Jay Street Cafe in Katonah Relaunches, Giving The People What They Want
“You can have a Reuben sandwich at 8:00 a.m. and pancakes at 3:00 p.m.,” says Katonah’s Jay Street Cafe co-owner Christina Drake, explaining the appeal of an all-day menu. She and chef/husband Matt Safarowic (the power couple behind the town’s The Whitlock as well) relaunched the café’s concept this month, after opening at the tail-end of 2019.
Initially Jay Street was going to serve a breakfast menu, followed by a lunch menu, says Drake. “After being open for two months, and getting feedback from the community, we learned what they wanted and what works in this space,” says Drake. What she and Safarowic learned, she reports, “Is that customers love that there are no rules/restrictions on the menu.” To that end, the menu is kept tight and focused. “The diner had been an institution in this town – we wanted to reimagine it,” Drake says.
Jay Street serves mouth-watering combinations of flavors whether you’re opting for the popular Power Bowl, with two soft eggs, quinoa, a number of veggies, and salsa verde, or a more “traditional” lunch bowl. “The logic of building the menu was taking diner staples and then incorporating new flavors,” Drake says. So a Chicken Kabob Bowl features boneless strips of chicken thighs, quinoa, lettuce, tomato, onion and the refreshing flavors of mint and tzatziki.
A vegan’s (and non-vegan’s) delight, The Mushroom Taco Bowl combines roasted Portobello mushrooms with black beans for a meaty taste, and then adds guacamole, pico de gallo, pickled onions and tortilla chips. “We wanted to take the ethnic food that people grew up with in New York – the Greek, Mexican and Jewish influences (in the Reubens sandwich with house made corned beef) and apply them to the dishes on the menu,” Drake says.
Other dishes show Safarowic’s commitment to elevating comfort food, such as a creamy and decadent Mac & Cheese with Bechamel sauce, cheddar cheese and some sprinkled bread crumbs on top. “We’re mixing familiarity with those dishes with a little more technique,” says Drake.
The Sammies, besides the Reuben, include a perfect BLT, a tuna melt, and of course, a grilled cheese. And there are such fan favorites as challah French Toast, pancakes (there’s also a vegan option), and a Dam Good Benny, eggs benedict served on Westchester’s own artisanal Dam Good English Muffins.
Keep an eye out for a roll-out of dinner items. Drake notes that when she and Safarowic started looking at restaurant space, their initial dream was for a spot like Jay Street Cafe. The Whitlock came along first, but for the couple, and for the residents of Katonah and beyond, dreams do come true.
