New restaurants open in defiance of the economy
Carlyle on the Green chief executive Steve Carl with his staff in Taste99, one of the two new venues that Carl has opened. The other is Deco 1600. From left, behind Carl, are general manager Jay Kranitz, Deco 1600 manager Andrew Affa, executive chef Philip Abshire, and Taste99 manager John Marin. Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin
Restaurateur Steve Carl opens two new eateries this weekend on Long Island, which, like most of the country, remains in the jaws of the bad economy.
Taste99, which features a tapas menu, opens in what used to be the Oak Room at Carlyle on the Green at Bethpage State Park. Deco1600, a family-style Italian-American restaurant, opens at Carlyle at the Palace in Plainview.
The Oak Room has been entirely redone and will feature paintings of such famous golfers as Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Deco1600 is at 1600 Round Swamp Rd. "The trend these days is to have the address in the name of the restaurant," Carl said.
He has taken "an aggressive approach," he said, to the bad economy. "This is not the time to take cover and hope you get through it. You need to invest in your business."
Carl says the tapas menu -- diners can order sliders, braised ribs or pizza -- and the family-style Italian-American menu should draw crowds in highly budget-conscious consumers.
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