WFRU - Foodies - "Fall" 2024

Welcome to the FOODIES portion of the first ever WFRoundup! A quarterly-ish compilation of the highlights that you may have missed (because you have a life), during the last three-ish months. Westchester Foodies has been around for about eight years. So how on earth do we sum that up in one roundup? We don’t, but we will do our best to make it hearty enough to satisfy your craving but not big enough to require an antacid. 

(Get comfy.)

Of course our members love food, hence the name, but our community is not simply about delicious food or the most popular places to eat. What makes our community special are the people who belong to it. Whether you are a lurker, a frequent poster, a long post writer (there are only about three of us), a home-cook with the spirit of a chef, or a restaurant owner… It is all about “us.” 

FOODIES THAT INSPIRE, but never influence.

This one will be fat because these are the stand-out foodies since we opened up our doors in 2016. In no particular order - please click on their names to go directly to their profiles. We have new members joining every day. If you don’t see a name of a foodie that you love (platonically), let us know at Weschesterfoodiesfb@gmail.com, and we will try to include them in the next WFRoundup!

Before we serve up the "foodies" course, it is important to acknowledge the volunteer admins, without whom there would be no Westchester Foodies. Just like volunteer firefighters, they put out little fires at all times of the day and night so that we can all enjoy an atmosphere of chill folks sharing what they love about food, but they also relish in celebrating our members talents by highlighting them in the header! Each of our admins has a bio on our about page that you may link to by clicking on their name.

Monica Hens (member since 2017) became and admin in 2o2o. She first reached out to me to say "hi" on Messenger. We met once for dinner, exactly a week before the world would shut down and would eventually write thousands of messages to each other before it was decided that she simply needed to become an admin. Her specialty is picking out unique answers to the "last meal on earth" question and also digging deeper into someone's profile when something seems a little off. She is seldom wrong.

Bliss Fager (member since 2018) We invited Bliss to become an admin because we noticed that she was incredibly kind, loved hanging in the group, but was also an all around talented baker and cook. She fit right into being an admin to this group as if she had founded it. What was surprising was that she had a baking business because she never shared in the group about it. She is overly humble. That business has grown considerably, yet she seldom promotes it in the group. Luckily, her customers do! Her specialty as an admin, besides admitting new members, is highlighting members who have especially sweet posts.

Chandreyee Manna (member since 2021) She became and admin on Valentines day of 2023. Fitting, as I think I can speak for many in saying that we have all fallen in love with her. She and her husband, Hardik, could start a YouTube channel tomorrow and they would instantly have thousands of followers. The hilarious part is her talent as an admin is rejecting members and creating key words to stop bad things from escalating in real time and she does it all while laughing maniacally. (Or so we suspect.)

Aileng Choo

Member of Westchester Foodies since January 27, 2018

It is very difficult to sum up Aileng. She is a prolific cook, baker and loves to take us with her on her travels across the world. She first made her mark in the group with her generosity. She opened up her home to total strangers and taught them how to make dumplings for free. These classes often ended with her serving her famous Hainanese chicken. Over the years, she has been the first to donate her delicious foods and breads to our fundraisers and continues to freely contribute her talents. She now teaches a variety of classes at her home and via different organizations. She, like many others, learned how to make sourdough as a by-product of the pandemic. Aileng has accomplished in a short amount of years what it takes some a lifetime to achieve. 

Steve Winkel 

Member of Westchester Foodies since February 29, 2020

Steve is one of the most well-loved members of our group. Some would call him the king of chicken thighs and others, the longest post writer in the East. Lucky for us, he is a wonderful storyteller. It is safe to say that he has reached somewhat of a celebrity status as he gets stopped frequently by members in real life. In his words, "I have reached a comfort level with modest WF celebrity status as I no longer panic when I am occasionally recognized in the wild, picking up a pizza or visiting Untermyer Gardens." If Steve isn’t discussing his quest for the best black and white cookie, he is likely sharing his adventures with his muse in the back seat of his car. Keep it clean! They are known for enjoying takeout in their vehicle and never leaving home without their car aprons. It would be impossible to sum up Steve Winkel in one short paragraph.. because it's Steve. His fans will agree that when he is ready to take his multifaceted life and personality to a bigger place, we will be there to cheer him on.  

