Dating back to 1894, the small, family-owned grocery store at 125 Main Street in Gardiner was home to families like the Mckinstry’s, the Schiros, and the Ognos. The second floor was their home. It was the quintessential “Mom and Pop” business, a mainstay of the fabric of rural American life at the turn of the century.
The building has gone through at least six major changes since then, its newest incarnation is, once again, a family owned and run deli and eatery. The new owner, Town Supervisor and serial entrepreneur Carl Zatz, envisions a venue where folks can go to the counter, order quality food and sit down at a comfortable table with friends and family, or a newspaper. He swapped Bakery for Eatery in its original name and calls it the Village Market and Eatery.
Zatz wants a casual community restaurant where neighbors and tourists feast from an ever-changing menu of interesting and delicious dishes. Zatz’ daughter, Ruby, and even his ex, Diane, can often be seen working there. Zatz credits his staff for the Market’s early success.
There have been some changes since Zatz took over last summer. The menu is new, delicious and interesting, with daily specials. As I write this, a quick check on the Market’s Facebook page shows “Seafood Pot Pies today: The cook just grilled and browned our shrimp, then sliced them up and tossed them into our pot pie filling of clams, potatoes, celery, a whiff of Worcestershire, and a whole array of spices. Delicious! Our pot pies now come with a small side of mixed greens just like our sandwiches.”
Chris Jackson performing at one of the Village Market & Eatery’s Saturday evening live music events. Photo: Laszlo Andacs (www.laszloimage.com)
There is also live music most Saturday evenings. A recent weekend featured funk, blues, and R&B. Zatz also subtly redecorated and added large paintings by local artist Ryan Cronin.
The Village Market and Eatery is a wonderful gift to Main Street Gardiner, which seriously needed some livening up after 5:00 PM. For a look at the menu, go to www.villagemarketandeatery.com, look at the Facebook Page for events and specials, or call (845) 255-1234.