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Exactly one year after the grand opening of The State Room, a cozy cocktail bar located on the upper level of the former BrickHouse Brewery, the details have been revealed about the concept for the downstairs area.
Bert Wiegand, who co-owns The State Room, told Greater Long Island that they are “about a month out” from officially opening the downstairs doors to Shands General, located at 67 W. Main Street in Patchogue.
Wiegand and his partners, including Steve and Julian Rizzo, James McPeak, and Francis Derby, took over the BrickHouse shortly after New Year’s Day last year. They transformed the upper level of the establishment into The State Room — an intimate cocktail lounge serving carefully crafted drinks by Wiegand and a menu of small plates designed by Derby.
With just 10 bar seats upstairs, the lower level is going to be drastically larger and will be called Shands General.
Shand’s revival
“We gutted the entire restaurant and put in a 40-foot bar,” Wiegand said. “There are 10 bar seats upstairs and will be 20 to 25 downstairs.”
More than a year in the making, Wiegand said that the BrickHouse got a complete makeover in its transition into Shands General — a name the team decided to use to pay respects to the building’s former owner, James G. Shand, who operated a general store dating back to the late 1800s.
“We were able to track down and find relatives of Shand and let them know,” Wiegand said, adding that the family was flattered and will be visiting the restaurant on opening night as special guests.
The building is said to be one of the oldest in the village, and “we wanted to pay homage to Shand and keep the historical aspect of the building in mind,” Wiegand added.
The concept
Along with the addition of a larger bar, Wiegand said that they took time to handcraft other pieces to turn the former brewery into an upscale dining experience that the team hopes will attract people from across Long Island.
Wiegand said that he and his partners added antique brass railings, white marble floors in the bar area, and tri-fold windows in front of the restaurant that will open up during the spring and summer.
When you walk inside, he added that it will have three different feels:
- The front with its Italian patio vibe
- The bar with its high ceilings and three large booths of handmade black walnut tables that will fit 10 to 12 people
- The main dining room which will be quaint and quiet with a more relaxing feel
Overall, Shands will seat about 140 to 145 people.
“It’s completely different from the BrickHouse,” Wiegand said.
The food + drink
For the menu, head chef Derby was looking to give patrons a “Long Island brasserie” experience — but that doesn’t mean it’s completely French.
The menu starts with a section for plates that the table can share (similar to what you can find in The State Room), plus a raw bar filled with local seafood. Homemade pasta is largely on the menu, too, along with a fully composed veggie section featuring items from the two local Brookhaven farms the team has been partnering with since the first concept opened last year.
Lastly, they’ll have a chops and cuts section with a ribeye, petit filet, skirt and strip steaks, whole roasted ducks and chicken, and a homemade Salisbury steak.
The bar, which is manned by Wiegand, will be similar to what’s going on upstairs with seasonally rotating cocktails and an extensive wine list. He said that they plan on going a little lighter with the beer, featuring about eight taps.
While Wiegand doesn’t have an exact opening date, it’s definitely happening soon and he’s looking forward to not only Patchogue locals experiencing this dining experience but also hopes that people from across the island come and see what they’re all about.
“Foodies and cocktail lovers will be pleasantly surprised,” he said.
Make sure to check back with greaterlongisland.com for updates on the official opening date of Shands General.
Top: Outside of the soon-to-be-opening Shand’s General in Patchogue. (GLI Photo/Nicholas Esposito)
