Ravi Continental Cuisine, Suffern

Ravi Continental Cuisine’s website encourages guests to “come comfortably, with an open mind.” Although this implies a casual dress code, Executive Chef Miguel DeBride’s food hasn't gotten the memo. His plates dress to the nines with colorful bursts of pink tuna tartare, green fennel, delicately drizzled sauces, and calamari rings each sporting its own bowtie. A Brazil native who grew up in Belize, DeBride’s well-traveled background manifests itself in his creative recipes. His work in New Orleans with Emeril Lagasse shines through in his bayou crab cakes, and his time spent working with Florida’s freshest seafood ensures his seared scallops with wild mushrooms and herb polenta are buttery soft. DeBride’s recipe repertoire also draws on Mediterranean delights, such as cabbage stew; Asian influences, including a thai chicken in coconut-curry sauce; and French techniques, apparent in the brandy-cream sauce that bastes his filet mignon.