Tom Schaudel's Jewel in the making
Tom Schaudel. (Undated) Credit: Morris Sendor, Great Restaurants of Long Island
Style will matter. And showmanship. And, of course size. Chef restaurateur Tom Schaudel’s newest venture will be a 10,000-square-foot dining spot called Jewel, embedded in the new Rubie Corporate Plaza in Melville on the corner of the LIE service road and Route 110.
Schaudel, who owns CoolFish in Syosset, is no stranger to office building restaurants. This one, though, he didn’t name. The building’s owner, Marc Beige, did. “I believe the place will define the name, not vice versa,” said Schaudel, adding that Beige is sparing no expense for the restaurant.
A construction company has not yet been selected. However, Schaudel expects work to start in March and is shooting for a late summer opening (Thanksgiving? Christmas?)
Schaudel is not only Jewel's executive chef but also a partner. He has hired an East Rockaway firm, Dallago Associates (sisters Karen Dallago and Sharon Dallago Genden) to design the restaurant. (For a video of the plans, click here). “Ultimately," Schaudel said, "I’m a Long Islander and this restaurant is all about Long Island.”
As currently envisioned, Jewel will have a main dining space as well as a chef’s table that seats 12, a wine and Cognac room that holds 18, along with other private spaces, outdoor patios and gardens. There will be an open kitchen, a market area with displays of fresh seafood and vegetables and a wine wall running the length of the place, acting as a room divider. Playful touches will define the restrooms.
Schaudel is aiming for a contemporary farm-to-table menu drawing on such North Fork sources as Satur Farms and KK Haspel’s The Farm. And Schaudel intends to have a wide-ranging wine list as well as what may be Long Island’s “deepest” local wine collection.
