Fork and Fiddle and its ‘social eating experience’ to open any day in Port Jefferson

For about $28, diners at Fork and Fiddle will be able to indulge in a multi-course meal featuring wide-ranging, Southern-inspired dishes.

That’s the plan for Port Jefferson’s highly anticipated and soon-to-be-opened downtown restaurant.

As previously reported, the team behind the instantly popular Prohibition Kitchen are the brains behind this new venture in the former Smoke Shack Blues Barbecue space at 138 Main Street.

“We have a Southern-regional take, drawing inspirations from foods from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Texas — and putting our own New York-style on it,” Fork and Fiddle’s owner, Lisa Harris, previously told GreaterPortJeff.

But ordering food will be much different than at most anywhere else in the county.

According to Fork and Fiddle general manager Tom Fazio, the restaurant is pulling a play from Maroni Cuisine — a Northport Italian restaurant that offers numerous courses.

“Mike Maroni was a big mentor of mine,” explained Fazio, “and as we were putting this idea together, we wanted to do something where people can enjoy food and the overall experience.”

So for around $28 per person, Fork and Fiddle staffers will sit down patrons, ask general questions on what people like, and then begin bringing out plate after plate.

And not all dishes are created equal, says Fazio.

“Some items are shared, some are for individuals, while some are walking appetizers,” said Fazio. “We want to create customer value with a fun experience.”

For the less adventurous, patrons will have the option to bypass the social eating experience in favor of single-dish items.

“If you just want ribs, you can order that too,” said Fazio.

Like its sister restaurant Prohibition Kitchen, Fork and Fiddle will be fusing their Southern influences.

“Instead of doing St. Louis braised ribs, you’ll have braised ribs done crispy sticky Asian style with sesame and ponzu,” Fazio gave as an example.

Fork and Fiddle will be opening to the public sometime this month with an “industrial honky-tonk” vibe, says the owners.

Don’t expect sawdust on the floor, but there will be a casual, down-home vibe, with live blues and jazz musicians on the stage.

For drinks, Fork and Fiddle will be doing its own renditions of popular Southern cocktails such as Alabama Slammers and Slow Comfortable Screws. The beer and wine will all be on tap.

“We want people to enjoy the experience of going out,” Fazio told GreaterPortJeff.

See what’s in store below (courtesy photos).

Editor’s note: Fork and Fiddle has changed some of its pricing and the story better has been updated.

• 

• 

• 

Prohibition Kitchen team to open Fork and Fiddle, a unique take on Southern cuisine in Port Jeff