My Father’s Place brings music, memories back to Roslyn

Music lovers who pined for rock ‘n’ roll to return to the North Shore for decades were treated last weekend to the grand re-opening of My Father’s Place after more than 30 years.

Owner Michael “Eppy” Epstein has been looking to rebuild his former hotspot since it closed in 1987 and found a home at the Roslyn Hotel for the 225-seat supper club focused on drawing anything but cover bands to the newly renovated space, decked in deep blues and bright lights.

My Father’s Place General Manager Dan Kellachan said he was a frequent visitor at the original Bryant Avenue location and its free Tuesday concerts when he was a student at St. John’s University.

“If it hadn’t been for Eppy and My Father’s Place, I would not be in the music industry,” Kellachan said.

The weekend opened with a dress rehearsal featuring blues singer Cindy Lopez accompanied by pianist Matt Mancini before John Rullo, Joe Volpe, Rich Albertson and Al DeSimone with The Molotov Cocktails of Freeport rocked the house.

The grand opening continued throughout the weekend with sold-out performances by “Hot Hot Hot” legend Buster Poindexter on Friday, singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor on Saturday and Rhode Island swing band Roomful of Blues on Sunday.

During the rehearsal on Thursday, The Molotov Cocktails performed their song in honor of the re-opening, singing “My Father’s Place is back again” while slowly building to a jamming singalong with the audience.

During the planning stages, Epstein said he was determined to bring the club back but offer more elevated, healthy plates for diners to enjoy during the performances. The opening weekend menu included small snacks like homemade chips and marinated olives as well as cured meats, grilled tiger shrimp, pan-roasted salmon and a lamb burger with cumin aioli and feta cheese.

The drink menu has a host of wines by the glass and by the bottle and has a number of cocktails named for Long Island, including the Roslyn Road Speakeasy with bourbon, bitters and an orange twist, the Mill River with Remy Martin cognac, Triple Sec, Drambuie and lemon and the North Shore mule with vodka, ginger, amaro and lime.

This weekend, Band X takes the stage Friday night before Robert Gordon with Chris Spedding, Anton Fig and Rob Stoner on Saturday night for a sold-out performance.

Kellachan said the venue wants to “tie the past to the present” for “people with those fond memories of hanging out at what was a world-renowned club that literally changed the music scene, not just here on Long Island.”

Reach reporter Amelia Camurati by email at acamurati@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 215, or follow her on Twitter @acamurati.