[Video] Take a Tour of Bistro 12's Art

You might recognize José Manuel Gonçalves Pereira from his previous many years at North Broadway restaurant Caravela. Now he is co-owner of Bistro 12 on Main Street, his first venture with lifelong friends, Luis Miguel Rodrigues and Sol Mar's owner Ricardo Brito.

All three grew up on the same Madeira Island, a Portuguese archipeligo lying in the North Atlantic. Even the chef they've hired bears the Madeira name: Pedro Madeira hails from Lisbon, Portugal.

Pereira and Rodrigues both live in Yonkers. They've been friends since the age of 17 and enjoy the comfortable banter of old friends as they lightly disagree before the restaurant opens of what sort of music they'd like on the soundtrack (Pink Floyd, says Pereira; Sinatra gets Rodrigues' vote). 

Rodriguez has a lot of experience in the music that plays in restaurants as he comes from working at Polpo restaurant in Greenwich, CT which featured regular entertainment. 

Though he's a musician himself — Rodriguez sings and plays guitar — here he prefers the peace of not having live music. Instead, the art comes in the form of the food and his own vibrant paintings on the wall. The paintings span many styles but all gravitate to the culture of his homeland, which he left for America 27 years ago.

The menu too harkens to the Mediterranean, offering a mix of cuisines from Portugal to Spain, Italy, Greece. Dishes range from grilled octopus to the leek vichyssoise soup and will change seasonally.

Only days into business, the restaurant doesn't take credit cards yet or have a full liquor license. They now have a website, bistro12.net. They are open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Bistro 12, 12 Main Street, (914) 909-2770. 

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