There’s little not to like about Tarrytown’s self-proclaimed “craft-beer sanctuary” The Oath, which took over the former Santa Fe space on Main Street last spring and quickly gained buzz as a worthy companion to its sister bar, the Craftsman in Harrison. If regular customers and out-of-towners dropping by before a show at neighboring Tarrytown Music Hall had any nit to pick, it was a limited variety of lighter fare on the gut-busting, Belgian-inspired food menu.
As of this past July 4 weekend, Chef Jonathan Chevlin turned that expectation on its ear. The Georgia native took over Oath’s kitchen back in January following a stint at New York Burger Bar in Long Island, and shortly thereafter set about making some adjustments—not an overhaul—to the spacious watering hole/restaurant’s offerings.
“I noticed that the community leans towards a healthier lifestyle and didn’t want to isolate those that wanted to enjoy a craft beer with tasty alternatives,” Chevlin remarks. “I found a way to infuse the original philosophy of the restaurant by incorporating hardy comfort food with creative, healthy options.” (hearty eaters need not worry—staples like the Oath Burger, sandwiched between a Belgian waffle, are still available, alongside richer innovations like Chevlin’s shrimp n’ grits and chicken n’ waffles.)
And as Chevlin experimented with what he describes as “the perfect combo of textures and flavors,” he relied on an in-house focus group—his staff and frequent patrons—to “lend themselves as guinea pigs.”
Now that the new items have been sampled, selected and integrated into the new menu, we asked Chevlin to sum up several of the enterprising dishes—including an enticing dessert, because c’mon, you’ve earned it—in one line or less, while taunting all of us with images (click through gallery below for pics and commentary) of how they’ll appear on your plate.
The Oath
5 Main St., Tarrytown
(914)-909-5148
www.theoathny.com