This article was originally written by Andi Berlin and published in Newsday.
–
It seems like every bar is calling itself a speakeasy these days, but here’s one that actually takes the idea seriously: Nestled in the Station Yards housing and shopping complex in Ronkonkoma, Artemis is so hard to find that I had to ask a security guard how to get there.
That took me down an empty corridor to an unmarked door, which led to an old timey anteroom decorated with vintage photographs. Visitors are directed to pick up the rotary dial telephone that plays a recording with instructions on how to get into the bar. After a little song and dance, you’re deposited into a turn-of-the-century lounge.
Artemis is an ambitious spot and it comes with an equally compelling mythology. The speakeasy is named after a Prohibition-era rum-running boat that operated off the shores of the East End. Local lore tells of an incident in 1931 when the boat was discovered by the Coast Guard, leading to a shooting match and ultimately a successful escape by the boat’s inhabitants, who managed to deliver their liquor before going to the hospital. While Artemis’ interior isn’t nautical-themed, photographs and manufacturing plans from the boat are displayed on the walls.
Instead, the vibe feels more like a private club for 1920s aristocrats. Co-owner Ed Fabian, who’s also involved with Billie’s 1890 Saloon in Port Jefferson and Culpers 1778 steakhouse in East Setauket, said he and business partner Brendan Mooney decided to make Artemis a speakeasy after they saw the dimensions of the windowless space.
“We can’t compete with Tap Room or the Great South Bay with their windows,” he said of the local restaurant chains that recently opened Station Yards locations. “We needed something dark and different, in the speakeasy theme. That’s what we went with.”
They spent nearly two years getting the project to fruition, and designed most of the interior themselves including sourcing their own turn-of-the-century light fixtures from salvation yards and auctions. They brought on Nick McCaslin of 1653 Pizza Company in Huntington to design and run the bar program, which is heavy on classic cocktails.
You’ll probably want to order something dark and bourbon-y like the South Bay sazerac, $19, a straightforward take on the iconic drink with a splash of absinthe adding an herbal note. There isn’t much in the way of mocktails on this menu, but you’ll find a decent wine selection as well as a substantial list of reserve wines and spirits. There’s also a changing menu of bar bites, the most compelling of which is the $40 grazing plate. It’s actually a steal for how much meat and cheese you get, a hearty spread of European offerings that includes a fat slab of pate. (Be aware that the vaguely titled “grilled spanakopita” is actually a grilled cheese sandwich.)
So far the concept seems to be working out, but Fabian admits he took a big risk opening a highbrow cocktail bar so off the beaten path.
“We laugh all the time. What a fun business model to build a place that intentionally people can’t find,” he said. “We’ve just been trying to keep the experience a little bit secret.”