Southern BBQ Joint To Open Next Week

Long Islander News photo/Janee Law
From left, RadioRadio co-owners Michael Meehan, chef; Dan Valentino; Salvatore Mignano; and Eric Finneran; plan to open their southern barbecue bistro and bar next Friday, May 5.

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com

Nashville-style barbecue is coming to Huntington village next week.

RadioRadio, a southern bistro and bar, promises to combine a cozy, intimate and family-friendly atmosphere with sweet, southern sensations like shrimp and grits, pulled pork and catfish, said co-owner and chef Michael Meehan.

The bistro is set to open May 5 at 24 Clinton Ave., right next to Vauxhall, where Meehan also serves as head chef.

With RadioRadio, Meehan partnered with Vauxhall co-owners Eric Finneran, Salvatore Mignano and Dan Valentino after the group came to the conclusion that Huntington village lacks barbecue-style food.

Finneran, Mignano and Valentino, each of whom are musicians, came up with the name RadioRadio as a nod to Elvis Costello’s song, “Radio Radio,” from his 1978 album, “This Year’s Model.”

In the kitchen, Meehan plans to cook southern classics with southern ingredients. He said dishes to look out for include the rock shrimp hash with heirloom grits; Nashville-style hot chicken on white bread with bread and butter pickles; and the cheddar-chive chicken biscuit.

“We’re also doing an all-natural meat program, with naturally-raised, hormone-free and antibiotic-free meat and sustainable seafood,” said Meehan, who previously worked as head chef of H2O in Smithtown for six years. He added that each menu item will be less than $20.

Meehan expects RadioRadio to draw a mixed-crowd of diners, similar to Vauxhall.

“Plus, maybe this will be more widely appealing if you’re not in the mood for a burger and you’d rather have seafood, as well as the barbecue and the southern dishes,” Meehan said.

Also migrating from Vauxhall will be bar manager Chris Burke, who plans to concoct classic southern cocktails, with an emphasis on those hailing from the New Orleans area.

RadioRadio moves into the space previously occupied by Doppio Artisan Bistro, which closed in 2015. Construction began last December.

It's set to open at 4 p.m., next Friday and have operating hours of 4-10 p.m. to start. Valentino said there are plans to expand the hours in the coming months.

Editor's note: This story was updated with RadioRadio's operating hours.