Tomatillo
13 Cedar Street
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 (Map it!)
Attendees: Shelley, Pat, Kristen, Andrew, Jeffrey, Sylvia
I’ve been to Tomatillo before, having visited Dobbs Ferry during some lunch hours with coworkers to check out exhibits at the Upstream Gallery on Main Street and to get a hearty burrito to power me through the rest of the work day. What has always attracted me to Tomatillo is the fact that they use locally grown, organic ingredients, mainly from the Stone Barns. For lunchtime Tomatillo offers a wide variety of burrito combinations, in addition to other standard Mexican fare like quesadillas, tacos, and enchilladas. From past experience (and Pat’s review may support this statement), I recommend the La Bandera for lunch.
But I wasn’t at Tomatillo today for lunch, I was here for brunch.
When we first arrived, we were the only patrons in Tomatillo. However, at about 12:00 the place started to fill up quickly, and by the time we left at around 12:45, all of the tables were occupied. The ambience is bright and cheerful, with exposed brick walls and lots of bright splashes of accent colors. A chalkboard above the bar lists various drinks and information about the coffee (which perhaps Sylvia could elaborate on). Seating is on the cozy side. Our party of six was originally going to be seated in a booth, but that proved a bit too tight, so we were moved to three pushed together tables against the wall. We had more elbow room, but another table with diners was right behind us, so close that we had to be very careful when pushing our chairs out as we were leaving. Men may be left scratching their heads at the whimsically placed orange men’s room door, located high on a wall right above the table we were sitting at. (There is an actual restroom in the back.)
For Sunday brunch, starting at 11:30, the restaurant offers just three items: a breakfast burrito, huevos rancheros, and a steak and eggs burrito. You can get these dishes either a la carte, with the prices ranging from $8-$10, or you can get the brunch special: one of the dishes plus a beverage of choice (coffee or a number of breakfast cocktails) for $10.95. (If you want more options, don’t worry; the regular lunch menu was also available to us.) I chose an a la carte breakfast burrito grande, hold the beans. The menu specifically says that the burrito contains 3 Stone Barns eggs, so I was looking forward to some local organic eggs.
Let me say, if you want a breakfast burrito, you should go to Tomatillo and not to, say, the Cheesecake Factory. The burrito I received this morning was a normal size burrito, one that could be manageably consumed by an average-sized human being such as myself. And I trusted the authenticity of the ingredients. The burrito was well packed with plenty of scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage (not too spicy, which I like), and cheese. My only complaint with the burrito was with the cheese: it wasn’t well melted throughout the burrito. Instead there were just clumps of somewhat congealed cheese scattered here and there throughout the burrito. I don’t know if this happened as a result of the burrito sitting too long, or maybe it wasn’t hot enough when the cheese was added. The burrito was supposed to come with tomatillo sauce, but instead it came with what appeared to be basic pico de gallo on top. Not a major problem, but worth noting.
Aside from the cheese issue, this was a good breakfast burrito. It was flavorful and the ingredients tasted very fresh. Despite being a breakfast burrito, it didn’t sit heavy in my stomach. I appreciate the fact that Tomatillo didn’t try to throw every single ingredient into the burrito. Sometimes less is more, and less ingredients means more room for eggs and for the flavor of the chorizo sausage to really come through, which I’d prefer any day over the mishmosh of flavors you’ll get in a burrito at, say, Cheesecake Factory, or, on the flip side, the bland burrito you’re likely to get at a local diner. The price was very reasonable. Tomatillo is a pleasant neighborhood establishment, perfect for a small group to dine in, and also great for takeout. The prices are great, especially factoring in the high quality of the ingredients. Like I said, I’ve been to Tomatillo before, and I’d definitely go back. I only hope the next burrito I get has better melted cheese.
What I Had: La Bandera with Steak
What it Cost: $11.00
Worth It: Yes
The Rating: 4/5
The Details: I have a very simple barometer for judging Mexican food. When I go to a restaurant, I ask myself one simple question: Would I rather have gone to Chipotle? In the case of Tomatillo, a charmingly adorned Mexican cafe on the main drag in Dobbs Ferry, the answer was a hearty “no, sir.” Tomatillo offers a superior product (with slightly less customization) at a comparable price.
It is a week later as I write this and I still remember the delicious red and green sauces drizzled over my La Bandera, a fajita-style burrito filled with rice, cheese, peppers, onions, and skirt steak. Each bite had several layers of flavor, so much so that I barely cared that the tiny dollop of guacamole on the burrito was just average tasting and way undersized.
I’m sure my fellow WBCers have made some comment on the decor, of which “whimsical” would be an understated description. Let’s just say, I loved it. But then again, I didn’t have to use the men’s room.
The Bottom Line: Solid Mexican food at a reasonable price
I was excited to finally join the WBC for breakfast, especially since Tomatillo is close to my house! I was intimidated to join this group for breakfast. I felt like a beginner joining professionals. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to keep up with the food lingo; however, the breakfast was nothing more than a meeting of friends enjoying each other’s company and I felt very welcome.
The restaurant itself is small, but surprisingly loud inside (maybe it was the young kids at a nearby table). There was also a strange men’s bathroom door to nowhere located 20 feet up the wall with no visual means of making it up there…I guess it was only for those who “really” had to go.
