A Bit Different: The Rare Bit Changes Gears with Southern Soul Food and More
Photography by Shamika Pandit and Andrew Dominick
Westchester’s dining scene has had its share of buzzworthy restaurant openings in the past few years. The Rare Bit was without a doubt one of the more exciting debuts at the tail end of 2018 with its English gastropub theme and with opening day co-partner David DiBari behind it, that buzz was warranted.
Forget what you knew about The Rare Bit then because things have changed up a bit since its inception. DiBari bowed out as a partner due to creative differences as of mid-2019. Soon after, The Rare Bit switched gears in terms of its menu, all but abandoning its British-inspired menu.
Owner Scott Broccoli—who owns restaurants in San Francisco including Ace’s Bar, The Pub at Ghirardelli Square, and Dobbs Ferry— wanted to change gears and evolve the concept. “I personally like British food, it tends to be heavy, and you can’t eat it all the time.”
The Rare Bit’s cocktails are on tap and created in batches for uniformity in taste. Broccoli credits his bar manager, Liz Torres, for keeping the menu fresh and seasonal. Additionally, they serve house made hard seltzers using organic juice and fresh fruit. Morning Dew (left) is a lighter scotch drink with vanilla and raspberry syrup, and muddled orange. Dobbin’ For Apples (right) with Legent Bourbon, apple, and ginger is fall in a glass. Sip slow. It could sneak up on you.
For Broccoli—a Dobbs native who moved back home from years in San Francisco to be closer to family and raise his own family—he chose to switch things up after listening to his customers. “They thought the food then was awesome and tasted great, but they found it hard to find things that appealed to them on a regular basis,” he recalls. “I want to give guests what they want.”
The new iteration of The Rare Bit is taking their menu south, not south of England as in France, but south as in New Orleans, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
At the helm of all things southern-inspired is executive chef Evan Kalogiannis, who locals may be familiar with from Purdy’s Farmer & The Fish and Hudson Farmer & The Fish. Before his Westchester stops, Kalogiannis earned his low-country cuisine cred at the Link Restaurant Group in New Orleans where he cooked at Cochon for five years.
“We were like-minded in what the new direction would be, so he stayed on—he was here since day one—and got promoted from chef de cuisine to exec chef,” Broccoli says. “I’m impressed with how the new menu is doing and how in tune Evan is with our guests wants and needs.”
Some of that “new stuff” is the epitome of stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. Notables include steak frites with Creole butter and collards, a thick cut porkchop with dirty rice, a daily gumbo dish, and homemade cheddar biscuits with sausage gravy and eggs for brunch.
Tandoori spiced duck skin bites. Crispy, fatty, habit forming.
Oh, and if you are doing brunch (The Rare Bit has three days of it from Friday – Sunday) do not skip the chicken & waffles. Truth be told, I’m a chicken & waffles snob. Usually there’s something wrong; a dense waffle or a mediocre batter, seasoning, crunchiness issue with the fried chicken, or all three. Not here! The waffle was light and fluffy. The chicken had crunch. It was juicy. Good grease factor, because, after all, fried chicken needs that. The choice to add thin-sliced pickled apples on top was a wise one. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it initially, but the acid helped balance out all the savory. Don’t forget to tear some chicken off the bone and fold it up in the waffle taco style like a chicken & waffles O.G.
If you’re full, get dessert anyway! New York style pumpkin cheesecake (left) is made on the premises and they’re roasting the pumpkins, too. One clear favorite was the apple-almond tart, mainly because of a rich, fatty ingredient in the crust that’s NOT butter. It’s beef fat.
Another southern staple The Rare Bit is rolling out is shrimp & grits. OK…I know what you’re thinking. I think the same thing when I see shrimp & grits on a menu. It felt like a trend that chefs never gave up on when most should have. Kalogiannis’ rendition changed my mind. His creamy, cheesy grits could be devoured as is, but a generous pour of soulful pan gravy makes most restaurant’s grits seem like a bland can of succotash in comparison. Toss in a bunch of plump, tender creole spiced shrimp and it very well could be Westchester’s best version. I know it’s the only one I’ve ever wanted more of.
“No one’s really doing this food around here,” Broccoli says. “Evan is kicking ass with these dishes.”
Pete’s Meatballs are a Broccoli Family recipe
There’s more fancied-up country classics like braised short ribs, smoked pork ribs, and others that aren’t southern whatsoever like a pasta of the day, a burger, and tender meatballs simmered in a rich, house made tomato sauce.
The brown sauce that sits under the yolky Scotch egg (left) provides a sweet contrast. Another holdover from their original menu (thankfully) is fish & chips with a golden brown batter that’s gluten-free and the flakiest hake you ever did see.
What is interesting, though, is The Rare Bit hasn’t fully ditched its best-selling English classics. A few remain like the cheesy Welsh rarebit, a memorable fish & chips with salty, addictive fresh cut fries, and one of the world’s most ideal bar snacks, a soft boiled, sausage covered, deep-fried Scotch egg. A few Indian nods like tandoori spiced chicken wings and chicken tikka masala still exist, too. As much as I fell head over heels for The Rare Bit’s newness, I’m glad they kept these around.
Call it southern, maybe don’t call it English anymore, but now there’s something for everyone. Calling The Rare Bit delicious and soul satisfying sounds more appropriate.
The Rare Bit
23 Cedar Street; Dobbs Ferry
(914) 693-8000; https://therarebitdf.com/