The Villager Opens In Farmingdale With Goal To 'Create An Experience'

FARMINGDALE, NY — The Villager came to Farmingdale in June, replacing Farmingdale Brew Co. at 306 Main St.

The gastropub's goal is to give customers an "elevated pub experience" with a well-curated beer list, "sophisticated but approachable" cocktails, and a menu that allows head chef William Ahearn to add an Americana twist to every dish, said James Zeffiro, the general manager. The Villager is all about "really refined" gastropub food.

"What we want to do here is create an experience," Zeffiro, 35, of Lindenhurst, told Patch. "We realize how important it is these days for people to give you their time. And if somebody gives you their time, it’s really actually rewarding that someone took the time to come to your place. We want to give them the best experience they could possibly have with that free time.”

The Villager's self-proclaimed claim to fame is its Gouda fries, which come as an appetizer where waffle fries are loaded with Gouda-beer cheese sauce, bacon and scallions. Diners can also get waffle fries and Gouda on the Villager Burger — the number one sellers at The Villager locations in Farmingdale and Babylon. The pub also offers its spin on a Big Mac called the Big Mick.

"It’s pretty much a well-made Big Mac," Zeffiro said. "If you love a Big Mac, you’ll love that burger."

Ahearn said the most important part of a burger is the blend. Keeping the seasoning simple is also crucial, said Ahearn, who only uses Morton's Kosher salt and black pepper.

"You want to taste the quality of that food," Ahearn said. "It would be like buying a dry-age steak and covering it with ketchup. You wouldn’t do that. So why would you do that to a good burger?”

The Villager also offers rice bowls, tacos, three-cheese macaroni and cheese (yes, Gouda is one of the three), sandwiches, and plenty of shareables.

“When you come to an Americana pub and it’s not just a burger, it’s not just fish and chips, it’s some international cuisine done in kind of an American-twisted way where we can take it and make it more fun or do it traditional," Zeffiro said.

While The Villager has its best sellers, Ahearn does not believe he has a specialty. Instead, he believes cooking is relevant to the customer's tastes.

Ahearn has 15 years of restaurant experience and likes to prepare mostly everything from scratch.

“I’ve worked in pizzerias that pop open cans for their marinara sauce," he said. "I like to take the time to do things the right way and the proper way because I think if you try our food, you’ll realize how astronomically different it is.”

Zeffiro, originally an art student before shifting to business, said he plugged his creative outlet by crafting the cocktail list.

"It’s interesting because somebody’s not only sharing the art you’re making, but they’re indulging in it and imbibing," he said. "You get to watch the reaction, good or bad. It’s still fun. Obviously, I’d rather good."

Zeffiro said he tried to make the cocktail list fun by adding blurbs under each drink to describe it.

"I really try and involve the guest and show the guest what they’re going to get before they get it, tell them something about the cocktail, and give a little story for it as well.”

While The Villager opened in June, the restaurant celebrated its grand opening in mid-September. Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, and other elected officials were present.

Since opening, the biggest challenge has been the cost of food, Zeffiro said.

"We try and absorb a lot of that for our guests’ sake," he said.

Zeffiro wants people to be comfortable with going out to eat again following the coronavirus pandemic, and he feels The Villager's outdoor courtyard helps. When one walks through the restaurant and out the back, they'll enter a spacious yard area with lots of outdoor seating, heaters, two sets of cornhole, a TV, a bar, and more. Live music is played outdoors on Fridays and Saturdays, as well.

"[Our ownership] saw this back yard and we’re like, ‘the potential is almost limitless back here,'” he said.

Zeffiro called Farmingdale a flourishing community that is growing exponentially, and he said the restaurant is "really fortunate" to be a part of it. Zeffiro went to college in town, and he said the community has grown to a point where it's vastly different from his studying days.

"Re-exploring the town as a patron has been fun," said Zeffiro, who is trying to put together events with the community and collaborations with other local businesses.

He is barrel-aging a Manhattan right now with Flux’s coffee for three months, and The Villager is doing a cigar dinner with Jim’s Stogies on Oct. 6.

“Coming to a new area, it’s not just about ‘Hey, we’re here.’ It’s ‘Hey, we’re here, and we want to bring more business to the area," Zeffiro said. "We want to involve the other businesses. We definitely want to add to this community, help it flourish, help bring in more business and share business. I think the stronger the restaurant community is, the more people you’ll bring in, because they’ll say, ‘Hey, let’s go to Harley’s and we’ll get a beer at The Villager after.’ Or ‘Hey, let’s eat at The Villager and then we’ll go to The Nutty Irishman to dance.’ Or, ‘Let’s go to Croxley’s to watch a football game and then let’s go eat somewhere after.’ Stuff like that is important. Sharing that customer base. It’s a reason to come to your town."

More Photos