Mark Kramer

Member of Westchester Foodies since March 16, 2019

Mark is one of the rare food business owners who hangs out in our group as a foodie in addition to owning the famed Susan Lawrence Gourmet Foods. He is a beautiful writer and human being. He once donated a garden party for six at his home for our fundraiser to benefit restaurant victims of Hurricane Ida. This donation really helped boost participation, and we ended up raising over $11k in five days. Mark is another member who takes us along on his travels. He and his husband travel yearly to Italy, amongst other dreamy places, and we all swoon over the gorgeous meals that he prepares for the two of them in their far away kitchens.    

Amanda Jordan

Member of Westchester Foodies since August 21, 2019

Amanda is from Westchester but lives in London with her husband Todd and her cat Camy. She is best known for her romantically detailed table settings that make you forget that we are living in the instant grat era of 2024. Most don’t realize that she is a vegetarian because she prepares Todd’s meat portion of every meal with expert precision. Amanda’s tablescapes and menus are magazine cover worthy, but the reason people love her posts so much and even make it a point to try to meet her when they are in London, is her heart. She has two full-time careers. One in finance and the other as a successful children’s book author, yet she somehow makes the time to lovingly comment on other people’s posts. She is often the first to comment on someone’s post with a thoughtful compliment.

Mary Wu

Member of Westchester Foodies since November 25, 2018

There is no way that you can see one of Mary’s posts and not have visions of unicorns and rainbows. She is a two-time kidney transplant survivor and if she had not published a tell-all memoir, nobody would ever be able to fathom that she has a salty side. In our group, Mary is best known for her infectious smile and her reverence for ice cream - she will stop at practically nothing to enjoy a unique scoop. She is also a creative baker who, like a painter, will bake up whatever it is that she is fancying that day.  

Mark Mathias

Member of Westchester Foodies since October 23, 2017?!

If it makes you feel better, Mark was a lurker for a few years before he began gracing our feed with his gorgeous multi-layered breakfast wraps, super duper smoothies and infinity pool cocktails, to name a few. Although Mark is an investor in the Barley House in Thornwood and owns  a Lightbridge Academy, he posts about the restaurant sparingly and spends most of his time having members give his 87-ingredient creations a lot of oohs and ahhs. “People” have often “implied” that they wanted an invitation to breakfast and others have mentioned a desire for him to teach a mixology class. “People” are still waiting.

Nicolette Petnuch

Member of Westchester Foodies since February 15, 2021

We are not sure if Nicolette only recently began unveiling her talents or if the Facebook algos are simply cruel, but we are all happy that she is around. Nicolette’s posts breathe joy and also awe. She is an avid liker of people's posts and she cooks, bakes, plates and photographs beautifully. She is definitely a WF MVP!

Eva Mavra Kischak

Member of Westchester Foodies since June 11, 2020

You may not know of Eva. She doesn’t write long posts, but all you need to see is the photo of the meal to know that it is hers. Her posts always consist of a gorgeous plate of food, a glass of wine, perhaps a bottle of Pellegrino, a few small bowls of chocolates, sometimes a decorative item like some happy face stuffed animals and a candle. Her meals don’t simply consist of a protein and a veg, there are usually at least four delicious and beautifully plated items on her plate or plates. We shall name her our Queen of Self-Care.  

Eva Maria Kelker

Member of Westchester Foodies since January 24, 2021

Our next Eva hails from Germany but cooks Indian food like she might be related to Chandreyee. She married a lovely fellow from India and the rest is history, but Eva Maria can pretty much tackle any cuisine. Before Chandreyee & Hardik embarked on their What in the World Wednesdays, Eva Maria was doing this unofficially for her family on a pretty regular basis. This is what made many of us take notice of her talents. She has recently launched a dining club with her friend Chef Rajni Menon. Eva is like an onion, and we are really enjoying seeing all of her layers unfold.

Reynaldo Mauricio Castleberry

Member of Westchester Foodies since April 28, 2020

And it is Reynaldo for this win, with mentions of Jen Karen Garay and cameos by his lovely mom Isabel from time to time. Westchester Foodies is not a group of influencers, but we do boast a decent amount of ambassadors who love to shout out their favorites from our rooftop. Wherever Reynaldo goes, he gets to know the owners and always makes the time to share the delicious food he eats, no matter what curveballs life may be throwing at him. He is also notorious for being the most doting son anyone’s ever seen. Many of us wonder if Isabel knows that he does not edit the photos that he posts. Pre, mid and post bite… he captures it all, but at the end of the day, what we all remember is how much he adores his mom. 

