“Table Talk” with Jeremy Wayne: There’s no place like ‘gnome’ at the gutsy, delightful new Our Place

 

It’s the thinnest sheet of white tissue that separates courage from sheer bloody madness, and never more so than in the context of launching a restaurant. Especially post-pandemic – after Covid-19 decimated hospitality – and particularly at a time when finding staff, as any industry pro will tell you, is harder than ever. 

But that hasn’t put off husband-and-wife team Marc Kenyon and Melanie Lahara Kenyon, both industry troopers, whose 15-plus years (in their own words) “managing, serving, bartending, bussing and dishwashing” in restaurants finally gave them the courage to open a place of their own. 

That place is 11-months-old Our Place Kitchen & Bar in Yorktown Heights, formerly the Italian restaurant Furci’s (and others before it). It stands near the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce in a business plaza that feels nicely upscale.  The Kenyons’ motto, “Make Our Place Your Home,” is inscribed on a panel of wine corks in the 70-seat main dining area, which sits between a cheerful bar with a giant screen and a charming patio. Judging by the thoroughly warm welcome I received from Melanie Lahara – who grew up in the area, close to the restaurant – I’d say that motto is more than a hollow catchphrase.  

Truth to tell, I already had a feeling I was going to enjoy this restaurant as I walked through the door and my eye fell on the two chef-styled gonks – you may know them as Norwegian gnomes – on a shelf and I looked at Melanie quizzically. “Yes,” she nodded, “I have a gnome problem.” Right, then – no further explanation necessary. 

Out on the covered patio, deliciously warm in the spring sunshine, the Beatles’ “Penny Lane” playing on the sound system, three of us got comfortable in basket-weave chairs and glanced through the cocktail list and menu, with its “shareable bites,” “handhelds,” tacos and salads – both lists short but compelling. Drinks set the summery mood – Serenity Now cocktails (gin, fennel, rhubarb liqueur and Aperol) and ice-cold, nonalcoholic Bitburger, just the job for a warm day. In the food department, elote – grilled Mexican corn blended with cotija cheese and aioli and served with house-made chips, made a great starter to share, our friendly and engaging server, he of the super-charged smile, enthusiastically suggesting more chips when the first lot ran out. 

Under the heading “sammys” and “samiches,” a steak sandwich with peppers and horseradish aioli on toasted ciabatta or a turkey sandwich with bacon and brie on toasted sourdough might have been the way to go, and I for one was tempted, but after some deliberation the three of us took another route. 

That path consisted of fish tacos with Baja slaw, avocado and tomatillo sauce; and shrimp tacos with coleslaw and a spicy arbol – hot chilli – sauce. “The fish tacos? Fried or grilled?” asked our smiling server, directing my colleague to go with “fried” when she prevaricated. It was good advice and, like the fried shrimp, a great dish, as it transpired. Those beautifully soft and supple flour tortillas made the perfect wrap. 

There were plaudits, too, for Cowboy fried chicken, crunchy as peanut brittle. It came with pickles and a bacon and cheese sauce on a gloriously puffed up brioche bun. Crunchy tater tots made a logical side dish. 

More substantial entrées to try at dinner might include grilled salmon with cheesy corn grits and grilled ruby onion; and a 10-ounce New York strip steak with maître d’hôtel (flavored) butter. 

There were several gluten-free and vegetarian options to choose from as well, while additional daily specials were recited by the server. A cinnamon raisin bread pudding was among them, although we declined that in favour of a great slab of caramel cheesecake. Presented on a white plate with a professional “drizzle” and three strawberry slices, it was like everything else we sampled at Our Place – a generous portion, attractively plated and thoroughly delicious.  

In short:  Our Place takes a handful of easy classics, prepares them with diligence and serves them up with an award-winning smile in a thoroughly pleasant setting. Not cutting-edge, necessarily, but it sure cuts the mustard. A simple thing well-done is a thing of beauty in my book. 

Back to bravery. “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway,” as my namesake, (but sadly no relation) John Wayne once said. Of course, I can’t speak for the lovely Kenyons – I’ve no idea if they’re scared at all – but with a product this good and a location this pretty, they shouldn’t be. If ever a restaurant deserved to succeed, it’s this one. 

 

For more, visit ourplaceyorktown.com.