefs usually cook a meat and grain together, and the flavor ranges from sweet to savory.
"All the moisture rises inside of that dome and rains back into it," Pratt said.
Renovations just began at the location, 118-120 Grand St. The former Bella Paula location has been reinvented many times, building owner Richard Capellazzi said. He said the location previously has housed a bakery, a pipe and smoke shop, an antique store, a candy store, and a traditional milkshake shop. It continues to house several apartments above the retail space.
Purdy and Pratt hunted for a space for their restaurant before finding the location on Grand Street. Peter Pratt's Inn has been preserving lemons for three months in anticipation of the opening.
Although parking is a perennial concern in the upper village, Purdy said he thinks the municipal lot behind the building will be able to accommodate customers.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.
