Unveiling New Tailor & The Cook – 4 Seating Options & An Expanded Menu

When one door closes another opens. The doors to the new Tailor & the Cook on Main are almost open with the same great food and the same great service. Just more of it. We got to take an exclusive look inside.

When Tim Hardiman opened Tailor & the Cook 12 years ago on Genessee Street in Utica, he never imagined it would grow to what it is today. The farm-to-table concept went from 30% local when it began to 95% today.

Farm to Table is More Than Just Food

It's not just food that's local. Local contractors, artists, and lighting companies were brought in to recreate a bigger and better Tailor & the Cook on Main Street in Utica.

"Local is not a marketing tool, it's what we do. Farm to table isn't about food, it's about local companies and making sure the dollars go to the people who do the work."

4 Different Dining Options

The new location at 311 Main Street will have triple the seating capacity with 4 dining options. There's still the formal dining room that requires a reservation. There's also a tavern with bar seating that is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A party room has been added, big enough for groups of 20. And a 4 season patio with outdoor seating in the warmer weather and a wood-burning fireplace in the winter.

Bigger Kitchen, Bigger Menu

The larger kitchen is the same size as the entire restaurant on Genesee Street. That means there's more room to make more food.

"None of your favorite dishes are going away. We're just adding more."

Burgers, homemade pasta, french fries, and even gelato have been added to the menu which constantly changes with the seasons.

One Door Closes, Another Opens

Every staff member from the old restaurant is moving to the new 311 Main Street location in Utica. Some of the decorations and lighting fixtures have made the move too.

"I haven't had much time for nostalgia. The closing of the original restaurant on October 20 was bittersweet, but it's on to bigger and better things."

7 Day a Week & Weekend Brunch

The doors to the new Tailor & the Cook will officially open on Monday, November 20 and it'll be one of the few restaurants in Central New York that will be open 7 days a week. Hardiman even has plans to offer weekend brunch sometime early next year.

The one thing that will stay the same is the top-quality service that Hardiman prides himself and his staff on.

"I sweat the small stuff. From important dates to remembering an order. We're not in the food business. We're in the hospitality business. It's not rocket science. It's just about listening and being kind."

Reserve your table or stop by and grab a seat at the bar or the patio when Tailor & the Cook on Main opens on November 20.

311 Main Apartments

The space above the Trailor & the Cook has been transformed into 1 and 2-bedroom apartments with a separate entrance with wheelchair accessibility. All but two have been already rented out.

Take a look inside the luxury apartments that also feature an outdoor patio.