The Ghost of Restaurants Past in Greenburgh Part I
By: Riley Wentzler & Felicia Barber
There is an old saying which goes, “You are what you eat.” While this is often said as a warning about how eating junk will make you look and feel awful, this warning masks a deeper truth. This deeper truth, which we are all feeling now in light of Covid-19, is that restaurants are what give small towns and big cities life. Since Covid-19 has showed us all the psychological importance of restaurants, it is only fitting that we pause now to remember those much beloved restaurants of yesteryear.
Marty’s Mug & Munch 1969-1989
Marty’s Mug & Munch in Ardsley was founded in 1969 by a WWII veteran, Marty Engleman, son of Dr. Charles Engleman (a pharmacist who ran Ardsley’s local pharmacy from 1931-1976 (https://ardsleyhistoricalsociety.org/assets/pdf/ArdsleyHistoricalSocietyVol28No2.pdf) and Hannah Engleman. He was a member of the Ardsley High School class of 1943. He married Francine Kornbluh on April 3rd, 1954 (https://www.edwardsdowdle.com/obituaries/Francine-Engleman/#!/Obituary). Francine Engleman helped her husband Marty run the restaurant which was known throughout the county for its excellent burgers (https://obits.lohud.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=marty-engleman&pid=186869065&fhid=2248) and Rubens (http://southbronxschool.blogspot.com/2010/10/ruben-brosbe-shortcomings-are-shock-to.html). Twice, it won the “Best Hamburger in Westchester” contest (https://obits.lohud.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=marty-engleman&pid=186869065&fhid=2248). For two years, Marty was the President of The Westchester County Chapter of the NYS Restaurant Association. The Englemans were married 63 years and had two children: a son named Lenny, and a daughter named Sharon (https://obits.lohud.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=marty-engleman&pid=186869065&fhid=2248).
After 20 years of business, the restaurant closed down in 1989, and Marty passed away on October 4th, 2017 (https://obits.lohud.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=marty-engleman&pid=186869065&fhid=2248). His beloved wife Francine passed away on August 15th, 2020 (https://www.edwardsdowdle.com/obituaries/Francine-Engleman/#!/Obituary).
Giuseppe’s c.1982-2012
Another restaurant in Ardsley which lasted 20+ years was Giuseppe’s. Giuseppe’s was located at 698 Saw Mill River Rd, Ardsley, NY 10502 (https://www.allmenus.com/ny/ardsley/141220-giuseppes-restaurant/menu/) Giuseppe’s was founded in 1992 by Joe DeSalvo (Personal Communication from Ardsley Historical Society President Pete Marcus). It was a well-loved friendly-neighborhood Italian restaurant. As such, it served a wide variety of pastas such as: Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca, Rigatoni Arrabiata, Baked Ziti Siciliana and Cavatelli Bolognese. In addition to these pastas, it also served other classic Italian dishes like Eggplant Parmesan and Calamari (https://www.allmenus.com/ny/ardsley/141220-giuseppes-restaurant/menu/). They closed in April of 2012 (Personal Communication from Ardsley Historical Society President Pete Marcus). It was replaced by a more formal Italian restaurant named the Italian Kitchen in May of 2012.
Water Wheel Inn 1955 – c. 1990
The Water Wheel Inn. The property was originally a realty office for Beacon Hill Realty in 1923. Seven years later, it was converted into the Olde Saw Mill Tea House. It was in 1955, that William Lodes bought the Tea House and founded the Water Wheel Inn. By 1981, the Inn was starting to lose popularity and it was sold to James Shallo. Unfortunately, Mr. Shallo couldn’t turn the place’s luck around and business continued to decline, and, by 1990 it was back on the market (Personal Communication from Ardsley Historical Society President Pete Marcus). It is often said that, “If you’re going to go out, you should go out, in a blaze of glory.” Sometimes metaphors come to life, which is exactly what happened in the case of the Water Wheel Inn, a spectacular blaze broke out. The building burned to the ground around midnight on December 21, 1992 (https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/westchester/ardsley/2019/08/23/water-wheel-restaurant-ardsley-burns-1992/2086312001/).Marty’s Mug & Munch, Giuseppe’s, and The Water Wheel Inn brought much energy and character to Ardsley. One restaurant that did as much for Hastings was Manzi's.
Manzi's 1974 - 2009
Manzi's in Hastings was founded in 1974 by Tony Manzi (Hastings Historical Society Archives). It was originally located on Riverdale Avenue in Yonkers, but moved to 19 Main Street Hastings in 1976 (Hastings Historical Society Archives). It served Authentic Italian Food, as opposed to Americanized Italian Food. Like many Italian restaurants, the heart and soul of Manzi’s was its pasta dishes which always included: spaghetti, fettuccini, or linguine in a homemade Alfredo or Bolognese sauce with chicken, seafood, or beef and fresh vegetables (https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/16/archives/dining-out-sturdy-fare-in-a-polished-setting.html). Manzi’s closed in 2009 and was replaced by Rainwater Grill (Hastings Historical Society Archives).