Eugene Inocencio Ramos Leader

Member of Westchester Foodies since June 11, 2019

Eugene, who originally hails from the Philippines, is best known for cooking up an eight course meal with portions to freeze and share… either at the end of her graveyard shifts as a nurse, when she can’t sleep in the middle of the night or simply when she wants to give “hubby” something delicious. She is also a serious foodie ambassador that will travel a distance to try good food. When scrolling through her posts, awe begins  to set in as she is truly prolific in all of her endeavors as a cook and eater. Eugene could set up shop on any social media channel, and she would garner an instant following. One last word, “macapuno.” 

Nicole Yoshida

Member of Westchester Foodies since April 11, 2021

Nicole is a multi-talented cook and baker who first appeared on the scene when she offered up her baby arugula plants for free to our community and continued to do so for years to come. She is Greek but married a lovely Japanese fellow and has also spread her foodie love in the way of beautiful shiso plants. She is extremely generous and has befriended many in our group and all will concur that food is one of her love languages. Her gifts of lavender cardamom pistachio muffins and lavender chocolate bark have brightened many days. Nicole gives back to the community in many ways, whether it is offering up her talents for our hunger-related fundraisers, volunteering for The Ronald Mcdonald House or dedicating hours and elbow grease to the White Plains Beautification Foundation. You may also recall that she has a very wonderful cousin in Greece that sends her liquid gold/EVOO from time to time. Anyone who has tried it eagerly awaits the following shipment.

Petula Griffith

Member of Westchester Foodies since November 4, 2019

Where does one even start with someone like Petula Griffith? She is larger than life and her smile is so bright that it might even make the sun jealous. Petula hails from Trinidad but is a lover of all food and cultures. She is a foot care RN and treats even the most visually challenging feet like they are precious gems, but this is a foodie group. Petula volunteers at community gardens and can be found gently removing plants from the gardens of our members all over Westchester and then lovingly re-planting them to serve the needs of many. “Mom there is a lady digging up our Brown-eyed Susans. Oh, that’s just Petula.” Community gardens are her Shangri-La. Before the sun is even done rising and her workday as a foot nurse begins, she is there digging, planting and harvesting. But this bright star has a dark side or, rather, an intense sports fan side. During every Buffalo Bills game, Petula enjoys posting live commentary on Facebook as if she was getting paid to do so.   

Zac Greybeard

Member of Westchester Foodies since December 12, 2023

We are not sure what prompted this mildly salty retired chef/restaurant consultant from Brooklyn to join our 100% positive foodie group, but we are so glad that he did. Zac first chummed our waters with shiny things. Gorgeous, rare and restored copper pots. Many of us figured that he owned some kind of store because what everyday cook actually displays their pots and pans so impeccably? He does. Along with the shiny pot posts came a series of gorgeously plated Michelin star-looking dishes. Who is this guy? As far as we know, he is part chef, part craftsman, part musician, part cynic and part evil engineer? Let’s just say that the talents that he employs to design and build his outdoor grilling/rotisserie-ing/flambéing contraptions could be used in many other ways. Oh! “Zac” is also the only foodie in our community who shared a post so compelling that it was re-published by Westchester Magazine. Ok, there have been many beautiful and evocative posts written by our members over the years, but the planets aligned for this one and we are thrilled that they did. Mr. Greybeard has only been a member for less than one year, and we could not imagine our community without him.

