DECEMBER 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 113
THE TRATTORIA
ST. JAMES’ HIDDEN GEM
BY ALAN KRAWITZ
Chef Stephen Gallagher took the road
less traveled on his way to a career in
the kitchen and as eventual owner of
rustic Italian cuisine venue The Trattoria
in St. James.
Gallagher, 43, recalls collecting shopping
carts in the parking lot of a King
Kullen supermarket. “It was cold out
there and someone quit from the bakery
and they asked me if I wanted to work
inside and I said sure,” he says, adding
that although he wasn›t baking, it was
good just to work inside.
However, baking would not be in his
future.
Gallagher says a friend told him about
a restaurant in Stony Brook, The
Country House, that was looking for
a cook. “I just showed up there and got
hired,” he says, recalling that he learned
many diff erent aspects of cooking from
that fi rst job. “I realized I had a natural
aptitude for cooking.”
And while Gallagher did attend formal
culinary school at NYIT, he›s not a fan
of would-be chefs making it a priority.
“I tell young cooks not to go the culinary
school route because all in all, you›ll
learn what you need to know about cooking
by working in a restaurant and not
necessarily in a classroom,” he explains.
Gallagher says the main reason he discourages
culinary school is the high cost.
Before purchasing The Trattoria in 2013
from owner Eric Lomondo, Gallagher
had formative cooking experiences at
several local LI restaurants, including
Star Boggs in Westhampton and The
Jamesport Manor Inn.
He also spent time in the U.S. Virgin
Islands, as chef de cuisine at The Buccaneer
Terrace Restaurant on St. Croix
before moving to Colorado to work
under Chef Bertrand Bouquin at The
Summit Restaurant of The Broadmoor
Hotel in Colorado Springs.
“The Broadmoor hotel had a very
high-end restaurant,” Gallagher
recalls, having seen both former
vice president Dick Cheney and motivational
speaker Tony Robbins at
events there.
In 2009, Gallagher went to work for
chef Eric Lomondo at his causal family
of restaurants, which include Orto in
Miller Place.
He started as chef de cuisine at Kitchen
a Bistro, before becoming executive
chef of Kitchen a Trattoria. Then in
November 2013, Gallagher purchased
the restaurant from Lomondo, and
renamed it The Trattoria.
Gallagher explains that some of the
biggest challenges owning The Trattoria
include the steep learning curve
going from being executive chef to
owning the place.
“I thought I knew everything about the
restaurant business but there was a lot
to learn. That initial fi rst year, getting
my bearings, fi guring out which way
was up, was a real challenge.”
He also credits his friend Lomondo
for giving him much-needed support
during that time. “Going from
employee to owner is a huge difference
and Eric helped me out
a lot,” he says.
When Covid hit, Gallagher
says he shortened his days
open from 7 to 5 and at
fi rst had to lay off several
staff ers while pivoting
to handle takeout
only. “Unfortunately,
though, the takeout
business wasn›t
really enough to
cover my expenses,
so I did take a hit
fi nancially.”
But he says that the St.
James community is
“great place to operate
a business” because
the residents are so
supportive, adding that
people show up several
times a week for dinner.
Gallagher adds that he
continues to fi gure things
out and that being a small business
helps: His 28-seat restaurant has low
overhead.
Asked about current business, he says
he is “just about back” to where he was
before the pandemic.
However, staffing shortages and
high prices have also aff ected daily
operations.
“I can’t even get a dishwasher...and I’m
off ering good money too.”
“I don’t know that people want to do it
anymore,” says Gallagher, referring to
staff working in the restaurant industry.
He also says that food prices are
“through the roof, everything is absurd.
Imported foods are especially high due
to import tariff s.”
But despite pandemic-induced setbacks,
Gallagher›s expertly prepared
cuisine continues to not only attract
but fi ll The Trattoria to capacity on any
given night.
An extremely hands-on owner, Gallagher
makes it a point to come out from
behind the open kitchen and personally
greet his customers and ask every
diner how everything is.
Highly rated specialties include red
wine brasato (braised beef ) with
creamy polenta, black pasta with calamari
and spicy tomato, pork loin with
farro, lasagna Bolognese, and Montauk
fl uke with vegetables.
For dessert, everything is made inhouse
and includes a fl ourless chocolate
almond cake served with vanilla gelato
and Nutella pound cake, also served
with vanilla gelato.
Although no cocktails are served, a full
wine list is available.
Asked about plans for
The Trattoria, Gallagher
says simply, “I’m just
working on keeping
it all going.”
532 N Country
Rd, St James.
It can be
reached
at 631-584-
3518. Visit
at http://
www.thetrattoriarestaurant.
com.
Cash-only,
reservations are
required.
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