All You Need to Know About the Newest Tarrytown Dining Experience
Goose... who?
Three-time Top Chef contestant and celebrity, Dale Tald introduces cuisine sure to give any foodie goosebumps at his newest venture Goosefeather in Westchester County.
This is the first of hopefully many more concepts he plans to pioneer under the recently launched Food Crush Hospitality he runs with his wife, Agnes.
What can I expect?
The entire ambiance of Goosefeather was intricate, and extremely thoughtful. The venue has 180 seats, including an outdoor lounge with a fire pit and a separate terrace. Each room is adorned with fine detail that brought diners back to reality and reminded them where they were. The ceilings were painted with abstract art and brought a pop of color to each dining room.
So feast your eyes and prepare your senses for a meal you’ll be sure to never forget.
What does the name mean?
While it was evident that this was more than just a meal out but rather an experience, I couldn't help but wonder where the actual significance behind the name came from.
While not confirmed by Chef Tald himself, upon inquiring during my most recent visit I was informed of an old chinese proverb, “A Goose Feather Sent from Afar,” that helped me to understand the logo, name and experience more clearly.
The story from Ancient Chengyu is as follows:
Once upon a time, a man caught a goose that was so beautiful that he wanted to bring it to the Emperor as a gift. During the journey to the capital, the goose escaped and left the man with only a feather. Since the man already walked more than half way, he decided to continue the journey.
After arriving in the palace, the man presented the feather to the Emperor. The Emperor was immediately furious with the small gift. The man then explained, “My lord, I originally wanted to bring you a goose that was so magnificent that the heavens would be jealous. Unfortunately, the goose escaped during my journey here. However, I continued to walk day and night to your palace with the goose feather that was left behind. My lord, please forgive me and spare my life.”
The Emperor believed in the man’s sincerity and was no longer angry. Further, the Emperor rewarded the man with a year’s worth of salary.
Tell me about the food!
I thought you’d never ask…
Chef Tald has successfully blended fine dining with an other worldly experience for your tastebuds. His menu draws inspiration from traditional Chinese fare and blends it with a fusion of Cantonese influence commonly found in areas of Hong Kong. Most of the meals are large enough to share, with the exception of sides and appetizers so be sure to either come with a group or plenty of room to eat.
Cocktails are a must. As any meal typically starts, we ordered The Goosefeather and a watermelon margarita. If I was a whiskey person I probably would have liked my boyfriend’s drink which was made of rye, dry curacao, honey and lemon he claimed to be “smokey, silky and refreshing.” With that being said I can most definitely vouch for the watermelon margarita which was the perfect drink to close out summer with.
For appetizers we had a nice array of flavors including pork & black truffle wontons, grilled avocado salad and corn fritters. If you’re expecting a typical corn fritter don’t order these because these fritters (or should I say sticks) have a unique asian blend to them making them taste different than what you’d typically expect. The grilled avocado salad was good but not outstanding so if we were to go back we’d probably try one of their other salads. If you don’t already know this I’m a huge black truffle fan so pretty much anytime I see it on a menu, I order it. These black truffle wontons are a must if you’re visiting Goosefeather. They are perfectly cooked and the flavors are everything. We would have ordered more but we wanted to save room for the rest of our meal.
Our entrees consisted of the cantonese roast duck and lobster both of which were worth every penny. The duck was perfectly cooked with a tender center and crispy skin that paired perfectly with a dollop of the caramelized hoisin sauce. Now I’m a huge lobster fan and never in my life have I had one prepared like the Cantonese do. This lobster was coated in piles of roasted garlic while it perched on a handful of shrimp. It came pre-cracked for easy accessibility and no huge mess which was also a nice bonus.
When did it open?
Just opening this past August, Goosefeather has already gained an influx of positive publicity. Currently, the restaurant is open 7 days a week for dinner and I'm hoping they open soon for lunch or brunch.
Where is it?
Located in the pristine complex of the historic Tarrytown House Estate at Kings House Mansion.
Interested in learning more?
According to LoHud food, Talde recently celebrated Oktoberfest on Oct. 4, and has plans for a wine event on Oct. 19 and, later in the month, a family Halloween program.
In the meantime, make sure to try a few of Talde’s recipes from his book, “Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes From The Philippines To Brooklyn.”
49 E Sunnyside Ln
Tarrytown
914.829.5454