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Marissa Drago is opening Main Road Biscuit Co. at the former Jamesport Country Kitchen location. (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

Marissa Drago’s start in the food industry actually came while on vacation, when she walked into Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa market in East Hampton and asked for a job.

Fifteen years later, she’s worked for several prominent New York City food companies, specializing in catering, and has begun raising a family in Mattituck.

Now she’s taking her talents closer to home by opening Main Road Biscuit Co., an upcoming breakfast and lunch spot at the former location of  Jamesport Country Kitchen. 

In case the title made you wonder, the answer is yes, the restaurant will be serving lots of biscuits — including everything from classic buttermilk biscuits to biscuits with gravy,  cinnamon biscuits and even biscuit donuts.

“We just served [biscuit donuts] to our family on Father’s Day and they were ridiculous,” Drago said with a smile.

A Huntington native, she and her husband Bryan, who grew up in Ridge, moved back to Long Island from Brooklyn four years ago with their son Gavyn, now 7. They plan to incorporate some of their Brooklyn favorites, along with family dishes and locally sourced items onto the menu.

“For both of us, one of the biggest food influences came from just living in Brooklyn,” Marissa said. “This is a nod to that … comfort food, but refined.”

Main Road Biscuit Co. will serve both breakfast and lunch, offering sit down as well as grab-and-go service. Sit down customers will enjoy dishes like fried chicken, biscuits with gravy and pancakes. Grab-and-go service will allow patrons to purchase biscuits, muffins, scones and smoothies in the morning, as well as sandwiches and salads for lunch.

The restaurant also plans to serve local craft beer, wine and cocktails during lunch hours.

“We want this to be a place that you come to several times a week,” Marissa said. “One day you get a biscuit with jam and coffee, the next day you get a smoothie.”

The kitchen will be run by Marissa, who worked for several food companies like Balducci’s and Friedman’s Lunch in Chelsea and Bouchon Bakery in Rockefeller Center, before becoming director of catering for Financier Patisserie, which owns eight cafes in New York City. Bryan, an attorney, will assist her in running the business.

The Dragos plan to source local food purveyors, while also importing some Brooklyn brands. For example they’re using North Fork Roasting Company for their drip coffee, but will use Brooklyn roasters for specialty coffees.

“We are lucky to live in the heart of this beautiful agricultural environment and we’re going to take full advantage of that,” Marissa said.

The Drago’s bought the property earlier this month from local chef Matt Kar, who closed Jamesport Country Kitchen in 2015 to focus on running the Jamesport Manor Inn and two catering businesses.

Kar called selling the restaurant “bittersweet,” considering the 26 years he spent there.

“It was very emotional,” he said. “I spent a lot of years there, my kids grew up there and my family did very well, but I’m very happy for the Dragos and the opportunity they have.”

Drago said she and her husband hope Main Road Biscuit Co. simply continues what Kar and others have started on the North Fork.

“There’s a lot of good food here and we just want to carry the torch,” she said. “This is a dream realized, we’re really excited about this.”

Main Road Biscuit Co. will be located at 1601 Main Road in Jamesport. The owners are planning a September opening. 

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