Trailside Café
1807 Commerce Street
Aptly named, Trailside Cafe is located directly across from the North County Trailway, making it the perfect place to stop and grab a healthy treat after a long ride, run or walk. Food made in this cafe is all fresh, all natural and often local, making the most of the bounty that the Hudson Valley has to offer. Trailside offers homemade healthy breakfasts, fresh squeezed juices and seasonal daily specials like summery Baba Ghanoush and Tomato and Basil salad and hearty winter soups. Be sure to check in often--there is no telling what kind of tasty treats will turn up. 

Jewel of Himalaya
34 Triangle Center
Never had Himalayan food before? Here’s your chance. Jewel of Himalaya in Yorktown offers first time tasters and food aficionados an authentic and flavorful option for lunch and dinner. Not sure where to begin? Let me recommend the lunch special. Monday through Friday, from 11:30am-3pm, this restaurant offers several different full-meal deals for under $10. Is your little one a little wary of new foods? Try the Tandoori chicken special. You’ll get rice, naan bread, some grilled chicken that has been marinated in a mild-but-flavorful tomato sauce and rice pudding. Up for adventure? Try the “Momo” (dumplings) or, my personal favorite, the super spicy vindaloo.

Kirby’s Grill and Bar
345 Kear Street
If you’re like me, I often forget how family friendly most local pub-style restaurants are. Kirby’s Grill and Bar is another family owned Westchester business that goes all out for kids and families--particularly at lunch and in the early evening hours. The atmosphere is loud enough that an enthusiastic shriek doesn’t garner disapproving stares, but still well within the range that allows you to talk across the table without shouting. Kids will find plenty to order from the main menu--cheese pizza, cheese quesadillas, onion tanglers, fries, BBQ chicken and more. Kids meals include a drink, fries or apple slices, an entrée and a dessert for under $10.

Yorktown Pizza & Pasta
2013 Crompond Road
Looking for pizza? Look no further than Yorktown Pizza & Pasta. This hometown favorite makes a dizzying array of pies every day, including pies on a gluten free crust that even gluten-loving patrons rave about. The restaurant’s website is a one-stop shopping experience for those looking to place an order for pick-up or delivery. Delivery is quick and easy (and food arrives hot!) or drop in and be wowed by the pristine dining area, friendly service and delicious food.

Turco’s
380 Downing Road
Evenings packed with extracurricular activities? Wondering how to fit dinner in? That’s where Turco’s comes in. Turco’s is a specialty-supermarket with a pizza counter, deli counter, sushi counter, fresh-bread counter, coffee counter, upstairs seating and more prepared foods than most families could eat in a week. This is where our family stops for picnic supplies, fresh seafood, rotisserie chickens, baked-that-day bread, calzones and deli specialties. It’s a place with many locally known secrets. Want a rotisserie chicken, but it has to be organic? Call that morning and let them know--they’ll toss some organic chickens into the rotisserie and they’ll hold one for you! How's that for customer service? Shopping with a fussy toddler? Stop by the bread counter--they almost always have sliced bread for sampling. If they don’t, someone will get it for you. Is it fall? Then make sure to stop in for the butternut squash soup. It’s seasonal and one of the best in the area.

Peter Pratt’s Inn
673 Croton Heights Road
For most of the year, Peter Pratt’s Inn the place you go when you’ve arranged for a babysitter. The interior of the restaurant is housed in the basement of a Revolutionary War era inn where General George Washington himself is rumored to have held a command post in 1781. The atmosphere is quiet and romantic and food is reliably fantastic (the restaurant is run by the same people who own Umami Mex-to-Go and Tagine in Croton). On Wednesday evenings in the summer, however, Peter Pratts hosts a buffet style Family BBQ that puts most backyard BBQs to shame. A combination of grilled meats and fishes, salads, veggies, and pastas, this all-you-can-eat extravaganza takes place rain or shine. Need to visit Peter Pratts after summer has passed? The restaurant hosts special child-friendly meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Easter, Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day.

And for dessert...

JJ's Scoop House
315 Kear Street
My 3 year old actually discovered this café for us. We were cruising along the North County Trailway on her MicroMini scooter when she screeched to a stop in front of a sign featuring an ice cream cone and an arrow. Minutes later we were seated outside this tucked-away café enjoying ice cream and milkshakes. JJ's Scoop House serves small-batch Longford Ice Cream and features a constantly changing array of flavors that are both familiar and creative--including the shop's signature PB&JJ. While you're there, sign up for JJ's birthday club to enjoy a complimentary birthday sundae!

Twist
2022 Saw Mill River Road
For DIY Fro-yo on the go, Twist is the perfect Yorktown pit-stop. Located at the intersection of 202/35, 118 and Commerce St, Twist offers 12 frequently changing nonfat and sugar-free frozen yogurt, nonfat ice cream and non-dairy sorbets alongside tubs of tasty toppings. There is some seating at the front of the store and, in nice weather, out front. Don’t forget to pick up a frequent visitor rewards punch-card!

Grandma’s of Yorktown
3525 Crompond Road
Need pie? Head to Grandma’s of Yorktown. Hands down one of the best known resources for pie in the Northern Westchester area, this shop has over 30 varieties available from traditional to more eclectic. Call ahead to make pick-up reservations and be sure to leave plenty of time to order before holidays. Grandma’s of Yorktown also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Creative Commons image credit: Tommy Wong