STURBRIDGE - Spring is near and one perennial has already bloomed anew. At the site of the former Perennials Restaurant, 420 Main St., a new ownership team has moved in with a new business called, simply, 420 Main.
The steakhouse and Martini bar held its grand opening last Friday afternoon and according to co-owner Michael Cantwell, the place was jumping.
Michael Pfifer, who owns the building, said 420 Main filled the entire 145 space parking lot, something he has never seen done before.
Cantwell used the terms “wild,” “insane” and “controlled chaos” to describe opening night. One peek at the 420 Main fan page on the social networking site Facebook offers an explanation.
There are, as of press time, 1,007 registered fans. “We just got the word out,” Cantwell said.
He and co-owners Thomas Chongruk and Dr. Anthony Lapinski are taking their first crack at a business they are familiar with from the patron’s perspective.
“We all love to go out to eat,” said Cantwell, adding that until he started 420 Main, he’d dine out three or four times per week at spots like Rovezzi’s, Kaizen and the Chophouse in Worcester.
But now, “I’ve only eaten here once. I actually sat down,” he said.
That’s because the last several weeks were spent training staff and developing “kitchen mojo,” he said. And that work paid off opening night. “Feedback from the opening was top notch,” he said.
In the kitchen, head chef Karol Marchalewicz makes all the sauces herself because “the sauces are huge,” she said.
Marchalewicz added that 420 Main features “a juicier steak” than most restaurants. The secret, she reveals, is to pan sear each steak, which forms a crust to seal in the juices.
If seafood is desired, 420 features a thick swordfish steak and the know-how to keep it from being overcooked, she said. The key, she said, is understanding that it will keep cooking after it’s removed from the heat. Entrees include a choice of two sides, of which there are seven potato and rice choices and six vegetable choices. Marchalewicz said keeping the side orders straight as the biggest challenge for the new kitchen crew.
What’s the chef’s favorite dish? “I love the Delmonico, but I have to have it with the mac and cheese,” she said.
Marchalewicz isn’t the only one admiring the food, said Cantwell.
“People are enjoying it,” he said.
In the bar, a nine and a half ounce Absolut Martini goes for $8, while Grey Goose brings $10.
Cantwell said the outside bar would open in April, weather permitting.
This successful start had a spontaneous beginning, as it turns out.
“The idea was hatched over a drink one night,” Cantwell said. “We had the location picked out in three or four days, turned around and had a lease a few weeks later.” That was in November.
Then more than 100 job applications came for 25 positions, 17 of which were filled by people who were unemployed, Cantwell said with a smile.
After all, investing in Sturbridge is part of the reason Cantwell got into this. “I grew up in town,” he explained. “This is my chance to give something back.”