Chef Ellen Sledge, a trained pastry chef has worked in some of the finest restaurants in New York City. She left her career as a pastry chef and decided to pursue her dream of owning a business. She took the leap of faith and founded Penny Lick Ice Cream Company, a nut-free ice cream company based in Westchester County. Chef Ellen took a break from her busy schedule to chat with Suburbs 101. I asked her for restaurant recommendations- what are the best restaurants in NY and Fairfield County CT? She shares her favorite restaurants in Westchester County and NYC- including the best bakery in NYC.
PS: We are very excited about the upcoming Greenwich Wine + Food on March 4, 2023, where Chef Ellen Sledge will be a guest chef.
Eat Where the Chefs Eat is a column where local Chefs and food industry insiders share their favorite restaurants in the New York metro area. Learn where your favorite chefs go when they aren’t in their own kitchens!
What is Your Favorite Restaurant in Westchester County?
I love Boro6 Wine Bar in Hastings-on-Hudson. It’s almost too stylish for me to be allowed in the door. Their menu is a rotating selection of Italian and Spanish influences, and their wine menu is hands down the best in Westchester. I enjoy meeting friends there for lunch and am a sucker for a good charcuterie and cheese selection.
Where is the Best Chinese Restaurant in Westchester County?
My husband and his family are Chinese, and the further away you get from lower Manhattan the harder it is to find Chinese cuisine that meets their standards. O Mandarin in Hartsdale is our favorite Chinese restaurant in Westchester County, and our go-to dish is the twice-cooked pork belly.
What is Your Favorite Restaurant in Fairfield County?
I don’t get out to Fairfield County enough, but when I do, I love getting a cubano at the Soul de Cuba outpost in the SoNo Collection in Norwalk.
What is Your Favorite NYC Restaurant?
I have a daughter who attends NYU. We grab a monthly meal at one of my favorite restaurants in NYC, Left Bank in the West Village. Though an excellent French restaurant with all your favorites like mussels or steak frites, my daughter always orders the capricci cacio e pepe. I go for the roast chicken, which is also available through their take out/delivery sister business, Poulet Sans Tete.
What is the Best Bakery in NYC?
I could name more restaurants in Manhattan, but since I am a pastry chef, I am going to recommend a bakery—Duane Park Patisserie in Tribeca. More than 20 years old, an institution in the neighborhood, it’s where everyone goes for the best special occasion cakes. It’s also well known for its Ring Ding Bar. I personally love her croissants, which are buttery perfection. And my NYU student is a sucker for the focaccia.
About Ellen Sledge
Ellen Sledge is a proud New York native, having lived in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Long Island, and now Westchester. She is an alum of Rutgers University and French Culinary Institute (now ICC). She is also an alum of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program and actively advocates with 10,000 Voices. She currently also serves on the board of the Restaurant Alliance of Westchester. Ellen previously worked the pastry line in some of NYC’s finest restaurants, but always wanted her business.
In 2013, she took the leap with Penny Lick Ice Cream Company. Penny Lick’s ice cream, sorbets, ice cream cakes, and more are made in Westchester County with all-natural ingredients. Inspired by friends and family, Ellen adopted a policy of no nuts or products with any nut contamination, so all items are also peanut, tree nut, and sesame free. In her spare time, she volunteers with the NYC public school system, local foster care programs, her local village, and the local Rotary.
Looking for Restaurant Recommendations from Chefs? Check out our other Eat Where the Chef Eats interviews:
Chef Luke Venner’s Favorite Restaurants in New York and Connecticut
Chef Peter Kelly’s Favorite Restaurants in Westchester
Best Restaurants in Fairfield County: Chef Robin Selden
Best Thai Restaurants in NYC: Grumpy Dumpling Chef Kook’s Faves
Best Restaurants in NY: According to Chef Ellen Sledge
Best Restaurants in Litchfield County, CT: According to Chef Evan Kalogiannis
Best Sushi in Greenwich, CT: According to Chef Scott Fratangelo
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