'Business Has Been Great': Swallow Kitchen & Cocktails Owner On Greenlawn Opening

GREENLAWN, NY — Swallow Kitchen & Cocktails, a small plate and burgers concept, opened in Greenlawn in September. For owner and executive chef James Tchinnis, it marks a revamped version of his eatery after he closed shop in Huntington and Montauk.

The establishment, at 91 Broadway, Greenlawn, is close to Tchinnis's hometown of Centerport and better fit his vision of being a "neighborhood restaurant."

"We wanted to scale down and really just serve the community that’s around us," Tchinnis told Patch.

The culinary competition is lesser in Greenlawn as compared to Huntington or Montauk, according to Tchinnis.

"We figured there was room for another good restaurant," he said. "We know a lot of the people in Greenlawn. It’s a small town but with high sophistication. They like their good food, they like their drinks, they like to have a nice time. When we were looking for a new location, we thought to go back to Huntington. But you’re a dime a dozen in Huntington. There are 50 other restaurants there. We really wanted to be a neighborhood spot."

The Greenlawn version of Swallow features a trimmed-down menu compared to the past iterations of the restaurant but with more burgers. Tchinnis said he has a great connection with a wagyu beef supplier, and the burgers are a good alternative to someone who is not big into the small plate concept.

High-quality beef, Tchinnis said, is the most important part of what makes a good burger. The bun is a close second, he said. The chef feels buns can't be too bready, or some people may prefer to pull the bread out of the bun. Swallow Kitchen & Cocktails uses brioche buns, which Tchinnis said are nice and buttery.

"When you toast them on the flat griddle, they get really pillowy and soft and light. You don’t have to pull the bread out ... These get real cloudy, light and crispy. It matches the burger perfectly. To me, the bun and the burger are the two most important components.”

The Swallow Kitchen & Cocktails menu also offers a dozen-and-a-half small plate options ranging from macaroni and cheese and rigatoni to pan-seared pork belly and grilled octopus, and plenty more.

Two or more people may also order the one large plate on the menu: a $110 32-oz grilled ribeye. To wash it down, people may try one of the dozen signature cocktails offered by Swallow.

The lunch menu features a few sandwiches and salads in addition to the burgers and a couple of small plates.

Atmosphere-wise, Tchinnis opted to go for "city chic, but also cozy." Fake fur was added to the seats, and a special eye for lighting was used.

Regulars of the Huntington Swallow have flocked to Greenlawn for the new version of the eatery, while Greenlawn residents have tried Swallow for the first time, Tchinnis said.

“Business has been great," Tchinnis said. "It’s great to see all our old regulars. The community in Greenlawn has accepted us. We’re seeing a lot of new regulars coming in multiple times in a month. It’s been really, really great. We’re new, so I’m sure there’s that excitement. That’s why we’re so busy and doing well. People are excited to have a new restaurant. Our challenge has been to sustain that and keep our customers excited and happy with our food.”

The other challenge, Tchinnis said, is only having 40 seats in the restaurant.

"It’s tough to turn people away if they don’t have a reservation. We do have a bar or little sitting area in the front that we can push people to if they don’t have a reservation."

Swallow Kitchen & Cocktails is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. on Sundays and Tuesdays through Thursdays; open half an hour later for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays; and open for dinner from 5 to 9:30 p.m. on Mondays, according to Google.