Reddings Market Ready For Second Season On Shelter Island

By Colin M. Graham

Matt Danzer and Ann Redding opened Reddings Market in the space that formerly housed Island Food Centre on Shelter Island. Photos by Christine Bellini

Shelter Island - When they first opened Reddings Market in the space that formerly housed Island Food Centre on Shelter Island, Matt Danzer and Ann Redding weren't really sure what to expect.

Both had experience working in restaurants in Manhattan (the two met while working at Per Se) and had been looking to open a restaurant in Southold, where Danzer is originally from, but when the opportunity presented itself to take over the space across from Piccozzi's Marina, the pair jumped at the chance.

Proprietor Matt Danzer behind the counter cooking up his specialties.

Offering prepared gourmet foods, cheeses from Artisanal in New York and "as much local fish, grass fed meats and produce as [they] can get," Reddings also maintains a general store type feel, stocking their shelves with your standard grocery items, which works well given the traffic that comes through the marina.

"My mom Karen knew the landlord so she was really instrumental in helping us get this space," says Danzer. "Our original plan was to open a restaurant, but we had an obligation to keep the space more like a market because the landlord also owns the marina across the street, but it works out well with the people who come in from their boats to pick up supplies and food and things."

Now fully into their second year, Danzer and Redding are hoping to branch out a little bit, both in terms of the specialty items they carry, the food they make and the services they provide. We're always just trying to move forward and be optimistic. I was a little apprehensive this year in opening up, not that I wasn't going to open, but I was nervous giving everything that's happened but we seem to be up from last year, which is a good thing. I think that we're still able to build our clientele. Really what I'd like to be able to do is make the simple items and everyday items that people are accustomed to having but to make them a little bit better by embracing them and making them our own," says Danzer. "I've started putting together some charcuterie stuff, some fois gras taurines, making my own headcheese, stuff like that. I started doing my own breakfast sausage for egg sandwiches and things."

Among his culinary creations, pizzettes to go.

Also in the works are some items the couple will produce in-house and perhaps sell to other stores similar to a line of handmade pasta made by Colin Ambrose and his daughters through their new company A. Sisters Food Co., which Reddings happens to carry. "We're working on some more private label items, to help carry us through the winter," explains Danzer. "I'm playing with a couple of different ideas because I would like to make our season a little longer. Last year we closed after Thanksgiving weekend and reopened Easter weekend and this year we're hoping to make it to Christmas," he notes with a healthy dose of optimism.

Offering a bit of the gourmet, artisinal cheese, beers, cured meats and a fresh butcher station.

The business model is a sound one and one that offers a certain level of convenience for people living on Shelter Island. People coming out to their homes can call ahead and pre-order their groceries and prepared meals so that they won't be arriving to empty cupboards and no dinner. "We're getting a lot more of that especially during the season," said Danzer. "I have a couple of families that will email me on Wednesday and say 'we're coming out on Friday, can you get me these items?' and so I'm getting all their fish, all their meats, organic produce and some prepared food thrown in, as well as catering on the times they are entertaining."

While catering is something that the couple would like to do more of, Danzer explains that for the moment, he would rather focus on the market before expanding into doing on site events. "I have done some on site catering, mostly like heavy hor'dourves, canapé parties and I want to do more of it but right now I don't want to do that and have the store be a mess," he says. "I do have a couple of big parties coming up that are on premise this summer but those are kind of the exception. I have some friends coming out from different restaurants that I worked at to help me with those, which is huge. It's important to get our name out there and show people what we're capable of doing. People don't always realize the range of different things we do when they walk in unless they know us or have worked with us in the past."

Reflection of the times: Sitting in the catbird seat at Reddings on Main Street, Shelter Island.

But now that Reddings has been around for a year, Danzer sees that they are beginning to work their way into the tight knit community of Shelter Island. "This island is a little different, so when people see you come around for a second year they respect you a little more; they see that you're not there for the quick buck and then move on," he points out.

Asked if the response to the market has been stronger this summer than last, Danzer replies "definitely, more and more local people are coming in and more people are more comfortable with us. As you know any business or retail is all about personal relationships, it's do you like this person, whether people admit it or not. The more and more people that we get to know, and I talk too and tell them what we're doing and what we're making and what's in it, they see how passionate we are about what we're doing. The word is definitely getting out there."