Christine Huang

Member of Westchester Foodies since September 20, 2017

Christine is one of the founding mothers of the group. She joined only a year after it was born, when it had only a few thousand members. If the group feels small now at over 21k members, imagine what it felt like then. Picture a split screen from the 1950s Doris Day film where friends are giving each other the dish about Marge’s lemon chiffon pie, only we were actually sharing photos of our lemon chiffon pies and occasionally dropping a slice off on people’s porches. Christine doesn’t do anything half way. She has grown most of her garden from seed in her basement and has fermented her own Shio Koji that she of course applied to a massive wagyu rib roast. “Some” have said that this was the best “steak” of their life. She and her husband are masters of the Big Green Egg and have likely expanded their arsenal of smoking and BBQing equipment. When Christine was on her sourdough-perfecting kick and it was too hot to bake indoors, she purchased an electric oven that she hooked up in her backyard. Her dog became the alarm for when the loaves were ready. “Some” would say that her sourdough with mix-ins such as chocolate or Chinese sausage were some of the best sourdough “they” had ever had. What about the panettone, you ask? Most people would attempt panettone and then stop. She made it her life’s work to perfect it for a while and guess what? It was AMAZING. What career did someone with such diverse culinary talents pursue? Advertising, of course. Should she and her neonatologist husband ever decide to open up a restaurant, we will all be there. P.S. Christine is also super duper generous. She has filled the bellies and souls of many of our members with lots of free panettone and sourdough throughout the years. 

Gregory Thomas

Member of Westchester Foodies since January 25, 2018

Behind the scenes some might refer to him as “Sir Gregory.’ You would need to have met him in person to know why. He exudes eloquence and elegance but in a subtle way. However, if you follow his food, you would probably call him a master of mad cravings and daring combinations (like salmon with blueberries, shallots and vermouth, pot pie with rendang seasoning or a fridge clean out of beets, roasted jalapeño with smoked paprika, grilled tofu, glacier blue cheese, toast and charred peas). Gregory doesn’t write long posts, and he doesn’t share that he writes plays, is a stage and film actor and most recently has been doing a good amount of beautifully written editorial work, like this piece about The Dobbs Ferry Lobster Guys and another about his favorite local chocolate shop, also in Dobbs Ferry, The Pod by CocoaCompassion.

Rina Yeshoua

Member of Westchester Foodies since March 10, 2020

The mere thought of Rina’s smile evokes happy feelings. Rina is a tough foodie to sum up in a few sentences. She really is all around fabulous at everything. She is a generous ambassador who loves to share when she has explored a place that she discovered in our group and doesn’t seem to mind driving a distance to taste something wonderful. She also once offered to bring back King Arthur products from the flagship store in Vermont to anyone who reached out, but her most recent random act of foodie kindness was when she made a pot of her liquid gold, otherwise known as chicken soup, for one of our members who had posted about being sick.  

Danielle Regan

Member of Westchester Foodies since April 22, 2021

Danielle is one of those people who makes healthy eating seem like the only option because her cooking is simply gorgeous. No matter how insane her study schedule might be during her continuing education as a certified dietitian, she always seems to find the time to not only source ingredients that some of us have never heard of but to apply these ingredients to dishes that are bright, layered and packed with nutrition. She eats, sleeps and breathes nutrition and self care. Danielle loves to recreate dishes that she has enjoyed at a restaurant and somehow manages to make these dishes look even better than the originals. There are members of our community that we all secretly wished we lived next door to, and she is definitely one of them. 

Andrea Ferris

Member of Westchester Foodies since August 11, 2019

Andrea is an avid cook, baker and eater. She may be our most enthusiastic ambassador in Rye, but you don’t really “get” just how truly wonderful she is until you have been in her presence. As you scroll down Andrea’s feed, you begin wanting to label her as a baker, but then you keep scrolling and  settle on a cook. Then you scroll some more and decide that it is best not to pigeonhole the talented. The other fact that you will glean from her feed is that she can cook for a crowd. Whether it is a Sunday BBQ or trays of pasta to feed 60 people at the Open Arms Shelter, she always has giant trays at the ready. Andrea loves to attend Westchester Foodies events and at every event, anyone who has the pleasure of interacting with her says the same thing: “Oh, I love her. She is amazing.” She has an energy/warmth that is absolutely infectious.

Nina Makó

Member of Westchester Foodies since October 11, 2019

Nina joined our community before the world changed for everyone all at once, and many of us grew to depend on her posts of gorgeous food to get us through those seemingly hopeless days. Nina doesn’t write posts that resemble novels, but her food speaks volumes to the life she has lived. She bakes like nobody's business and prepares soul-warming dishes that make you want to grab a blanket and a hot toddy and sit by the fire. She has generously donated her talents to our fundraisers, loves her “Bear” and when she doesn’t appear in the feeds for a while, her absence is felt. 

