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The people who brought the instantly popular Prohibition Kitchen to Port Jefferson have something new in the works for the downtown.
Prohibition’s owner, Lisa Harris, and general manager, Tom Fazio, will be bringing “Southern-tastes with New York flair” to the village in the form of a new venture called Fork and Fiddle.
The eatery is coming to the former Smoke Shack Blues Barbecue space at 138 Main Street. As previously reported, the barbecue restaurant went up for sale earlier this year.
Harris and Fazio’s vision is to bring something unique and special to the village.
“We’re creating an industrial honky-tonk,” said Harris, who also co-owns East Main & Main in Port Jeff. “It’s not as gritty, but more elevated.”
So don’t expect sawdust on the floor, but certainly a homey, down-home vibe. And there will be plenty of blues and jazz music.
As for the food, this isn’t a typical barbecue joint, they say.
“We have a Southern regional take, drawing inspirations from foods from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Texas — and putting our own New York-style on it,” said Harris.
The owners will be taking the over-the-top model from Prohibition Kitchen, which serves chicken sandwiches with donuts for buns, and incorporating it into their new venture.
Take the Fork and Fiddle’s Hot Link in a Tarp, a Kentucky hot link sausage wrapped in New York pizza dough with cheese sauce and mustard.
“Many people try and do it like they do down South — but we just don’t eat that way,” said Fazio, explaining why people won’t be able to order ribs by the rack or coleslaw by the quarter-pound in his new spot.
“Everything is built with complete dishes,” added Fazio, “and we are going to keep it as fun as we can.
“Fun matters.”
Another dish the owners highlighted is their Short Rib Casserole, which is a bourbon-braised short rib with mashed potatoes and sweet corn succotash.
Fork and Fiddle, whose owners plan to open later this year, will seat between 40 and 50 people, with additional room at a 10-seat bar.
“The opportunity fell into our laps and we couldn’t pass it up,” said Harris, a Port Jeff resident. “We’re excited to bring our spin on Southern comfort food to Port Jefferson!”
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Top: Lisa Harris and Tom Fazio in front of their soon-to-be-opened Fork and Fiddle in downtown Port Jefferson.
