Excellent | Worth a Detour
Blue Dolphin
Review by: Michael Stern
It looks like a diner, and that is what it used to be. But what was once the Blue Dolphin hash house has become a fine Italian ristorante. In other words, this is not the place to come for a grilled cheese sandwich or eggs over easy with hash browns on the side. But if you are looking for fine homemade pasta, fresh seafood, sophisticated salads, and masterful cappuccino in handsome Italian crockery mugs, bring your appetite to Katonah.
What to eat at Blue Dolphin in Katonah, NY
Come early, or be prepared to wait, because the dining room is tiny with only a handful of tables that always seem to be occupied. During busy mealtimes in this convivial little place, customers wait by the door eagerly watching diners finishing their coffee and tiramisu, hoping that a table will vacate soon.
Once you are seated, you get a basket of bread: slices from a regular Italian loaf and a few slabs of garlic bread that is bright green with buttered mashed parsley. Appetizers include a misto salad with gorgonzola cheese, for which dressing is served in tall serve-yourself crocks; prosciutto and pears; and hot or cold antipasti. Among the many pastas, we like the big homemade ravioli (available filled with cheese or veal) and Blue Dolphin ziti with flavorful black olives, sliced zucchini, and LOTS of garlic. Entrees include grilled swordfish, liver Veneziano, filet of sole, and breaded veal.
While we weren’t all that impressed by the cream puffs for dessert, we saw a neighboring table get zuppa inglese that looked fantastic, and we love Blue Dolphin’s espresso, especially in macchiato form, streaked with a little milk.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $$ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Dinner |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Blue Dolphin Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Blue Dolphin?
One Response to “Blue Dolphin”
Mia Metzger
September 13th, 2006
We’re house hunting in Katonah, and our Realtor suggested this sister restaurant to Le Fontane (in neighboring Somers). Had dinner in Blue Dolphin on a summer Saturday night. They do have take-out, as there were at least six people who came and left with huge white bags of food. We arrived at 5:30, and had a table by 6:00, with enough time to walk up to Awakenings, a great spiritual shop.
A large platter of grilled shrimp with radicchio and Gorgonzola was an opening symphony of tastes and textures that creamed and crunched in our mouths. The grilled sardines and asparagus were also unique: two butterflied fillets with delicate grill marks, surrounded by a generous pile of al dente asparagus. Vegetable lasagna wasn’t as perfect as the meat lasagna at Le Fontane, but it was satisfying and full of many different veggies, and was oozing mozzerella cheese. Though we didn’t have any of the many pasta dishes, I noticed the perfect LARGE pasta bowls that seemed to be on every table, and I plan to indulge in one of those next time.
The service was attentive and informative; my partner had three tastings of wine before deciding on the “house” merlot, which the server (who commutes 45 minutes each way to work) firmly recommended.
Bites of crumbly and fudgy flourless chocolate almond torte combined with bites of soothingly tart key lime pie to finish the meal, accompanied by fresh black coffee and perfect decaf cappuccino.
The tables turned at least twice while we meandered our way through our meal, and the crowd was a diverse, seemingly ex-urbanite group that included young children, as well as great-grandparents of those tots. There were many people patiently waiting outside of the restaurant under the side trees on comfortable wooden benches and chairs, drinking various bar beverages, so there was some sort of outdoor service, however informal.