James & Main opens in East Rockaway
Filet mignon is part of a three-course prix fixe menu at James & Main in East Rockaway. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
There's an old-time atmosphere at James & Main, a new, cavernous restaurant perched on the canals of East Rockaway. Although the name refers to its Main Street address, the locale has a neighborhood feel, with a walkway that runs around the water and historical signs referencing a ghost and a centuries-old oven.
Inside the regal building, the tavern-style dining room is packed with an impressive collage of old paintings and photographs. Together with the dark booths and moody lighting, the setting feels like the perfect opportunity for a Manhattan or a classic cocktail. Other diners might take up in the side room, which is quieter but also scattered with vintage relics and ephemera.
The bar area at James & Main in East Rockaway. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Service industry veteran Danny Quinn spent about a decade collecting all of the elements for his first restaurant. He rebuilt the entire dining room in the space that used to be The Fishery, adding elements like solid bronze fixtures and a plank of wood he converted into a host stand. Tables are spaced far apart, so a meal at James & Main is low-key and relaxing. The restaurant also has a patio out back that looks onto the canals which is tented and heated during the winter.
The menu, developed with chef Andrew Krug, is a mix of crowd-pleasers, with a nod to fine dining. Bread arrives at the table with a dish of butter atop olive oil, in case you can't decide which one you want. There are grilled oysters and beef tartare, but also other Long Island standards like zucchini and eggplant crisps ($17), not as delicate as the ones at local Greek restaurants but still tasty. The most sophisticated item on the menu might be deviled eggs ($17), which are stuffed with a wisp of smoked trout as well as its bright orange roe ... a little salty, and a little creamy in one bite.
Deviled eggs stuffed with smoked trout and roe at James & Main in East Rockaway. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
While the kitchen works out some of its kinks, drinks and apps might actually be the way to go here — more satisfying than the higher-priced entrées. A New England-style lobster roll is fabulous, but only three or four bites worth at $42. A filet mignon ($53) comes with a decadent side of creamed spinach, but was overcooked. Other entrées like a pork chop Milanese and Australian rack of lamb range from $33 to $48.
Almost every night of the week has a special: There's a three-course prix fixe for $60 on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, that includes a dessert, like bananas foster, which has a perfect sugary crust and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
James & Main, 1 Main St., East Rockaway, 516-218-2325, jamesandmain.com. Open 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday (bar remains open until midnight daily). Closed Tuesday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