Rainwater Grill 2009 - 2013
Rainwater Grill in Hastings was founded in 2009 by Tony Fortunate (https://www.globenewswire.com/fr/news-release/2011/04/27/1037960/0/en/Rainwater-Grill-Introduces-Its-New-Executive-Chef-Ian-Friedman.html). It was known for its high-end burgers such as: the Surf & Turf (Lobster and Sirloin) Burger, Lamb Burger, and Salmon Burger (https://www.allmenus.com/ny/hastings-on-hudson/303850-rainwater-grill/menu/).t closed in 2013 (https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/rivertowns/business/hastings-rainwater-grill-closes-after-sale-of-business/544156/). Another well-loved restaurant in Hastings which is no longer around, was Buffet de la Gare.
Buffet de la Gare 1980 - 2013
Buffet de la Gare in Hastings was founded in 1980 by Gwenael and Annie Goulet (https://westchestermagazine.com/life-style/westchester-restaurant-closings-hastings-on-hudsons-buffet-de-la-gare-will-close-its-doors-in-july-2013/). Gwenael Goulet was born in France in 1950. He came to America shortly before his 30th birthday. When he turned 30, He founded Buffet de la Gare. He and his wife, Annie, ran the restaurant together until 2011, when he passed away due to cancer (https://obits.lohud.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=gwenael-goulet&pid=152668595). His widow continued to run the restaurant for another two years after his passing, before closing down in 2013 (https://westchestermagazine.com/life-style/westchester-restaurant-closings-hastings-on-hudsons-buffet-de-la-gare-will-close-its-doors-in-july-2013/). While not quite a buffet, one restaurant that served an equally wide variety of food was El Dorado Diner in Tarrytown.
El Dorado Diner (Tarrytown) ? - 2017
El Dorado Diner in Tarrytown was founded by: Dorothea Cucineli, Miraim Parker, and Ronald Greco. It served: salads, wraps, sandwiches, burgers, omelets and other typical “Diner Food.” The Tarrytown branch closed in 2017, in order to make room for the Honda Service Center (https://thehudsonindependent.com/el-dorado-diner-closes-to-make-room-for-honda-service-center/). This was actually the company’s second location, the first location opened in Elmsford in 1963(Greenburgh Assessor’s Office property deed for El Dorado Diner Liber 6348 Page 359), and is still open today. It is located on 55 W Main St, Elmsford (Greenburgh Assessor’s Office property deed for El Dorado Diner Liber 6348 Page 359). You may place your orders today online at http://www.eldoradodiners.com/Default.aspx?location=ELE. They also have another location in Scarsdale.
There are other restaurants which used to exist in Greenburgh which we know the names of, but, regrettably, have no other information on.
These include:,
- Italian Kitchen in Ardsley (May, 2012- March, 2014)
- Rudy’s Beau Rivage in Dobbs Ferry
- South Seas in Hartsdale
If any of our readers can provide more information on these locations, it would be greatly appreciated.
Previous Slices of History include:
- From Mopping The Floor of One Institution to Managing Three at Once: The Amazing Story of Former Westchester County Commissioner of Public Welfare Ruth Taylor (12/12/19)
https://greenburghny.com/DocumentCenter/View/6272/From-Mopping-The-Floor-of--One-Institution-to-Managing-Three-at-Once
- Greenburgh Gets its “Sun Daze on” Under the Watchful Eyes of the Boys in Blue (1/9/2020)
https://greenburghny.com/DocumentCenter/View/6366/Greenburgh-Gets--its-Sun-Daze-on-Under-the-Watchful-Eyes-of-the-Boys-in-Blue
- From an Apple Orchard to The Olympics: The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club (3/8/2020)
https://greenburghny.com/DocumentCenter/View/6591/From-an-Apple-Orchard-to-The-Olympics--The-Saint-Andrews-Golf-Club
- Juneteenth: A Day of Liberation (6/6/2020)
https://greenburghny.com/DocumentCenter/View/6920/Juneteenth--A-Day-of-Liberation
- Hastings’ Best and Brightest : Nobel Laureates of Hastings
(8/1/2020) https://greenburghny.com/DocumentCenter/View/7065/Hastings-Best-and--Brightest---Nobel-Laureates-of-Hastings
- A General’s Residence in Greenburgh (10/21/2020)
A-Generals-Residence-in-Greenburgh (greenburghny.com)
About the Authors:
We are both Assistant Town Historians at Greenburgh Town Hall and we are engaged to be married and are currently looking for permanent employment.
