Photos: Main Road Biscuit Co. Opens On Main Road in Jamesport, A Delicious Taste of Home

JAMESPORT, NY — On a cold October morning, with fall dawning over the North Fork, the brand-new Main Road Biscuit Co. opened its doors for the first time Thursday, a warm, cozy inviting place for customers to enjoy piping hot biscuits, tempting baked goods coffee, tea — and the taste of home.

The eatery is currently open for a preview, with a full scale grand opening planned for Nov. 10, but judging from the crowds lined up for biscuits and the friends gathered around cozy tables, the business is set to be a bonafide hit.

Thursday's offerings included melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk biscuits with thick slabs of orange lemon marmalade, and honey butter.

The space, formerly the home of the Jamesport Country Kitchen, has been transformed into a bright, airy spot flooded with natural light, and sleek white and gray walls and tables.

"It's industrial meets country," said owner Marissa Drago, who stood inside greeting customers with warm hugs and hellos.

Main Road Biscuit Co., located at 1601 Main Road in Jamesport, is sure to please a hungry crowd, Drago said recently.

Describing her vision for the new business, Drago said, "We are a breakfast and lunch spot serving comfort food, refined. This is going to be a place you can rely on to get your day started with ease. You'll know the staff and they'll know you. You'll meet your friends here to fuel up before you hit the wine trail, or after your workout, to pick up a smoothie. It's about connecting, relaxing, and taking a breather from the rest of the world.

Along with mouthwatering biscuits and seasonal jams, Main Road Biscuit Co. will sell baked goods to go, including cinnamon scones, buttermilk oat muffins, maple/olive oil granola parfaits, and smoothies and shakes to go.

The dine-in menu, she said, features a more substantial menu, including eggs Benedict, "on a biscuit, of course," biscuit with sausage, or mushroom, gravy, fried chicken, and mac-n-cheese. Also featured will be seasonal salads and sandwiches made from local ingredients.

Drago has been working in catering in Manhattan for 15 years, most recently as director of catering for Financier Patisserie, and prior to that, Bouchon Bakery and Balducci's.

"Believe it or not, I initially left a consulting job in software for a career in food, Ina Garten being my inspiration," she said. "I found myself reading her cookbooks from cover to cover and making just about everything in them. She's my idol to this day. I dipped my toe in the water at Barefoot Contessa in 2002 and I haven't looked back."

Drago, who lives in Mattituck, said a love of baking is a family affair.

"If his career path had been different, my husband Bryan would've been a baker. We have been making certain baked items that we'll now be selling for years — the biscuit being a more recent obsession," she said.

The couple, she said, lived in Brooklyn for about 10 years and "were spoiled in that we were walking distance from two excellent spots for legit biscuits and a handful of high-quality bakeries that I still frequent to this day. We've eaten our way around California and it always comes down to eating a biscuit and saying, 'This is so good! I wish we had this on the North Fork.' And this little spot in Jamesport fits the bill perfectly."

Drago, her husband, and their son have lived on the North Fork full time for five years, but while they love their new home, they missed being able to walk down the street and pick up a biscuit, she said.

Testing over the winter ensued, with Drago's husband working diligently on the recipe, and her focus more on jams, granola and savory food, she said.

Diners, she said, will be "addicted" to the "Grandma Pancakes" on the menu, a Belgian style pancake, based on her husband's Belgian grandmother's recipe, with various seasonal toppings, as well as the mac-n-cheese and fried chicken.

For Drago, the opening of the new business symbolizes a dream come true.

"I've had a gratifying career in food. Straight out of the Institute of Culinary Education's Culinary Management program, I've worked at established, well-known food establishments, and alongside incredible talent. I've learned a lot along the way. But there's something that's been missing. Here was an opportunity to 'do my own thing,' to put my knowledge to the test, but also give something to the community here that I felt we all need," she said.

And, from the feedback she's received so far and the customers lining up Thursday, she said, "I'm thinking my hunch was right."

Drago also looks ahead to possibly utilizing the space for events such as engagement parties, rehearsal diners, and milestone birthdays.

Why should customers stop by? The answer, Drago said, is simple: "Because, buttermilk biscuits!"

And the biscuits are most definitely worth a visit, and another. . . .

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Patch photos by Lisa Finn.