In the heart of Woodstock, across from the village green, 1 Tinker Street was home to Shindig for seven years, a community hub serving up casual pub fare like burgers and their famed “tinker tots.” In February, the establishment closed its doors. But the space came alive again at the end of April for a Dominican food pop-up by chef Sam Fernandez called Qué Lo Que.
After two successful weekends in the Woodstock space (and several previous pop-ups at The Pines), Fernandez is moving into the 1 Tinker Street storefront permanently. Doors to Que Lo Que Cocteleria are expected to open in late June or early July, as staffing allows, with a focus on homemade Dominican fare and batched cocktails.
“After my father passed from COVID in 2020, I realized there is a gaping hole of Latin Caribbean food in the area,” says chef-owner Fernandez. “Woodstock doesn’t need another burger joint, it needs some more flavor.” Que Lo Que is set to serve exactly that with a seasonally rotating menu, including plenty of ceviche in the summer and, perhaps, some oxtail in the winter.
Lukus Estok, a partner in the project, will head up the bar program, geared towards batched cocktails to evoke that feeling of home and connection. “These cocktails are crowd-pleasers that bring a spark of joy to any day,” says Estok, who consulted with his husband’s Cuban cousin on the drink list. “He lives and breathes his Caribbean heritage and his passion for cocktail culture is infectious.”
Chef Fernandez has honed their craft over time, having trained under some great chefs in Manhattan’s fine dining scene. Fernandez and their wife moved to Woodstock from Westchester about five years ago. Partnering with the existing owner of Shindig, Ryan Giuliani, Estok, Jesse Halliburton, and others, chef Fernandez is looking to make the space their own. “It’s a real labor of love,” says Estok, who brings more than two decades’ experience in the restaurant industry to the service, design, and team management aspects of the business.
Patrons will walk into the intimate space, which seats just a few dozen people, and immediately feel transported into a Caribbean oasis. With lots of bright colors, pinks, soft greens, and an overall beachy vibe, Qué Lo Que is bursting with tropical flair the moment you walk in the door.
With a varied array of flavors (from indigenous Taino to African, Middle Eastern, and Spanish), the Dominican Republic has a cuisine unlike any other—reflecting the country’s colonial history. Until the island nation gained independence in 1924, it was at various times under Spanish, French, Haitian, and American rule—all of which come to bear on the cuisine. “Sam’s food is incredible! When we had our pop-up, it was heartwarming to see people enjoy the talent and soul that Sam pours into each delicious dish,” Estok says. “I’m excited and proud to bring my Cuban mother-in-law to eat here soon.”
Fernandez’s inspiration is as close to home as it gets. Their father was a first-generation American immigrant who made sure his family was immersed in Dominican culture. But it was their mother that really sealed the deal. “I mean everyone’s mother is a great cook, right?” Fernandez says. “But mine really was on another level—she couldn’t feed someone without them asking when she was going to open a restaurant or food truck.” After Fernandez’s parents split, their mother dedicated herself to raising her three children and was never able to pursue her own food business.
But Fernandez soaked up plenty of culinary influence both inside the home and outside. “Growing up in Queens, was such an immersive melting pot of culture,” they say. “It played a pivotal role in my love of food. Especially with my grandmother, who was a meat salesperson in Hunts Point Meat Market. She’d take me along to different butchers, grocery stores, and restaurants where they all knew her by name.”
Those experiences have informed their menu—always recognizable as Dominican food, with empanadas, rice, beans, and plantains featured heavily throughout, but Fernandez will keep it “flavorful, funky, fun, and fresh.” Menu items at the recent pop-ups included Spanish-style octopus served with charred pineapple, heirloom tomatoes, herbs, shallot, and a side of tostones; camarones al ajillos (garlic shrimp); and bollitos de yuca (yuca croquettes with stewed chicken filling).
One of the drinks on offer this summer will be El Frío Frío, a frozen cocktail developed collaboratively by Fernandez and Estok. “I love the idea of bringing something playful to our community,” Estok says. “Who doesn’t enjoy an iced treat, over a little town gossip, on a warm day with a cocktail?”
Que Lo Que Cocteleria plans to open in late June or early July. Follow their Instagram for updates.
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This article appears in June 2022.
So excited for the Dominican flavor to be brought to Woodstock.💓 can not wait!!