North of Manhattan: that is exactly what it is and exactly what it means. NoMa Social is located in New Rochelle, New York about 20 minutes north of Manhattan. Executive Chef Bill Rosenberg stays true to the Manhattan vibe and has created a spot that feels like you’ve stepped out of Westchester and walked into the hot SoHo spot.
The interior being sleek and modern, this 3,000 square foot gem seats 125 and is designed with a welcoming color scheme of purples and grays. You walk in to be greeted by a ceiling full of warm pendant lighting! Sit back and relax in one of their many couches and place your drink at one of their low-profile cocktail tables. If you’re more traditional, sit at the bar or at one of their trendy, intimate tables. NoMa Social creates a peaceful, relaxed and spacious environment where you can have a nice conversation and enjoy a fantastic meal.
Bill Rosenberg has been in the kitchen for the past 35 years. His long career has included his own restaurant venture with F.I.S.H. in Port Chester and working as the original executive chef at Barcelona Wine Bar in SoNo. As a CIA graduate, Rosenberg has made quite the name for himself. F.I.S.H was rated by Zagat as one of America’s top seafood houses and named by Westchester Magazine as the “Best New Restaurant”.
Bill was introduced to cooking from his grandma where he would stand by her apron and watch her cook, he‘caught the bug’. “And then just started cooking at every local place and I guess everything far and few between from anything from French to Chinese to South Western to Italian fusion, the whole gambit,” said Rosenberg. As a Westchester native it only makes sense that Rosenberg has kept his restaurant and work in the northern Manhattan County. After eight years at F.I.S.H, Rosenberg took over a restaurant in New Rochelle called City Chow House. After some major renovations and rebranding NoMa Social was born. Now on their fifth year, NoMa Social has become the spot to feel like you’re in Manhattan without having to go to Manhattan.
NoMa’s menu can be described as Mediterranean but really it holds no true genre. The menu changes 5-6 times a year with Italian nights and tapas nights. The menu is kept fresh, ever changing and approachable. “My background was in doing tapas and Spanish food, a little Italian, a little Greek, I guess if you want to call it Mediterranean, we decided to go with that concept. Mainly because it’s fun and it’s more social. It’s more inviting for people to try different things and not necessarily locked in to a single entrée,” said Rosenberg.
One thing that Rosenberg is recognized for is his love and knowledge of wine. There is no sommelier at NoMa and the wine list is designed to pair with pretty much everything on the menu. The menu is sophisticated and fresh by using seasonal and localism as much as possible. NoMa Social offers a wide variety of tapas, seasonal greens, wood fired flatbreads and a wide variety of medium and large plates.
It doesn’t stop with the menu either. NoMa Social is meant to be a fun place where people can unwind and enjoy some good eats. With some more recent renovations, NoMa Social has replaced some of their windows with screens, in order to provide more energy in the building. To enhanced themed nights at NoMa, they are able to customize the room to feel like you are actually on location. For example, on Italian nights they will play The Godfather or on Spanish nights they will have pictures of Barcelona on the screens. It allows NoMa to adjust the theme of the night in a fun, lively, and unique way. On the weekend the restaurant becomes a nightclub with DJ’s and bands, there are even comedy nights! NoMa has become a staple of what Westchester is slowly becoming.
To learn more about NoMa Social, visit their website.
