After the death of the brutal Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1961 and the end of his fame plantain curtain that kept citizens form living the country, large numbers of Dominican started migrating to metropolitan New York, particularly Queens and Washington Heights. But many settled north of New York City in Westchester County.
It’s unclear clear who the first families were in the Tarrytowns in Westchester County but today they are one of the largest immigrant groups, particularly in North Tarrytown where they operate a number of barbershops, bodegas, and restaurants. In the 1970s North Tarrytown had one Dominican restaurant at 109 Beekman Avenue called El Jaravi. Its signature dishes included octopus salad, arroz con pollo (rice and chicken), and arroz con camarones (rice and shrimp characteristically seasoned with cilantro, in addition to other herbs and spices). Here is a recipe for Dominican arroz con pollo (rice and chicken) below.