Jeni's Main Street Bistro Opens Doors At New Location

SOUTHOLD, NY — Saturday marks the big day: Jeni’s Main Street Bistro will be opening at its new location, at the former Sea Shell restaurant, or Six Three One diner, located at 62375 Main Road in Southold.

Jennifer Raymond, the owner of the former Jeni's Main Street Grill, announced recently that the popular eatery, well-loved by scores for a menu that includes mouthwatering pancakes, omelettes, sandwiches and more, would be moving east.

Raymond, who lives in Southold and has had the restaurant on Main Street for 12 years, said the opportunity arose to move Jeni's to the new space, which has about 30 additional seats and a bar. Raymond said she'll apply for her liquor license and eventually offer dinner. To start, she said, she believes she'll begin with breakfast and lunch, "and then, go from there. We're going to have to feel it out as we go."

Raymond's culinary journey has been fueled by her passion for preparing food to share. "I love to feed people, I do," she said. "My creative outlet is in the kitchen."

Her dream was born when she was just 12; her stepfather Dean Eichorn was a former owner of the Chowder Pot Pub in Greenport — she later attended the Culinary Institute of America. "That's how it all started," she said. "I have to feed people."

The new location will also see new a rebirth under Raymond's helm.

Almost four years after opening the doors of the Six Three One Diner on Route 25 in Southold, owner Pat Dellaportas confirmed last year that the eatery would not be back; Puerto Verde opened at the location and closed after the 2017 season. The former restaurant at the site, JD Steakhouse, closed in 2012. The site was the longtime home of the Sea Shell before JD Steakhouse opened in 2010.

The building measures 2,200 square feet and holds outdoor seating space, too. Cimino's Restaurant, an Italian eatery, also operated in the space between its incarnations as steakhouse and seafood restaurants.

"I'm looking forward to this next great adventure," Raymond said.

Patch photo by Lisa Finn.