Riley Wentzler:
I was born and raised in a small rural town in central Pennsylvania. In high school, I took every honors course available including four years of Spanish. I received A’s in all of them. I graduated third in my class of 146 students. This brought me to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Once there, I continued my trend of academic excellence. I graduated summa cum laude in Political Science with a minor in Spanish and a Master’s in Communication Studies, with a G.P.A of 3.94. It was also there that I met my lovely fiancée, Felicia Barber. My Master’s in Communication has promoted public speaking, teamwork, and customer service. My Political Science degree has developed my research skills using computer-based tools and provided me with experience using the Microsoft Office products. My minor in Spanish has facilitated my bilingual capabilities. During my internship at Greenburgh, I created the petition for the State Roads project using website tools. My diverse education and areas of interest have provided me with a wide range of skills. I look forward to finding a career opportunity in business or government. To suggest a topic for next week’s article, you can contact me at assistanthistorian@greenburghny.com, or to help me find employment, you can contact me at rjwentzler413@gmail.com
Felicia Barber:
I was born in New York City and raised in Hartsdale, New York. I graduated from Ardsley High School. I recently earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. It was here that I met my fiancé, Riley Wentzler. As a result of my academic excellence, I won a scholarship every year. I learned and applied many graphic design skills to projects during my summer internships and at school. I am proficient in using Adobe graphic design applications including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. For my Identity/branding course at Edinboro, I created logos to appear on the tee-shirts of Physical Education majors. For a veteran’s upcoming event, I used a typeface to focus the reader to the soldier in the poster. For the State Roads Legislative Campaign project, I created the embedded graphic-photo that accompanied the petition I am looking for a job to utilize my skills as a Graphic Designer in an agency, print shop, company or government To suggest a topic for next week’s article, you can contact me at assistanthistorian@greenburghny.com. To learn more about my artwork or to help me find employment you can contact me at feliciadbarber@gmail.com.
Two Interviews with the authors:
https://riverjournalonline.com/around-town/a-love-of-history-and-each-other/13708/
https://wcbs880.radio.com/articles/news/stories-main-street-couple-cerebral-palsy-brings-manytalents-town-greenburgh
References:
Ardsley Historical Society. (2013, Summer (NOT GIVEN)). Ardsley Historical Society Newsletter. Retrieved from ardsleyhistoricalsociety.org: https://ardsleyhistoricalsociety.org/assets/pdf/ArdsleyHistoricalSocietyVol28No2.pdf
Becerra Jr. (2019, August 23). 1992 fire destroys Water Wheel Restaurant in Ardsley; Never Seen photos, a Lohud Look Back. AZ Central , pp. online at https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/westchester/ardsley/2019/08/23/water-wheel-restaurant-ardsley-burns-1992/2086312001/
Edwards Dowdle Funeral Home INC. ( 2020, August 15). Obituary of Francine Engleman. Retrieved from Edwards Dowdle Funeral Home INC.: https://www.edwardsdowdle.com/obituaries/Francine-Engleman/#!/Obituary
El Dorado Diner . (2020, (NOT GIVEN) (NOT GIVEN)). Welcome to El Dorado Diner I. Retrieved from eldoradodiners.com: http://www.eldoradodiners.com/Default.aspx?location=ELE
GrubHub. (2020, (NOT GIVEN) (NOT GIVEN)). Giuseppe's Restaurant. Retrieved from allmenus.com: https://www.allmenus.com/ny/ardsley/141220-giuseppes-restaurant/menu/
GrubHub. (2020, (NOT GIVEN) (NOT GIVEN)). Rainwater Grill. Retrieved from allmenus.com : https://www.allmenus.com/ny/hastings-on-hudson/303850-rainwater-grill/menu/
Hirsch, C. (2020, (NOT GIVEN) (NOT GIVEN)). Rainwater Grill Introduces Its New Executive Chef -- Ian Friedman. GlobeNewswire, pp. Online at https://www.globenewswire.com/fr/news-release/2011/04/27/1037960/0/en/Rainwater-Grill-Introduces-Its-New-Executive-Chef-Ian-Friedman.html
Journal News. (2017, Octobter 7). Obituary of Marty Engleman . Retrieved from Lohud.com: https://obits.lohud.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=marty-engleman&pid=186869065&fhid=2248
King, W. (2017, March 1). El Dorado Diner Closes to Make Room for Honda Service Center. The Hudson Independent , pp. Online at-https://thehudsonindependent.com/el-dorado-diner-closes-to-make-room-for-honda-service-center/
LoPriore, D. (2013 , August 27). Hastings' Rainwater Grill Closes After Sale of Business. The Daily Voice , pp. Online at https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/rivertowns/business/hastings-rainwater-grill-closes-after-sale-of-business/544156/
Reed, M. H. (1983, January 16). Dining Out: Sturdy Fare in a Polished Setting . The New York Times, p. 25
Sexton, J. (2013, June 13). Westchester Restaurant Closings: Hastings-on-Hudson’s Buffet de la Gare Will Close Its Doors in July 2013. Westchester Magazine , pp. Online at https://westchestermagazine.com/life-style/westchester-restaurant-closings-hastings-on-hudsons-buffet-de-la-gare-will-close-its-doors-in-july-2013/
The Journal News. (2011, July 22). Obituary of Gwenael Goulet. Lohud, pp. Online at https://obits.lohud.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=gwenael-goulet&pid=152668595
Zucker, P. ( 2010, October 23). Ruben Brosbe Shortcomings Are A Shock To Him. Retrieved from Greetings from The Bronx: http://southbronxschool.blogspot.com/2010/10/ruben-brosbe-shortcomings-are-shock-to.html