Barbara Nitzberg

Member of Westchester Foodies since March 14, 2020

Barbara’s mother and brother died within weeks of each other earlier this year. It may seem odd to many that this is how her blurb begins, but her mother and brother have been weaved throughout her posts ever since she joined the group. She is a true foodie ambassador that posts every time she visits her favorite spots, from A Mercurio in Mamaroneck where she stocks up on handmade pastas and prepared meals, to Golden Village Asia Mart where she reminds us that the fresh dim sum is in and flying off the shelf. She realizes the value of shouting out food businesses from the rooftops in what has been the most difficult several years for food business owners in recent history. but it is the stories of growing up in Chinatown and her visits with her mother and her brother that have carved out a special place in the hearts and minds of our members. When she shared her grief over losing both people in such a short amount of time, we all felt it. What is most remarkable is that she continues to cook beautifully and share about her visits to new businesses but still manages to keep the memory of her mother and brother alive in her posts.    

Squick Lam

Member of Westchester Foodies since August 21, 2018

This blurb will be short, but Squick (not his real name) is a valuable part of this community. Even though he doesn’t post or comment on the daily, weekly or even monthly, HE IS THERE when we need him. He is unofficially our go-to member for cheap eats in Chinatown and comes to our rescue within minutes of being summoned on a post. He has also been a member since 2018 and may or may not have a tattoo that says Westchester Foodies on his flank. We see you buddy.

Pat Burlage

Member of Westchester Foodies since August 26, 2018

Pat cooks, bakes and travels, but the word that describes her best is family. She has been a member of our group since almost the beginning. She and her husband are humble, despite their combined culinary and artistic talents, and their holiday tables are not only beautifully appointed but very big. Every member of their family, no matter the age, has stood around the kitchen island and learned how to make pasta and cookies from scratch, keeping alive traditions that are struggling to stay alive. She once donated a pasta-making class to our fundraiser and many of us are still sad that we didn’t win!

Mary DeLucia and Annie Innes

Members of Westchester Foodies since January 7, 2020 & 2016!

Sisters. 

Some people’s posts shout “I’m a great hugger.” A few of you have used the term food hug when referring to a plate of food that soothes the soul.  You only need to see a photo of some of their dishes to feel that hug. Annie Innes is one of our true founding members, and it wasn’t for a few years after Mary joined that many of us said, “Ohhhh! They are sisters! Well that makes total sense.” Both women are prolific home cooks who have the talent to open a restaurant or bakery if they ever had the whim. If you scroll through each of their feeds in our group, you will easily see the family connection.

Lucas Eduard

Member of Westchester Foodies since February 12, 2023

A relative newbie who instantly felt like family. Lucas has mastered what seems to elude many. He shares his business in almost every single post in such a way that never seems obtrusive. Lucas and his crew paint and power wash homes among other things, and they almost always check out good pizza nearby. His logo, a modestly scary bunny skull wielding a paint brush and roller, gives the impression that he and his crew are likely also members of a local axe-throwing club but really they are just a bunch of softies who really love and know pizza. If you want to discover where to find delicious pizza, click on his feed! We can only hope that his generous pizza ambassador posts have also scored him a few new clients.

Kenji Arakawa

Member of Westchester Foodies since July 6, 2020

There are certain people whom you always leave a place for at the table, even if they haven’t shown up for a while. Over the years, there have been members who come on the scene and, even though they don’t do anything flashy or intentional to make their presence known, people take notice. Kenji checks a lot of foodie boxes. He is a generous ambassador, an excellent cook (when he feels like it) and a quiet cheerleader of others' posts. He is also a talented, yet humble, storyteller. He has dipped in and out of our group over the years. During the times when he is taking a break, people have reached out to check in on his status. Some may know him as the guy with the gorgeous dog at the beer garden or coffee shop and others as the guy at the bar having a beautiful meal and a cocktail who makes all who have the pleasure of serving him feel special. Either way, it is a pleasure to know him at all.

