Ask the Chef: Philip McGrath of the Iron Horse Grill
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- January
- 28
With a new year, Small Bites is starting a new feature: Ask the Chef. Yes, it’s a Q&A with your favorite chefs. But this is not my Q&A  no, no. This is a Q&A for you, dear readers. I’ll start you off, but this one is up to you.
Ask anything you like. Wondering about the background of restaurants? How to make a favorite dish? What to order if you’re about to propose? Nothing’s off-limits.
Our first victim: Phil McGrath, the chef-owner of the Iron Horse Grill.
First, a little background on Phil. This, from his official bio:
“He and his wife and partner Catherine Correale have opened an intimate 60 seat restaurant in the turn of the century Pleasantville train station building. The restaurant has received accolades for its contemporary cuisine including an “Excellentâ€? rating from the New York Times’ M.H. Reed, a four and one half star review from the noted food writer Gerry Dawes and an “Aâ€? rating from Judith Hausman of the Gannett newspapers Journal News. The Iron Horse Grill has attained a 27 point food rating from, and has been described as “an outstanding experienceâ€? in the 2007 Zagat Survey.
McGrath and his partners have recently opened the Pony Express with a concept coined as “Fast Food Naturally�. M.H. Reed of the New York Times called the menu “fast food of the future�. The successful Pleasantville venture features all natural fast food using organic ingredients and natural products. It gives diners a healthier option to the fast food giants.
Previously, McGrath was the Executive Chef at the Castle at Tarrytown, and its award winning Equus Restaurant. He was instrumental in The Castles achieving Relais and Chateau status, built its culinary reputation, and made it one of the most important dining destinations of New York’s northern suburbs.
His impressive culinary background includes positions at such prestigious addresses as the Doubles Club, Prunelle, Tavern on the Green, the Sign of the Dove, Glorious Foods, the Ritz Cafe, The Carlyle Hotel, and Jean Jacque Rachou’s Le Lavandou and La Cote Basque, all in New York City. He has also honed his culinary skills during working visits in France at the famed Restaurant Troisgros in Roanne, Chef Marc Meneau’s L’Esperance in St-Pere-Sous-Vezelay, and Restaurant Michel Rostang in Paris.
Chef McGrath’s love and knowledge of the culinary arts has provided him with opportunities to lecture at NYU’s Hotel and Restaurant Management Certificate Program, teach as an adjunct professor in Westchester Community College’s Hotel and Culinary Arts Program, and do demonstrations at Macy’s Cellar, Bloomingdales, Fortunoffs, Nieman Marcus and Williams Sonoma. McGrath has authored numerous freelance articles and a regular food column. He has also appeared on Cablevisions News Channel 12 and PCTV as a guest chef on a number of occasions.
A native of the Bronx and a resident of Pleasantville, Chef McGrath earned a B.S. degree from St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, where he finished first in his class. He has also cooked at the James Beard Foundation on numerous occasions, including a “Rising Star of American Cuisineâ€? dinner there in 1991. ”
Whoa!
My question has more to do with the Iron Horse itself. I was wondering about that great little room behind the bar. It’s intimate… and I love the rounded walls.
Q: Phil, what’s up with that room?
A: “We call our private dining room the “Green Room.” You would be amazed at how many people have asked us for the color formula for the paint that we used and have painted rooms in their homes the same color!
To guarantee the Green Room as a private space the minimum number of guests is 10. Otherwise we use it for one table of six to eight and two other tables of two.
The comfortable maximum is 16, although we can get 18 people in there snugly. As long as you are all close friends or family the larger number works.
We do not charge a room rental fee but do offer our $49 prix fixe dinner which means that you and your guests get to choose from our full menu including the nightly specials with no limitations. We actually give everyone menus with no prices on them. Each diner gets to choose any first course, main course and dessert for that price. We run a tab on any beverages you consume and then of course there is sales tax and gratuity.
We have also done tasting menus and wine dinners in the Green Room. There have been so many birthday parties, anniversaries, small weddings, corporate dinner meetings, holiday parties, ladies nights out and other social events over the last nine years that we have lost count. You can also book the room for lunch Tuesday through Saturday even though we are not normally open.
The Green Room was originally the ticket and stationmasters office when the building was used as the Pleasantville train station. It has been a great asset to the Iron Horse Grill and has been the site of so many a special and memorable occasions for our guests. Like the rest of the historic 1904 train station that we occupy there is a sense of motion, anticipation and travel that we hope helps transport our guests, at least for a few hours, to a fulfilling and pleasant destination.”
Now readers, I open the floor to you. Ask your questions in the comments field, and Phil will answer them.
Fire away!
This entry was posted
on Monday, January 28th, 2008 at 8:32 am by Liz Johnson.
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Hey, Chef: About a million years ago, you served me the most amazing rabbit dish. In times of stress, I still think back to that amazing meal. It’s my happy place. I’m fairly competent in the kitchen, but the thought of cooking rabbit has this father of four (“You’re cooking WHAT? A little BUNNY?”) a little more than a little intimidated. How tough is it to find? Any secrets to its preparation? (I have a regular oven and a convection/oven/microwave/advantium deal that cooks with light.) Also, could you suggest appropriate side dishes. (I’m a fan of the cannellini beans. Would they work?) Thanks, Pete Kramer
Pete,
I still have that cartoon depicting a rabbit with an amputated leg that you sent me after your meal. It hangs in our bar and generates a lot of confused looks from our guests. With regards to finding rabbits locally many supermarkets are carrying them, usually supplied by a company called D’Artagnan. You can ask the butcher to order them whole or just the legs or loins. With rabbit I like to roast the loin and braise the legs so unless you are willing to do a little surgery yourself you might get the cuts that you prefer. Rabbit is very lean, mildly flavored and a good introduction to the “game” meat category, although rabbits, like almost all “game” meats and poultry that you buy are actually farmed raised. Canelli beans would be a great accompaniment to braised rabbit legs so you might try the following recipe:
Cinnamon Braised Rabbit with Canelli Beans and Steamed Kale
Serves Four
4 rabbit hind legs
flour for dredging
coarse salt and fresh pepper to taste
oil for sauteeing
1 cup canelli beans soaked
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and diced fresh or canned tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 stalk fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dry
2 cinnamon sticks
1 med. onion diced
2 med. carrots peeled and diced
1 small celery root or 3 stalks celery peeled and diced
8 cremini or button mushrooms quartered
4 cloves garlic minced
1 large bunch kale stemmed, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1-2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
In a braising pan just large enough to hold all of the ingredients heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery root, mushrooms, onions and half of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute about three minutes until they begin to “sweat”. Remove from pan. Add another tbs. of the oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Season the rabbit legs with salt and pepper, Lightly dredge in flour, place in the pan and gently brown on all sides. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, add the beans, tomato, rosemary, bay leaf and cinnamon sticks. Add enough water or stock to almost cover, bring to a simmer and braise about a half hour. Add the sauteed vegetables and braise another half hour or so until the meat is tender and the beans and vegetables are cooked. Skim any impurities as they rise and add more stock or water if necessary. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, remove the cinnamon sticks, rosemary and bay leaf and keep warm.
Heat 1 tbs. oil over medium heat. Add the rest of the garlic and cook one minute. Add the kale, season with salt and pepper, add a little stock or water, cover and steam gently until tender, about 20 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure that all of the liquid hasn’t evaporated. Keep warm. Enjoy!
To serve place a mound of the kale in each of four bowls. Place a rabbit leg on top of each and ladle the vegetable mixture on top and around the rabbit.
Wow, that sounds fabulous.