The Mason Jar
HOURS
Mon -Thur
Lunch: 11-3
Dinner: 5pm - 9pm
Fri & Sat:
Lunch: 11-3
Dinner: 5pm - 10pm
Sunday: 5pm - 9pm
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By Lynn Hazlewood
The concept for The Mason Jar was created in early 2013 by co-owners Maria Ciccotelli and Jordan Moton. They envisioned a restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere with phenomenally simple food where the cuisine could best be described as Contemporary American. The restaurant focuses on seasonal produce from local providers and preparing these ingredients to best showcase quality. They also do a lot with preserving, which is where they got the inspiration for the name. "When I think of local, sustainable and preserving, I automatically envision a mason jar" Maria points out. "We both love to pickle, brine, you name it. It seemed only fitting." "We might have gone a little overboard," Jordan confessed. "Once we had the name and the reasoning behind it, we decided it would be nice to serve our drinks out of mason jars, to make mason jars into soap pumps for the bathroom and even to create a chandeliere out of mason jars."
We got to talking about the food. “We serve the food we like to eat, ourselves” Jordan says. “When we were looking at different places to launch a restaurant, New Paltz kept starring us in the face. We could not overlook the plethora of local farmers and winegrowers.” “We want to reach out to those small farmers and small vineyards and embrace all aspects of the community,” Maria adds. “We want locals to see just how much their community contributes and in turn, to show others what New Paltz has to offer.”
Hudson Valley Magazine Published January 1, 2014
Seeming to be very dedicated to involving the community, I asked about the places they have partnered with. “We have stocked our cellar with wines from Applewood Winery, Adair Vineyards and others which are close by. Rykowski Livestock raise free range cows, pigs and chickens that have not been treated with growth hormones nor antibiotics. Huguenot Street Farm deals with heirloom fruits and vegetables which we will utilize and let speak for themselves. Local partners such as these have been especially beneficial and supportive to the creation of the establishment” explains Jordan.
In describing the atmosphere, Maria goes into detail about the creation of the restaurant. “Our two main goals have always been to create quality food with respectable prices and to make sure that every customer leaves the establishment satisfied whether it be through service, a special cocktail, a dessert, what have you. We knew, from the beginning, that we want our guests to feel at home here. This restaurant is a part of us, and by putting a little of ourselves into the walls, floors, lighting et cetera and decorating with warm, inviting tones, we hope to bring our vision to life.”
"For the soft opening, we have invited close friends and family, as well as all of our local partners so that they may see how we are utilizing their hard work. We have also extended the invitation to local competitors. We hope this will give us a chance to introduce ourselves properly and to create relationships and ties with other restaurants. For the Grand opening, we hope to extend those relationships throughout the rest of the community as well as neighboring areas."
From what I have been able to gather from my visit with these two aspiring perfessionals, The Mason Jar is well on its way to becoming one of New York's top ten restaurants. They have taken time with every detail, insisting to get it right. They are dedicated to serving spectacular food that is both wallet and environmentally friendly. The food has an Uptown way about it, while the atmosphere delivers a casual yet classy Downtown Vibe. I look forward to the Grand Opening, scheduled for January 20, 2014.