A new restaurant has entered Port Washington: Ale’Port Bar and Grill, a father-daughter endeavor that has found its home on Port Washington Boulevard.
The walls of Ale’Port are adorned with New York sports memorabilia from Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to Derek Jeter’s last time at bat at Yankee Stadium and everything in between.
Owner Chris English and his daughter Chelsea English, both of Freeport, decided they wanted to try something new and thought Port Washington was a great place to do it.
Chris English said during occasional visits to the area, he had been to a few of the local places and noticed the lack of sports bars. It became their mission to fill the vacancy.
He said they found that in most places TVs were an afterthought and just something to have on if there was a big sports game.
They decided “let’s put TVs everywhere we can, so you don’t have to break your neck” to watch and “go with the New York sports theme,” Chris English said.
The duo had a soft opening last month and the place has continued evolving ever since. The Englishes are coming up with new ideas every day for new foods, craft cocktails and events.
Chris English said they had what he called an “undercover opening” last month. They started with just family and friends, then invited the Police Department and Fire Department followed by quietly opening to the public.
“It was pretty quiet when we first opened,” Chelsea said. “We didn’t really do much advertising or broadcasting so any sort of buzz that we got was through word of mouth.”
The approach was by design, her father said, because it was important to them to “do things right.”
He said they did not want to open up as the new spot in town and get a rush of customers that could be overwhelming after just launching a business.
Chris English said it has given them time to work out any bumps and wrinkles and Chelsea English said the pair have been soaking in a lot of customer feedback to utilize before they expect the restaurant to take off during football season.
The menu is mainly American Traditional with a few specialty items, Chelsea English said. One of the signature menu items is the BaconCheeseWow, which is a bacon-bit infused burger with slabs of bacon on both sides of the patty and garlic aioli.
“It is just basically your classic bacon cheeseburger,” she said. “And then the garlic aioli adds something special to it.”
Chelsea English said Chef Miguel Lopez’s ceviche has been a hit with customers, which has been confirmed by Blank Slate Media from reviews posted on the restaurant’s Facebook site.
Lopez said the shrimp is cooked in a broth with herbs, and after it’s taken out he seasons it with tomato juice, some lime and Tabasco and other spices. But that’s all he would say without giving up his secret recipe inspired by his mother.
“He puts a lot of love into it,” Chelsea English said.
As far as working alongside each other, father and daughter said they are loving it. Chris English said he likes seeing his daughter flourish in the restaurant and take charge, while Chelsea English said she is really enjoying the challenge.
The Englishes have already introduced “Taco, Titos, Trivia Tuesdays” and Chris English said there is more in store: live music nights and possibly “Beer Bacon Bingo.”
