Surprising places for steak in Westchester, Rockland

Where do you go when you crave a steak but don't necessarily want the formality of a steakhouse? If you're like me, you scope out hidden gems like an unassuming bar in Bronxville, a strip mall spot in New City or you bypass the pasta at an Italian restaurant and order ribeye instead.

Check out one of these surprising places for steak.

La Casa Bronxville, Bronxville

Elevated Mexican cuisine is at the heart of this sophisticated restaurant featuring a curated menu of seasonal, sustainably sourced ingredients. And while Carne Asada (skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, plantains, black beans and rice) is a staple on many a Mexican restaurant menu, owner Spencer Pingel has recently inaugurated steak nights featuring a ribeye cooked sous vide.

The special, offered once a month, is a $65 per person (for a minimum of two guests) two-course meal featuring freshly made guacamole, housemade corn chips and three salsas, plus Esquites and Caesar Salad. The 18-ounce sliced ribeye steak is served family style with housemade chimichurri sauce with a choice of three sides such as mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans, asparagus and plantains. The prix fixe meal also includes a bottle of Malbec (or BYOB and corkage included), or you can opt for a margarita and a glass of wine or choose two margaritas. For those non-drinkers, the restaurant will offer a dessert of your choice instead.

The next scheduled Steak Nights are July 18 and Aug. 15. Pingel is also planning paella nights in addition to offering breakfast (the restaurant already does brunch). 7 Pondfield Road, 914-222-9016, lacasabronxville.com.

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Maria, New Rochelle

When going to an Italian restaurant you're usually thinking pasta over steak but at this New Rochelle gem, chef/owner Giovanni Cucullo is full of surprises. His prime 24-ounce ribeye, which comes crackling hot to your table, is a Black Angus beauty from a top Kentucky family-owned company which practices sustainable cattle ranching.

Cucullo and his team air dry the meat in the fridge, then heavily season it to order with coarse Sicilian sea salt and black pepper. It’s broiled, rested, and sliced; then finished with tons of butter, garlic and rosemary. It arrives at your table in a sizzling cast iron pan with a side of Parmesan potatoes. For $86, it feeds two. 11 Huguenot St., 914-636-0006, marianewrochelle.com.

Craft Taqueria, New City

The food at Craft Taqueria is always impressive ‒ their tacos were featured last year among my "Best Thing I Ate This Week" series. This, despite the restaurant being a fast casual spot in a strip mall. What you may not know if that Chef/Owner Jeff Kreisel worked in the kitchens at some of Manhattan's best steakhouses for over a decade which means he knows steak.

His Black Angus skirt steak taco is always on the menu featuring a housemade black garlic marinade ($22).

Also super special (and worth getting when they have) is their ancho chili-rubbed bison tomahawk steak, offered as a special every few months. This giant 32-ounce steak is sourced from Fossil Farms, which prides itself on its free roaming North American bison. Kreisel does an ancho chili rub and serves it with rice, Mexican coleslaw and house made coffee-chipotle barbecue sauce for $110 (feeds one to two). Also an occasional special: Wagyu strip steaks, Bison hanger steak, elk short ribs, and more. 170 S Main St., 845-499-2211, crafttaqueria.com.

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Henry’s, Bronxville

You'd never guess this unassuming bar, with a super tiny kitchen, could churn out such great food, but chef/owner Francesco Coli has long spun magical creations out of small spaces.

His steak is one example.

Options here include a porterhouse for four, 48 ounces of classic Fiorentina grilled served with steak fries for $145 or a bone-in ribeye, a 20-ounce portion for $65. Henry's also offers a 16-ounce New York Strip for $65. All steaks are finished with clarified butter. 32 Palmer Ave., 914-346-5242, henrysbronxville.com.

Piccola Trattoria, Dobbs Ferry

Chef/Owner Sergio Pennacchio is known for fusing Argentinian flavors with Italian ones which makes his Bistecca (grilled 16- to 18-ounce rib eye steak served with chimichurri sauce, caramelized onions and house potato chips) a treat. The dry aged meat is USDA Prime and seared on a good quality cast iron pan first before being finished on the grill. Pennacchio said the seasoning is simple ‒ but a secret. $64. 23 Cedar St., 914-674-8427, piccolany.com.

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.