Horsing around at an Armonk favorite

It seems like only yesterday that the Livanos Restaurant Group, of Molyvos and Oceana in Manhattan and City Limits in White Plains fame, opened Moderne Barn, on the edge of horse country in Armonk. Indeed, the restaurant is 13 years old and still galloping along. 

Very much part of their local communities ”“ one branch of the family actually lives in Armonk, another nearby ”“ the Livanoses know their market and their offerings are always on point, with special menus throughout the year. (More on this later.) They also open for lunch, which gives them an edge, as many of the region”™s more upscale restaurants, especially in the wake of Covid, do not. 

The barn itself, a former furniture store ”“ the “Yellow Barn” sign still hangs on the stairs ”“ is a massive space, divided into more intimate sections, all under a soaring, vaulted roof. You can sit at banquettes, which have recently been reupholstered in jazzy, key patterns; in booths; at large square tables with white tablecloths; at high tables; or on comfortable stools at the bar. There is yet more seating on the mezzanine level, a space often used for private parties. Large, circular light fixtures seem to float like halos above the room. At first glance, they look as if they are made of upturned wine glasses ”“ or perhaps I just have a one-track mind.  

From a crowd-pleasing menu of salads, pizzas, pastas and entrées, four of us recently enjoyed a Barn salad with sherry vinaigrette (a best seller, our server told us); tuna tartare with guacamole and fried wonton chips; a generous mezze plate; and a punchy rigatoni Bolognese. High-quality ground beef goes into the hamburgers, which are served with piping hot, golden French fries. 

In other entrées, roast “Free Bird” chicken with roast potatoes and fennel and a beautiful tranche of pan-seared black seabass won plaudits.  

Weaker links, but not ones to break the general chain of excellence, were woolly bread and overly soft butter, although both were nicely presented, the bread in waxed paper and the butter on a marble slab, sprinkled with salt. A Caesar salad lacked its anchovies, or any discernible anchovy paste in the dressing, and was flecked with a Parmesan substitute. And I had to settle for Pepsi rather than my beloved Diet Coke. (Perhaps the Pepsi should not have been a surprise given the proximity of PepsiCo”™s world headquarters in Purchase.) Oh well, life is full of disappointments. Desserts, a specialty of all Livanos restaurants, are rich and indulgent, heavy on cream and chocolate. 

The crowd runs the gamut from spry seniors to golfers ”“ V-neck Argyle sweaters always the giveaway ”“ to lunching ladies to babes in arms. Just minutes from Bedford, Westchester”™s equestrian heartland, I convinced myself that the high-spirited guys at a neighboring table were horse traders or trainers, celebrating some horsey success, a purchase or a win perhaps, as their lunch took an increasingly bibulous turn. That”™s easy enough to do at Moderne Barn, which prides itself on a wine list with more than 700 wines. You can see many of them along the impressive wall of wine on the mezzanine level, reached by a long, broad staircase. 

Back at ground level, three blown-up images from “The Wild Horses of Sable Island” series, by the Romanian Canadian photographer/filmmaker Roberto Dutesco, https://www.wagmag.com/where-the-wild-things-are/ decorate one of the restaurant”™s walls, adding to the gently “horsey” ”“ or, at any rate, sporty ”“ vibe.  

But Moderne Barn”™s appeal extends to a wider market than just a sporty or a local one. On Wednesday April 5 ”“ the first night of Passover ”“ the restaurant will serve a special set Passover seder menu, with an à la carte version available for takeout. (Order by Sunday, April 2.)  

On Easter Sunday, April 9, the restaurant will serve its dinner menu ”“ including a magnificent-sounding grilled leg of lamb ”“ throughout the day, with a special holiday brunch menu replacing the usual Sunday Brunch. (The Barn is also a participant in Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, which continues through Palm Sunday, April 2.) 

Whether you”™re a lover of the turf, the fairways, religiously inclined or simply looking for an enjoyable lunch or dinner at prices which won”™t frighten the horses, be sure to consider this Armonk Thoroughbred in the upcoming season. 

For reservations, visit modernebarn.com.