Shaking it up for summer!

“Summer’s here and the time is right .... for dancing in the street” — Martha and the Vandellas

I'm ready for summer, peeps! And to start it off, I was at the Tiki Beach Pier Restaurant in Rye for the official kick-off of Westchester Magazine's Wine & Food Festival and the MOST FUN annual Bartender Shakeoff that's part of their Party on the Pier event.

The party is June 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Rye Playland and includes samples from 25 restaurants and food trucks along with beer, wine, and more (tickets cost $65).

I'm a cocktail judge (for the fourth time!). A little mini shakeoff (oh, how I love the sound of drinks shaking!) took place with some of the judges. Should you decide to attend (order your tickets now), you'll get to see (and sample from!):

• David Alvarez (La Casa Bronxville)
• Sam Bismark (Augustine’s Salumeria in Mamaroneck)
• Lisa Foster (Gleason’s in Peekskill)
• Veronica Kallas (Crawdaddy’s Creole Kitchen in Pleasantville)
• Fabian Lugo (Fortina in Yonkers)
• Alexa Marcinczyk (Tiki Beach in Rye)
• Natalia Atehortua (Divino Cucina Italiana in Hastings-on-Hudson)

With summer around the bend — at least the unofficial start of summer — let's talk travel. You may not be getting on a plane but you can hightail it to Rye for the recently opened Saigon Table for a taste of authentic Vietnamese food. First-time restaurateur Lynn Lee is from Saigon and today is her grand opening.

Another option: Enjoy food that's served "from our house to yours" at the newly rebranded Town House Kitchen + Drinks in New Rochelle. I didn't get to sample the food (that will come this weekend!) but I can tell you the roast chicken looked divine as did the raw bar trio featuring Maine oysters, poached shrimp cocktail and tuna tartare and the Lobster + Bucatini with tomato, basil, tarragon and crème fraiche. I'm also excited because in a week or so, the restaurant will also be serving gluten-free desserts from my fave By the Way Bakery in Hastings.

There's also lots new in Rockland including the very exciting news about a Greek Mediterranean spot on the water where Pier 701 had been, another Italian eatery for Sparkill restaurateur Vittorio Lanni and a second location for Cafe Diem. Plus ice cream — with soft serve matcha, taro and ube ice cream — in Nanuet. Read below for details. And def check out my ice cream story so you know where to go this weekend. Did you know there are six new ice cream spots (with more coming) in Westchester and Rockland so far this year?

Speaking of "more," there's also news about closings as well as details on an Italian spot reopening in Harrison.

Best Bites

(Things I ate -- and loved -- this week)

• Grilled almon at KEE Oyster House in White Plains. This restaurant is consistently good. It's also one of my top summer spots as come warm weather, I'm all about their lobster and lobster roll, the latter of which was a "Best Thing I Ate" last year.

• Porterhouse for two at Peter's Steakhouse in Eastchester. I love steak and there's nothing like a sizzling platter arriving at your table. I also had broccoli with garlic, another fave.
• Buttered popcorn at Apple Cinemas, White Plains. The theater is now open and I love the new self-serve kiosks so you can decided how much (or how little) butter you want.

• French onion short rib at Freddy's in Pleasantville, with gruyere potato gratin and onion rings . Who doesn't love comfort food? This is comfort plus, in a nostalgia atmosphere that takes me back to the '70s. I also love the couple behind it — Owners Christina and Matt Safarowic, who "met cute" at The Cookery in Dobbs Ferry way back when — and now run this warm welcoming space where Chef Safarowic cooks with the perfect mix of flavors that magically stirs up memories of eating with loved ones at the dinner table.

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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Shaking it up for summer!