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First look at new farm-to-table Mamaroneck restaurant; opening set for June 21

Jeanne Muchnick
Rockland/Westchester Journal News

Expect a lot of locally sourced mortadella, capicolla and prosciutto when Augustine’s Salumeria opens June 21 in Mamaroneck.

There's also plenty of pasta, Long Horn beef (more about that in a minute), fish, chicken, veggies and three kinds of fries, including a smothered version that includes parmigiano fonduta, crispy pancetta and cracked black pepper.

Owners and chef Marc Taxiera and Brianne Myers are pictured at their Augustine's Salumeria on Halstead Avenue in Mamaroneck, photographed June 16, 2022.

Chef and owner Marc Taxiera and his wife, Brianne Myers have years of experience in the restaurant business. Taxiera as executive chef at the Russian Tea Room in Manhattan; Myers worked as front of the house/general manager at New York's Loring Place and BLT Steak, among others. The couple believes strongly in being as farm-driven and true to Italian cooking as possible. They also have a passion for free-range and small producers.

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When they open their 65-seat spot on Tuesday, they'll serve Italian food similar to what Taxiera grew up with, and show off some culinary expertise: diners will get to see the cutting of salami, prosciutto and more in action in a showcase area in the back of the restaurant. .

Once lunch service begins (in a few weeks), they will offer meat sandwiches including the chef's take on the Italian combo  featuring Italian beef with housemade pickled veggies. 

For now, expect lots of beef. Along with the salumeria offered as an antipasti plate, beef is incorporated into pasta dishes such as the gnocchi, made with slow braised lamb neck, tomato and herbs; and pappardelle , speckled with grass-fed Long Horn beef stewed with red wine and tomato, then completed with whipped goat ricotta.

Entrees include herb crusted slow roasted lamb shoulder, a grilled pork chop and long horn beef. The couple take their beef so seriously, they've developed their own beef program for grass-fed Texas longhorn steer from Ritchie Land & Livestock in Enid, Oklahoma.

Other menu items (for the non-beef inclined) include pan-roasted chicken breast, kohlrabi lasagna, beet tartare, a market fish and fried burrata.

"Our philosophy in food, wine and our beverages is to stay as local as possible and source the best ingredients we can," stressed Taxiera. "We're committed to fostering direct relationships with farmers, producers, and purveyors that also value quality above all else."

The Gnocchi with lamb neck at Augustine's Salumeria on Halstead Avenue in Mamaroneck, photographed June 16, 2022.

Inspired Italian 

The two call their new restaurant, in the former Rosa's La Scarbitta space, "inspired Italian."

"It's the dishes Marc's mother and grandmother made but with a modern take," said Meyers.

Taxiera grew up in Ossining but travelled often to San Leucio, Italy, where his mother was born (and his grandmother lived). The restaurant is named after his grandfather, Augustine, who loved pasta and had his own fork he used for eating it. The tines were bent, for optimal "pasta-to-mouth-delivery."

(When he passed away, said Taxiera, his grandfather was buried with pounds of spaghetti and his favorite fork).

It's those forks that are used in the restaurant's logo, which was designed by Taxiera's 18-year-old middle child. Augustine is also Taxiera's middle name.

Family history is important here and so, though Taxiera spent years cooking fine-dining Russian-focused cuisine (including the restaurant's traditional red borscht), having his own place — and creating the flavors that remind him of home — was always in the back of his mind.

"It's what we talked about nights after work," he said.

Opening in Westchester was consistently on the duo's radar. As they looked for places, this spot seemed to always pop up online or in conversations. In the end, the two felt as if the restaurant called their names. "It was an easy fit for us," said Taxiera.

It helped, too he said, that it had good bones. 

Making it their own

The two spent five months, with the help of Myers' dad, a retired carpenter in Texas, refinishing tables, rebuilding the bar and decorating the space. "Everything is custom," said Myers. "We wanted to create a space that was different and unique to us."

That includes vintage plates, vintage silverware and a casual, airy front dining space with lots of light (there are large windows in the front) and wood.

The back room is its own little crown jewel, with a gas fireplace, jade green chandeliers and high ceilings; light filters in from two skylights. This is also where you'll find  a wine display along with a stunning candelabra that sits on the chef's table in the corner. 

The rear dining room at Augustine's Salumeria on Halstead Avenue in Mamaroneck, photographed June 16, 2022.

According to Myers, the room will be used for a la carte dining as well as private events for up to 25.

In another nod to the couple's commitment to celebrating local, the space features work from area artists that will rotate every few months. For now, Marla Beth Enowitz from Rye Brook is featured.

Summed up Taxiera of the restaurant's mantra: "We're locally inspired, small producer-friendly, free-range Italian, seekers of awesome ingredients.”

The Beet Tartare at Augustine's Salumeria on Halstead Avenue in Mamaroneck photographed June 16, 2022.

If you go

Address: 213 Halstead Ave., Mamaroneck, 914-315-6541, augustinesny.com

Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday with brunch and lunch to follow in a few weeks

Noteworthy: Diners will recognize a variety of local beers here, including Ossining's Sing Sing Kill, Wolf & Warrior from White Plains, Mamaroneck's Decadent Ales and Run and Hide from Port Chester. 

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter