As the governmental officials of the Village of Garden City and the Chamber of Commerce have been saying for the last year, at least, Franklin Avenue is one Main Street in America that may have faced great obstacles over the last decade or so, but through the commitment to the community by residents and merchants alike, the once termed Fifth Avenue of New York is awakening to a new age of success. Chris Werle, Ed Davis and Jeff Piciullo are working for the future of Franklin Avenue both as residents of the Village and as merchants, having recently opened their new enterprise, Waterzooi. Werle, Davis and Piciullo have chosen to share their love of fine food and ales with their neighbors and friends here in the village and to help attract consumers from around the island to come and sample the tastes of Belgian cuisine.

Their establishment has brought tremendous attention to the Franklin Avenue dining scene already, with reviews appearing in recent editions of both The New York Times and Newsday. With these two glowing reviews in hand, Waterzooi's patrons flock to 850 Franklin Avenue to take a culinary trip to Belgium. Werle, Davis and Piciullo all sat down with Garden City Life to share some of the excitement they're enjoying in the heart of the commercial district.

Ed Davis, son of Robert and Sue Davis of Garden City, began his explorations in cooking at Garden City High School, where he was encouraged by instructor Kathy Maher to take his talents further and explore the possibility of a career in the culinary arts. He says that "everything has come full circle now -- I grew up here and came back here" and now he is the Chef de Cuisine at Waterzooi. He added, "We wanted to put back into the community." Davis attended Johnson and Wales and the University of Providence and formerly was employed as a chef at the Garden City Hotel and the Newport Grill. He says he "spent three weeks in Belgium and got into a number of kitchens there to get a strong feeling of the culture and the range from the country style to the upscale restaurants in Brussels."

Jeff Piciullo noted that he and Chris Werle "have been friends since the fifth grade. We opened our first pub together in 1990 -- that was our first venture together. We wanted to add food to the pub, but our landlord wouldn't let us build the kitchen in the first place, so we established Croxley Ales. There are two locations, one in Rockville Centre and the other in Franklin Square. Our pubs were just in time for the micro-brewery surge. We match good beer with good food." He added that they chose to open a Garden City bistro because they believe in Garden City and feel confident that they will be successful at their current location. Piciullo also explained that one of the reasons they chose the site was the plentiful parking in the lot behind the restaurant.

Chris Werle commented that the plans for the beautification of Franklin Avenue by the Village were not part of their considerations to move to their present location, because in fact, they had chosen the site before they were aware of the plans. Werle added, "It was a nice surprise to find out about the streetscape plan. We didn't know until after we'd signed. We just wanted to take a chance on the area. We're all very excited." He said that all of their ventures have stemmed from a mutual "love of beer" and that the "Belgians are the best at it; they've done it the longest."

Piciullo described the restaurant as "a bistro with a casual atmosphere with some very special food." Werle added, "It's continental, with chicken, salmon, steak, special mussels dishes with 11 different sauces, and desserts like sugar dough waffles from Liege, Waterzooi warm chocolate mmmm!, and Neuhaus Belgian chocolate plate." Davis added that the menu is "very easy to follow and has something to appeal to everyone." Piciullo commented that there's "no jacket needed." The three gentlemen also noted that there are 130 beers and 23 Belgian ales on draft, which is the most in the country. There is a lounge area with fondues, bringing back the classic cocktail lounge. There is also a patio in back for alfresco dining with a roll-out canopy.

As Davis brought out special mussels pots and explained how he prepares the dishes with each topping and discussed the special chocolates served, the three joked and laughed and shared a relaxed camaraderie. Werle and Piciullo moved into the village seven years ago and Davis grew up in the village. All three said in chorus, "We love it." They concluded the interview discussing how much they're looking forward to the new stores and offices that will be moving into the former A&S building across the street and all of the developments on Franklin Avenue.