The Saw Mill Tavern in Ardsley will be on a new Food Network show called "Undercover Chef," at 10:30 p.m. July 16. The show looks at the behind-the-scenes goings on at restaurants throughout the country, spearheaded by executive chef and Reno, Nevada restaurateur Mark Estee. The series premiered July 2.
The Saw Mill Tavern episode — filmed last October in a pre-COVID-19 world — is titled "Tension at the Tavern," and in the Food Network's website description centers on the conflict between the owner, Charlie Amchir, and his head chef Michael DeStefano which, according to the network's teaser copy, "puts the future of the restaurant in jeopardy."
Fast forward to July, and Amchir, who has not seen the episode, says all is fine. In fact, he told lohud he has a new chef (Manuel Cruz), who was actually a part of his team back in October, but who didn't want to be on the show back then.
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That meant Amchir had to rely on DeStefano, a chef he had previously been having issues with, to be the one featured on the show. "I had no choice," said Amchir.
DeStefano left the restaurant in February.
Amchir has kept many of the changes Estee had suggested, which included tweaking entrees and cutting 40% of items the restaurant had previously featured.
"We added more upscale dishes such as butternut squash risotto, burrata with house-made pesto, olive oil and cherry tomatoes and a filet mignon with parsley fries and whiskey butter," said Amchir.
Though he's nervous about the drama that will be highlighted on "Undercover Chef" when it airs, Amchir hopes people will watch with a new level of appreciation for all the pressures restaurateurs and chefs are under, which have only been exacerbated in the COVID-19 world.
The real world
Though business dropped about 50 to 60% in the initial months of the coronavirus, Amchir said the restaurant's takeout and delivery business has been doing OK and he's recently seen an uptick in business thanks to indoor and outdoor dining.
He and his staff have also been busy supplying food to many local hospitals and front-line workers.
"We're still 30 to 40% off our numbers, but things are getting better," he said.
He also hopes people will continue to support him and other local businesses, which are still struggling. His message to anyone who watches the show: "Give us a chance. We're cleaner now than ever before."
Bull and Barrel Brew Pub in Brewster was also filmed for the show last October but did not make the cut, at least for Season 1 (no comment from the Food Network about its status). According to Bull and Barrel co-owner Wendy Wulkan, the network is only releasing four of the eight locations they filmed.
Said Wulkan: "We were number six for them and I'm unsure if we provided them with enough dysfunction over passion."
Also featured in the series: A restaurant in the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, an Irish pub turned restaurant in Pensacola, Florida, and a bakery and breakfast spot in Panama City, Florida.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food. Check out lohud's latest subscription offers here.
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July 13, 2020 at 05:09PM
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