Since opening in 2018, 2 Spring in Oyster Bay has grown from a neighborhood brasserie into one of Long Island’s most polished and celebrated dining destinations.
The transformation, led by chef Jesse Schenker and creative director Claudia Taglich, has redefined suburban dining—offering Manhattan-level sophistication with an intimate, community-first ethos.
“We’re in a small, tight-knit town, but surrounded by a lot of wealth and high expectations,” Schenker said. “If we’re not giving people a reason to stay in Oyster Bay, they’ll go somewhere else.”
Schenker, who formerly ran two restaurants in New York City, brought a strong culinary foundation to the project. But the shift from casual brasserie to fine dining wasn’t planned—it happened naturally.
“It started as salads and pasta,” he said. “But people began celebrating birthdays and anniversaries here. Dinner became the event.”
Post-pandemic, Schenker and Taglich leaned into that shift, updating the interiors to reflect a more elevated experience. The redesign—spearheaded by Taglich—features custom marble tables, hand-selected glassware and a layout that invites guests to slow down and connect.
“It’s elegant, but never stuffy,” Schenker said. “Every choice we make is about enhancing the guest’s experience—not chasing trends or profit margins.”
The restaurant recently introduced The Taste of 2 Spring, a six-course, off-menu tasting that showcases guest favorites in refined, smaller portions.
“It’s our version of an omakase,” Schenker said. “You might get our fried chicken, our mushroom dish, the bucatini with clams. It lets people try more without being overwhelmed.”
That same attention to detail applies to sourcing. Schenker prefers local whenever possible, working with farms in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island.
“If Peconic Bay oysters are best right now, that’s what we’ll use,” he said. “But if they’re not, we’ll get the best from Maine or Washington. Quality always comes first.”
A standout example of Schenker’s thoughtful cooking is the Japanese-inspired fried chicken: crisped in rice flour, tossed in maple syrup and served over creamy Japanese mayo with pickled egg, cucumber, yuzu and tobiko. Another guest favorite is the signature mushroom dish—featuring roasted oyster mushrooms, pickled hon-shimeji and a parmesan-crusted hen-of-the-woods over hazelnut Mornay sauce. It’s earthy, comforting and deeply layered in flavor.
Even seemingly simple dishes are executed with precision. The charred broccoli salad—with snap peas, pickled chili, almonds and hummus—is balanced by a splash of chili-sesame oil. And the beef tallow fries, crispy and golden, are often compared to elevated versions of fast-food favorites.
But for Schenker and Taglich, service and hospitality are what truly define 2 Spring. Staffing begins early, often pulling from local high schools. Young hires start as polishers and learn the entire front-of-house system—coffee, table service, hosting—gaining a full understanding of the restaurant’s culture.
“It’s not about résumés,” Schenker said. “We look for warmth, for personality. Anyone can learn how to take an order. But not everyone can make a guest feel seen.”
That commitment to hospitality is reinforced daily during 4:30 p.m. pre-service meetings and annually through “field trips” to places like Eleven Madison Park, where the staff experiences top-tier, Michelin-starred service firsthand.
“Service is filling a glass. Hospitality is knowing someone’s name, asking what they’re celebrating or making them laugh while they wait for a drink,” Schenker said. “That’s what creates connection. That’s what people remember.”
That philosophy extends beyond the flagship restaurant. The team has since opened Four, a chef’s counter offering hyper-curated tasting menus and a gourmet market featuring house-made ice creams and other goods. Favorites include the graham cracker and croissant ice creams—the latter made from steeped, day-old pastries from their bakery up the street.
As the Long Island dining scene continues to grow, Schenker sees trends moving faster.
“It used to take four years for a trend to reach here from Manhattan. Now it’s more like 18 months,” he said. “But you still get these quirky hyperlocal things—like going through two bottles of Sambuca a weekend. You have to meet people where they are.”
At its core, 2 Spring is about listening—to guests, to staff, to the evolving tastes of the community. “It’s not about us,” Schenker said. “It’s about giving people something thoughtful and intentional. That’s what keeps them coming back.”
With a blend of creativity, precision and hospitality, 2 Spring has established itself not just as a restaurant, but as a lasting part of the Oyster Bay experience.
