Great Westchester eats for about $20

Bedford Post

You can take your gold card to the Bedford Post and spend a shocking amount of money. But you don't have to. "This echoes a lot of what (owners) Richard (Gere) and Russell (Hernandez) and I have been talking about," says chef Brian Lewis. "We never wanted this to be just a destination restaurant. Step into the lounge and have a bowl of pasta — all our pastas are $20 or less. If you forgo the wine, you could have a little something extra, too."

But for Lewis' perfect $20 check? He suggests the Beausoleil oysters ($10) and the Japanese hamachi with uni, yuzu and Asian pear ($9). "Three beautiful, glistening oysters for $10 shucked to order with freshly grated wasabi and ponzu - and Japanese hamachi with yuzu and Asian pear? On the way home from work? I'd sneak a little treat in for myself. That's what I'd do."

Or, Lewis said soon he's adding a duck liver mousse with black truffles to the menu. "A sensational $15 dish," he says. "I'd have that and be really thrilled."