Gather. Relax. Indulge.
Those are the words that appear under the name of Entre, the new eatery that had its grand opening at 271-16 Union Turnpike in North New Hyde Park last Friday.
The words suggest the feeling that the cozy atmosphere of the new breakfast and lunch restaurant is intended to induce in its customers.
The emphasis at Entre is on panini sandwiches and wraps. The selection of paninis, made with crisp flatbread, includes Garden veggie, with breaded eggplant, roasted peppers, plum tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and arugula in balsamic vinegar and Mesquite Wood smoked turkey with apple-smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, mixed greens and honey Dijon mustard.
“These days, you have to do something a little different to differentiate yourself,” said co-owner Dan Hom.
So the tuna salad has a spicy “kick,” as he puts it, and the bubble teas are served with tapioca pearls.
Hom said he dines regularly at five-star restaurants in Manhattan to find sauces and other elements he can use in his combinations at Entre “to bring it down to a level that that’s accessible to everybody.”
Hom said he opened the restaurant in New Hyde Park in response to popular demand from customers who traveled to patronize the Entre located at 10 Grace Avenue in Great Neck – where Hom himself lives – and wanted one a bit closer to home.
“Quite a few people here asked us to open a place in their area,” Hom said.
That included patrons who work at North Shore LIJ Hospital and wanted a healthful alternative for lunch in their neighborhood, he said.
Horn has operated the Entre in Great Neck for the past seven years, after working for more than decade as an insurance agent.
“I was working a lot of hours and decided I should just work for myself,” he said.
Hom, who grew up in Long Island City and Astoria, had plenty of prior experience working in various restaurants his family ran before he got into the insurance business.
His family had operated full-service sit-down restaurants in Chinatown in the early 1980s, moving into takeout Chinese in midtown Manhattan in the early to mid-1980s. That gave way to a chicken and rib place in the late 1980s and another Chinese take-out place in Hicksville in the early to mid-1990s.
In addition to the paninis and wraps, Entre also offers a diverse selection of salads and soups and a breakfast menu including French toast and oatmeal.
Everything is freshly made and can be customized to each customer’s taste, said Hom, who noted that he changes the menu entrees seasonally.
“We kind of go through different cuisines and we put our own spin on it,” he said. “I’m pretty much a foodie myself, keep track of the trends around the country.”
Hom said he hit on his current format because it’s easier to run than a full sit-down Chinese restaurant – and it lends itself to expanding the concept beyond Great Neck and New Hyde Park to multiple locations.
“We designed this so it’s easy to operate. We’re looking for opportunities to expand the concept to the franchise level,” Hom said
