TRR photo by Tom Kane Matt Lane and Dominique Jenkins are a new couple on the Callicoon scene. (Click for larger image)

Matthew’s on Main aims high

By TOM KANE

CALLICOON, NY — The hamlet of Callicoon seems to spawn restaurants.

Matthew’s on Main will open this weekend, serving free finger food at the bar. It will also serve breakfast and lunch beginning Monday, June 2, say its new proprietors, Matt Lane and Dominque Jenkins, formerly of New York City.

On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays they will serve breakfast and lunch and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they will serve dinner.

“Eventually, we’ll add dinner on other weekdays,” Matthew said.

Matt has been a master chef for 18 years, nine of them as an executive chef, so the cuisine promises to be scrumptious and varied.

He even spent a year in France to hone his skills.

Dominique has a business background as director of operations for a telecommunications company, so their skills are complementary.

The restaurant, which is located at 19 Lower Main Street between Dorrer Road and the Sweet Water Gallery, was formerly the Callicoon Saloon. The old place has undergone extensive renovations, not the least of which is a new executive kitchen, which was added on to the building.

“We’ll have specials every day,” Matt said.

Dinners will be fine, white-tablecloth dining at a moderate price, he said

“We want to serve this community which we love so much,” Dominique said.

The couple fell in love with the river valley a few years ago when they bought a place for weekends.

“It was actually painful having to face Sunday afternoon and the trip back to the city,” Dominique said.

“New York has turned into a difficult place to live and work so we wanted to get out while we could,” Matt said.

The restaurant sports four venues, the front of the house (the bar), the back of the house (the outside deck) the middle of the house (the dining room) and over the house (a room upstairs for special events).

“We also will offer take-out,” Matt said.

Once the restaurant gets fully operational (in a week or so) breakfast will be served from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; dinner from 5:00 p.m. to closing.

To contact Matthew’s on Main, call 845/887-5636.