Italy's Village Market owners revive longtime E. Setauket butcher shop

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For years, the neighborhood butcher shop at 232 Main Street in East Setauket was the kind of place where customers routinely lined up out the door.

But after changing hands several times over the years, the longtime staple gradually lost its spark, eventually sitting mostly vacant.

Now, local butcher Rob Damato is hoping to restore what made it special.

Together with owner Alan Blanco, Damato has transformed the space into Italy’s Village Market of Setauket, bringing premium meats, homemade Italian specialties and the kind of neighborhood atmosphere he believes has become increasingly rare.

“There used to be lines out the door here,” Damato told Greater Long Island. “Then it changed owners several times and just slowly dwindled. We wanted to bring it back.”

For Damato, the opportunity came at just the right time.

After spending years behind the counter at Butcher Boy in Mount Sinai, he was looking for his next chapter when the popular shop closed. Around the same time, Blanco — owner of The Butchers Market — was searching for someone to help reinvent the business.

“The timing just worked out,” Damato said.

Rather than simply refreshing the space, the pair opted for a complete overhaul.

“The front display case is the only thing that’s original,” Damato said. “Everything else is brand new. The walls, the floors… everything.”

*After several months of renovations, Italy’s Village Market has been open for less than three weeks and is already beginning to build a loyal customer base. (Credit: GLI/Julianne Mosher)*

Customers will find USDA Prime and Top Choice meats, hand-cut steaks and an expanding lineup of homemade Italian specialties prepared fresh in-house by Blanco, who also serves as a chef at Savino’s Hideaway in Mount Sinai.

Among the early customer favorites are Blanco’s homemade Bolognese sauce, lasagna and fresh mozzarella, which is made on site every day.

“Alan makes everything here,” Damato said. “It’s all fresh.”

Damato said the penne alla vodka has also become an early hit.

“It’s out of this world,” he said.

The team plans to introduce imported Italian specialties, cured meats and made-to-order sandwiches in the coming months as additional products arrive.

But for Damato, the market is about more than what’s behind the display case.

“The difference is I’m not going to give somebody something I wouldn’t eat myself,” he said. “If I don’t like the way it looks, I’m not putting it out.”

Just as important, he wants to recreate the feeling of an old-fashioned neighborhood butcher shop, where customers stop in not only to shop, but to catch up with familiar faces.

“At Butcher Boy they used to call it ‘Cheers,'” Damato said. “People would come in and hang out for 10 minutes talking. That’s what we want here. It’s a family place.”

Whether customers are looking for hand-cut steaks, fresh mozzarella, a ready-to-cook Italian dinner or simply advice on what to make that night, Damato hopes they’ll find a shop built on quality, service and community.

“We cater to everyone,” he said. “We try to get people what they want. If I can get it, I’ll get it.”

Top: Vinny Chiovarelli, Rob Damato and Alan Blanco at Italy’s Village Market of Setauket. (Credit: Julianne Mosher)