The Fenton Grill: Big City Food, Hometown Feel

For one Jamestown area couple, the dream of a restaurant in the downtown area of Jamestown took the better part of a decade to become a reality. That reality began to take shape when they decided to buy the Fenton Building on the corner of North Main and East 2nd Streets.

“We decided on a restaurant for two reasons,” co-owner and manager Kim Taylor said. “Jamestown really needed it, and we (her and Brian, her husband) have always wanted to have a restaurant.”

A taste of larger city dining on a small city, rural area budget is what resulted.

A menu of seafood and steaks are complimented with chicken and pastas, Mrs. Taylor said.

“The food is fantastic” she said. “Seafood and steaks are the specialty of the house. We have pasta and chicken dishes as well, but the seafood and steaks are our specialty. We have good salads and a good bar menu of wraps and chicken wings. We try to have a variety so that some one can find something on the menu they can enjoy.”

The key to that is to have a chef that is capable of creating a culinary experience that is not soon forgotten.

“Andrew Kooser (the head chef at the Fenton Grill) is very talented” Mrs. Taylor said. “I give him a lot of credit. If the food comes out poorly, the atmosphere of the place is not important. He is very good and is very fussy about his food.”

The quality has already been noticed by diners from other areas.

“I have had people from Buffalo say that they will be back simply on the quality of the food,” she continued. “To us, the key is giving the customers a comfortable place to feel at home.”

At the Fenton, the signature meal, an eight ounce center cut Filet Mignon with dark rum and shallot butter, with two ides and a salad carries a price of $27.

There is a history and an ambiance of the Fenton Grill that comes with that price as well.

“Not only a beautiful atmosphere, but they will be treated special” she said. “We are very (meticulous) in our service. We want to make sure all their needs are met and they are happy. It’s a relaxing atmosphere. People like to sit and talk and relax. When people come in here it just seems like they forget the sense of time. They just sit and visit with who ever they are with.”

The building, named for former New York State Governor Reuben E. Fenton (serving from 1865 to 1869), a native of Jamestown, was built in 1909. After many uses and offices, the building was the long standing home to Chautauqua Music.

The music store called the building home for 28 years before moving to a new location in

Jamestown.

The Taylor’s bought the building in 2000, treating it as a hobby project, Mrs Taylor said.

“When we bought the building in 2000, we always had a dream that we’d like to have our own business, and this is such a prime spot,” she said. “We thought the restaurant would be a good fit for the downtown.”

It was a project that took about 8 years.

“Whenever we rented space up above that needed remodeled, we went up to do that first. This (the downstairs restaurant and bar area) was our hobby. It was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.”

The project time allowed the Taylor’s to have the time to find everything they were looking for to make their restaurant perfect, Mrs. Taylor said.

“We took our time with it,” she said. “The spindles had to be varnished and shellacked three times, and it all had to be kept in storage.”

That storage became home to a more fragile piece of the restaurant. Above the bar are 18 panes of stained glass. Each piece was hand made and custom to the restaurant.

“I picked out the design and colors I wanted,” she said. “These had to be put into storage as well, and moved about five times.”

For all the work involved in making the former music store a restaurant, why did the couple pursue it?

“Well, I thought it was something Jamestown needed,” Mrs. Taylor said. “My husband and I always enjoyed going out for dinner, so what better than to have our own restaurant? My grandparents owned their own restaurant. I love it. I like Jamestown. When people come here, they feel like it’s an oasis in the city of Jamestown. They feel like they are in New York City.”

As the downtown of Jamestown is revitalized, Mrs. Taylor said she sees little sparks of life everywhere, and it’s those sparks that have given the Fenton its future charge. The Taylor’s also own the Field and Wright building connected to the Fenton Building, and renovations are under way.

If it’s more of a formal get together, the Fenton’s banquet room is right up a small staircase in the dining room. Once inside the room that can accommodate 50, guests are actually in a remodeled area of the Field and Wright building.

“We would like to host weddings,” Mrs. Taylor said.

Renovations are under way that will expand the banquet room to a space that will accommodate 300.

The restaurant is becoming known for Friday night performances. These range from jazz to soft rock, and leave Saturdays as more a winding down period for diners at the Fenton.

For those looking for more of an intimate spot, a loft area is available.

“We have had a couple wedding proposals take place up there,” Mrs. Taylor said. “We can also have smaller parties that would just like to have something out of the way. The view is nice from up there.”

The restaurant is open Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday, from 4 p.m. until midnight.