The long wait for Nyack’s newest restaurant is over. Main Essentials, located on Main Street between Midland Ave. and the Wachovia bank, opened a couple weeks ago. It is Enrique Almonte’s second restaurant, who grew up in Haverstraw and started a vegan, Caribbean restaurant there. The food is tasty, affordable and quick. Definitely worth a try, even if you’re not a vegan.
Check out the YouTube video about their opening (see below).
[YouTube]ZSh1TSQKblo[/YouTube]
Enrique, who’s family moved from the Dominican Republic to Haverstraw when he was a child, owes a debt to his friend Danny, a rastafarian, who was a strict vegan. Danny took Enrique to “Strictly Roots”, a Jamaican restaurant in Harlem, and that opened his eyes to the possibilities. Enrique started the journey of being a vegan, which was not easy.
All food is vegan at Main Essentials, and as much of it is organic as possible. They are open 9am to 9pm, and have a buffet style menu, along with fresh juices.
To keep costs down, Enrique did most of the construction work himself. That was why it took so long to open up. He said the landlord was very accommodating. The Village was helpful, although the Architectural Review Board made him change his facade, so he had to go back a couple times, which also delayed the opening.