Frederique Frenkel

Member of Westchester Foodies since December 2, 2021

Frederique hails from France, as her beautiful name would indicate, and she is an all-around talented cook and baker. She makes cakes that look too pretty to eat and cooks like she went to culinary school. (She may have actually gone to culinary school.) She is what we would call a silent MVP. She is a wonderful ambassador of the businesses she loves and is also generous with commenting on other people’s posts, but the crazy part is that she barely ever mentions that she has also been a cooking teacher for a very long time. If you are reading this, it is because you have hung out in our group and know that when someone writes the word “cake” or “personal chef” or “cooking class,” it begins to rain bakers, chefs and cooking instructors, but Frederique is never a part of this weather pattern.

Amanda Marsh

Member of Westchester Foodies since December 4, 2018

Amanda is one of a kind in our group. She is a PP member (pre-pandemic) and has made us laugh and think, in either order, for six years. She poses questions like “I sneak into your house at night and steal what's on top of your refrigerator. What am I bringing home with me?” or “It's about time for a midday meal. Replace the word "love" with "lunch" in a song title.” But one day she shared the tale of her grandmother’s 79 year old St. Joseph’s bread, and now we look forward to her pulling the bread out every March 19th! What’s the story? Click on Amanda’s name above and scroll through her feed to find it!

A special thank you from Claudia Ossa to Cori Worchel 🧡

You know on Chopped when people dedicate their win to someone special with some sloppy tears rolling down their cheeks? It is usually a person, and sometimes a dog, who may have passed. This person for me is Cori Worchel, except she is alive. (Poo poo poo.)  The WFRoundup probably would not exist without the unwavering behind-the-scenes support and cheerleading that she has given me over the years. Not to mention the occasional offer to burn effigies of my (few) nemeses. She is truly a ride or die type of gal. In fact, one time, not at band camp, she was giving me a ride to Massachusetts to pick up some sundries, and we were hit by a deer. It was like a Volvo commercial but in an Audi. That giant thing came out of nowhere and ricocheted off the side of the car like a basketball. She was the Kevin to my Whitney in many ways and without her support, I would have likely shut the group down on varying occasions. But that's not even the cool part. When Covid hit, a member/angel from the community contacted me because she wanted to share her stimulus check with other members who may have been short on cash to buy groceries, so I made an announcement and then got to work driving around Westchester with a mask on and handing over envelopes of cash to people. This shall forever be filed under the “no good deed goes unpunished” category, but I digress. This is about Cori. I had never met Cori, but she saw the post and messaged me offering free meals to anyone who needed them from Piccola Trattoria, no questions asked. I was blown away by this gesture and many people who had been facing hunger for the first time were fed. I was in awe of the generosity of Cori and Sergio, who I thought were both men and business partners. Fast forward several months and many DMs with Cori, and we were going to finally meet in person when “he” was going to drop off some veggies at my house and he (she) said, “I don’t want you to be surprised, but I am a woman. I noticed that you referred to me as “him” on your posts.” Cori’s Facebook profile photo consists of a photo of Sergio, the chef at Piccola/her husband at the forefront and a beautiful woman, a bit smaller next to him. The entire time, I wondered if Cori was a widower or if the woman was his sister. I am really glad that she turned out to be a woman, or I would have had to tell her wife that her husband was becoming a bff.

Honorable mention and in no particular order. May be a part of the Feb 2025 issue:

Erika and Richard Cozza of The Twisted Branch , Cristina Ciliberto Cleary, David Epstein, Howard Landeck, Randy Sperber, Hardik Parmar, Amy Berger Morse, Ann Starer, Jim and Lucille Iscaro, June Wai, Robin Bochner, Irena Portenko, Joyce Gordon Striar, Stuart Skolnik, Melissa Tomlin, Gary Kaplan, Tamara Kopy Chilleli, Lucas Bell, Jeanne Muchnik, Maggy Anderson Keet, Alyse Faith, Lucas Bell, Tracy Edwards, Michael Mazzela, Rachel Cosgrove, Rose Tonkovich Ellis, Kristen Votiva, Frank Pusateri, Cristina Ampil, Veronica Basile, Lucas Bell, Grace Morabito, Laurel Warager, Melissa Wrgr, Pat Ryley Rudnick, Stephanie Spanos, Maria Yarasavich, Brittany Coskery Guzinsky, Clovia Ng, Mindy Gibson, Alexandra Terrana, Shanique Decarlo, Meredith Grant, Rachel Simone,

Surely missing many! Please let us know!

Proofread by Jade Ramos - jbgoodman91@gmail.com