But having a selection of quality restaurants in the area so we don’t have to travel to city is great. I wouldn’t call them Foo-Foo but Foodie restaurants. People who like to wine and dine where chefs “create” and food is prepare with freshest ingredients, etc. and present a dining experience.

Also I agree there should be places where kids aren’t welcomed. Hey I LOVE kids.. got a couple myself… but certain restaurants are about the complexity of the food, the great wines, the adult atmosphere. Having children run around distrubing or crying etc sort of ruins the experience. When you’re spending $150 for a nice meal with your date, that’s the last thing you want. I wouldn’t buy my kids $30 plate dinners because they wouldn’t appreciate it and it’s strange when I see parents bring their kids to these kind of places.

I know there were many repeat visitors tonight as I heard several parties greeted by name by the staff. That’s a great sign for a restaurant that just opened recently.

The food was very enjoyable, and it was all served piping hot. The goat cheese tart is as perfect as described in the review above. I can’t imagine patrons will ever let this dish come off the menu. The polenta with 3-cheese fondue was good while hot, better when cooled and slightly solidified. My duck breast on hand-mashed cauliflower had a phenomenal savory/slightly sweet sauce over it that tied everything together. It was a nice change from the overly sweet sauces most places dump on their duck. My guest loved her half chicken which had an attractive charred skin that ensured the meat was extremely juicy.

My only dislike was dessert as I did not detect any of the yeasty goodness that homemade donuts should have. The texture wasn’t there- it had no pull. It was like eating sugar covered dough with dipping sauces. It just didn’t match the quality of the rest of the meal.

Next time I will try the ricotta french toast instead. And there will be a next time. I think Nyack has another winner here. I know Velo will be around for a long time to come.

The case can be made that we need more reviews of the $10-15 type places in the paper. I can go along with that.

PS if Steve thinks that Restaurant X is overpriced he clearly hasn’t seem some of the REALLY expensive places.

I also don’t consider the restaurant or the food “foo-foo” (not exactly a precise adjective in my opinion). In fact, it resembles restaurants in NYC. “Foo-foo” to me would be anything outdated, but I guess the word “foo-foo” is up for interpretation.

I hope Velo does very well! I have family in the restaurant business, and I know the heart and passion that goes into running your own place. From my visits to Velo, I can feel that same kind of dedication from the chef/owner and his wife. Good luck!

No one is forcing you to order what you call “foo foo desserts,” but it would take a fool of a businessman not to sell them to people who want to buy them.

I thought the food was excellent.

Yes, it can be an expensive restaurant, but the market dictates what will succeed in Rockland County and what won’t.

There are many inexpensive, family style restaurants to choose from if that is what you are looking for. The owner who took over the lease of this space chose to open something more high-end. Why should he open a family style inexpensive restaurant if that is not his dream? What stops someone with a different dream from negotiating for their own space. Maybe there are fewer people in Rockland who dream of opening a restaurant filled with families and children.

If Velo’s prices are too high, and people think they are not getting their money worth, the owner will eventually have to make business model adjustments to stay profitable, like any other business owner does.

Just my Opinion.

Manhattan Special is great, have been drinking it since was a “kid.”
BUT serving it as a Foo Foo dessert give me a break.
How difficult is it to buy a few bottles, twist off the cap, pour into a glass and add vanilla ice cream?
thank you
Jay Hirsch