Farmingdale Village Officially Dubbed "Culinary Quarter"

FARMINGDALE, NY — The Farmingdale Village downtown area officially became dubbed the "Culinary Quarter" at a ceremony on Tuesday afternoon. The nickname celebrates Farmingdale's growing reputation as a destination for foodies.

The village is currently home to celebrity chef restaurants, ethnic cuisine, pastries, coffee shops, a pair of speakeasies, a brewery and more.

"We are officially designating the Farmingdale Village downtown area as the ‘Culinary Quarter’ to commemorate the many years of food excellence and diversity that our village offers," Village Mayor Ralph Ekstrand said at the ceremony. "During the last few years, the village has quickly gained the reputation of becoming the go-to spot for couples, families and food connoisseurs for dining and nightlife."

Joe Fortuna, co-owner of The Nutty Irishman and 317 Main Street, along with Eric LeVine, executive chef of the latter business, came up with the idea to brand the village as the "Culinary Quarter" about two months ago.

Fortuna told Patch when he realized both LeVine and Chef Kristina Grimes of Thyme On Your Side were graduates of the Culinary Institute of America and Farmingdale Village had two celebrity chefs in its quarter-mile span, he then wanted to capitalize on the possibility of letting everyone know about the community's culinary excellence. He drew inspiration from the Nautical Mile in Freeport and Miracle Mile in Manhasset when presenting the concept to Farmingdale Village. It turns out the administration loved the idea, and it became official Tuesday.

"I think it’s great," Fortuna said. "I think it’s going to bring a lot of notoriety to Main Street. Farmingdale is already on the map as a destination, but now there are so many great culinary options here. In such a small area, you have so many options of very good restaurants."

Farmingdale Village provided a full list of all options below, dividing them into sections:

• Celebrity CIA Culinary Chef Restaurants: 317 Main Street and Thyme On Your Side
• Coffee/Dessert: Charlotte's, Chocolate Duck, Flux
• Fine Dining Steakhouse: Harley's American Grille
• American/Bar: Chiddy's Cheesesteaks, Dark Horse Tavern, Daytona's, Library Cafe, The Nutty Irishman, Palmer's American Grille, That Meetball Place, Vintage Wine Bar & Bistro
• Asian Fusion: T.O.A. Asian Fusion
• Chinese: Asian Pot, Ed Young's, Lotus
• Dominican: Dominican Restaurant 4
• Greek: Grecian Grill
• Hawaii/Polynesian: Blue Hawaiian
• Irish: The Republic
• Italian: Creations Pizza, Domino's, Gino's, Frankie's East Side Pizza (Vegan), La Villetta, Main Street Pizza Company, 3 Brothers Pizza Cafe (Vegan), Tre Scalini, Vespa Italian Kitchen
• Mexican: CaraCara Mexican Restaurant, High Tide Taco Bar
• Fusion: Vinoco East Global Fusion Tapas Restaurant
• Speakeasy & Craft Brewery: Alibi Speakeasy, Charlotte's Speakeasy, Lithology Brewing Co.
• Classic Modern American Alehouse: Croxley's Ale House
• Diner: Whiskey Down Diner
• Thai: Tiny Thai
• Vietnamese: The Rolling Spring Roll
• Quick Dining/Bagels: Bagel Hut, SOBOL, Station Market, Stuff A Bagel, Subway

"The village has grown a tremendous culinary scene filled with a variety of restaurants and taste for everyone," Ekstrand said. "We are thrilled to see people walking around smiling and hungry, ready to try something new, the Farmingdale Village style."