Sag Harbor’s Harbor Market And Kitchen To Open Doors In March

After Espresso Italian Market and Grill shut its Sag Harbor doors early last year, there was an immediate void felt—not only the loss of a local eatery but a place to simply sit and chat with friends.

Springs residents Paul and Susana Del Favero are ready to bring it back. Their vision: a European café with an emphasis on healthy, rustic cuisine and farm-to-table produce and ingredients—organic and locally sourced, whenever possible.

That dream is Harbor Market and Kitchen, expected to open in mid-March, they said last week during an interview at the restaurant, nestled on the corner of residential Division and Henry streets, where Espresso once was. It will be a breakfast stop on a businessman’s way to work, a place for kids to hang out after school, and a lifesaver for busy mothers who need to pick up quick, affordable and healthy dinners for their families, the couple explained.

“We want to be a part of that,” Mr. Del Favero said. “If you want to come here and sit down, grab a cup of coffee and read the newspaper, you can.”

“We love that we are inside a real neighborhood. We want to bring back that old neighborhood staple,” Ms. Del Favero added. “We want to have that residence feel.”

The Del Faveros have a long history of working in restaurants. Up until 2013, they lived in Las Vegas for nine years with their two sons, 13-year-old Lucas and 10-year-old Julian, while Mr. Del Favero launched Mesa Grill at Caesar’s Palace in 2004 with his good friend, celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Prior to his stint out west, he lived on the East End and held down jobs at Henry’s in Bridgehampton and two East Hampton haunts—The Living Room at c/o The Maidstone and Nick & Toni’s, where he met his wife.

While both not originally from the East End—Mr. Del Favero is a native of Westchester County and Ms. Del Favero was born in Spain–the pair missed small-town life while living in Sin City. Harbor Market will be a welcome break from that world, they said, by sharing their favorite meals in a “convenient” and “ecological” way.

“I’ve always been into the farm-fresh, farm-to-table kind of thing out here,” Mr. Del Favero said.

The menu—which will include breakfast items, such as omelets, French toast and pastries, as well as fresh, pre-made sandwiches—is rooted in various ethnic cuisines, inspired by Mr. Del Favero’s culinary training in France, his Italian heritage and his wife’s Spanish background. The couple is also seeking out local farms—Balsam and Quail Hill Farms in Amagansett, Babinski in Wainscott, and Green Thumb in Water Mill—to supply organic produce for the kitchen and the market, where eggs, milk and other items will be available for purchase.

The kitchen portion of the market will include roasted brisket, salmon and chicken; side dishes, including potatoes and vegetables; and a wood-burning stove for Neapolitan pizzas.

“It’s all going to be new to me in the beginning,” Mr. Del Favero said, “so I’m going to have to see what works.”