I have been to Tomatillo before for dinner, so I was excited to see what they offered for breakfast. First off, there are only 3 food options on the special “brunch” menu, so right off the bat I was a little disappointed…few choices gives me great anxiety, I am a fan off the multi-paged menu. Anyway, for $10.95 you could pick one meal and a beverage. Ordering coffee right away, the waitress did not ask if we would have rather had a mimosa, Bloody Mary, or tequila sunrise as our beverage option, which was a bummer. However no one at the table seemed to notice until the end. I felt the food took a long time to arrive considering what we all ordered, but the coffee and complimentary chips and salsa seemed to hold everyone over.
The food finally arrived on colorful plates and was equally as colorful in its presentation. My meal, huevos rancheros, was a good size…2 separate smaller tortillas with the works (poached egg, black beans and a variety of sauces) served alongside rice. The rice was especially dry, and did not have much flavor, which kept me from finishing it. The actual huevos rancheros were good. The black beans were delish, and the runniness of the egg yolks made me very excited. The sauces left a little to be desired, maybe some salt or more seasoning would have made them better. But all in all the ingredients worked together to make one pretty good bite. The temperature of the dish, however, was also inconsistent–some “hot spots” among a mostly cool plate of food. Anyway, in closing it was just good. Not the “slammin” I was hoping for!
What I liked best about this breakfast was the even and consistent flavors. I had the breakfast burrito. Tomatillo thought it important enough to name the source of the eggs they used (Stone Barn farms). I’m not sure I could pick out Stone Barn’s eggs from, say, Jack’s Egg farm in the Bronx in a blind taste test, but whatever, it did not appear as though there was a premium on the dish for using these particular eggs.
The burrito was a good size and all the ingredients used were cooked perfectly and were well proportioned. In a burrito with too much cheese, the cheese overpowers all the other flavors; in a burrito with too many vegetables, the burrito becomes soggy; and in a burrito with too many eggs, the flavor becomes rather bland. (I have yet to have a burrito with too much meat.) This burrito had the right amount of everything and managed to avoid being too greasy.
The coffee came in a French pres carafe, which is pretty cool–guaranteed fresh coffee! Since breakfast was so good, I would definitely come back here to try the lunch or dinner.
Another trip down to Dobbs Ferry and we ended up at Tomatillo. Not the obvious choice for breakfast, but a valid one nonetheless. I’ve been here before for dinner, but never really looked around since it was busy. Now we had time to twist our necks and exercise our eyes. It’s a nice place. However, I don’t really know how men are supposed to use the restroom. It was awkwardly placed 30 feet in the air. I know we have it easy since we can stand and all, but climbing up might be difficult.
Choices for breakfast were limited, but I wanted a breakfast burrito. All the things I love about breakfast, and then some, all wrapped up in a neat little package. The package was packed with eggs and other things. I enjoyed it greatly. Thinking back on it, I think I should have put some Tabasco on it. It would have added another dimension of flavor.
I don’t remember how much the brunch was in the end, but I think I was happy with it. I would have remembered had it been too expensive. I’d go back again if I were in the neighborhood. Probably not a destination to go out of the way for.
I’ve been to Tomatillo for dinner once before, and I remember enjoying it a lot. The food was good and not greasy like you find at other establishments. So, when I found out that they had brunch, I was immediately intrigued.
The brunch special that one can order included an entrée and a coffee press and/or drink. I chose the coffee and the breakfast burrito grande.
Tomatillo proudly serves coffee from Coffee Labs, the local micro roaster in Tarrytown (which is also my coffee provider of choice). They serve their coffee via coffee press, and today, the coffee was grown in a biosphere in Mexico. There were details, but I can’t remember them. The waitress told us to wait about four minutes before pressing, and we waited for about four minutes. I don’t think anyone was keeping track. Coffee was then pressed and served. It was pretty good, flavorful, although I think our smaller pot could have sat and brewed a little longer.
After quickly going through the chips and salsa, our food arrived. The burrito was huge and very well wrapped. It consisted of three eggs from Stone Barns, chorizo sausage, pinto beans, and Monterey jack cheese. Even after cutting it down the middle, the burrito still held its shape, which enabled me to eat it wrap style. A definite plus on my end since I am not a huge fan of messy foods (ribs, wings, and spaghetti excluded).
It was very good. My only complaint was the cheese. It wasn’t melted through, and there was so little of it, if I had asked for the burrito without cheese, I wouldn’t have missed much. But, I definitely appreciate the placement of the cheese on the inside rather than the outside (at least you can’t see the cold coagulated cheese coating the burrito). Other than that, the eggs were very good, and I really enjoyed the sausage. The ratio of the eggs to sausage to beans was perfect, without one overwhelming the other.
I left feeling satisfied but not weighed down, which is a mark of a great breakfast.
The czar says: There is a reason why this place seems to be perpetually busy whenever I am in town. It’s good, and they use local ingredients. Definitely worth a visit if you are craving a burrito for breakfast (or lunch or dinner)!
kristen
January 24, 2011 at 9:00 pm
so exciting! thanks again for the invite!
Andrew L
January 25, 2011 at 8:20 am
It looks like the photo of the mens room door is taken from above the door, if the ceiling was actually the floor. The top of the door is flush with the ceiling so it make it look like an upside-down picture.
It’s pretty neat 🙂