Owner Tully McColgan and head chef John Peter Wentworth say they’ve spent so much time together getting their business — King Street Eats — off the ground, that they’ve come to look alike.
“People think we’re brothers,” Wentworth jokes.
The two have turned the former Spoleto Express space on King Street across from Stop and Shop into a venue that sells big portions based on street food from around the world — including falafel, Cuban sandwiches, fish and chips, and Philly cheesesteak. Most of the main items go for $8.50 and make ample meals. McColgan and Wentworth say the establishment is dedicated to buying local whenever possible, even though they concede it’s a financial challenge to do so. Everything except the Tater Tots, chef says, is made in house.
“Everything is super labor-intensive,” says Wentworth. “We do it because we can, because you have more control over the final product.”
The menu, Wentworth says, is something he’s envisioned for a long time. It’s food truck style eating, he says, which is why he and McColgan were excited at the prospect of the drive-through window. The pair wanted to provide elevated fast food — food that’s fresher and healthier than what is classically associated with the genre. “A lot of these things are meant to be eaten on the go,” Wentworth says. “Instead of stopping at McDonald’s or Burger King, you can stop here,” says McColgan, pointing towards the drive-through window. — Please call ahead.
“This was a dream project, so a lot of this I already had in mind,” says Wentworth.
McColgan is no stranger to owning Northampton hotspots — he owned Tully O’Reilly’s and the Elevens before selling it last spring, and Hot Harry’s before that. His father, Harry McColgan, was the founding owner of Hugo’s. So naturally, when Wentworth started generating exotic and well-loved ideas as his head chef at Tully O’Reilly’s, McColgan saw an opportunity.
McColgan says he grew tired of dealing with the long nights at Tully’s. After 12 years with the venue, he says, it was more of hassle than he wanted, and with three young children — now 2, 5, and 7 — he wanted a more family-compatible business. Now, he says, his children come for lunch and, to his dismay, his two-year-old daughter artfully smears macaroni and cheese on the front windows.
“You’re there all the time,” McColgan says of Tully’s. “There was always something going on.”
The kitchen at Tully’s was tiny, McColgan adds, so he wanted to provide Wentworth a bigger kitchen. “Here, there’s a ton of space for him to do what he wants,” says McColgan.
The items, Wentworth says, are inspired by street foods from around the world, but with a personal twist. The Bahn Mi sandwich — with pickled veggies, fish sauce, cilantro, mayo, and your choice of pork, seitan, chicken, or duck confit — for example, can be enjoyed with duck as the protein, though duck likely wasn’t used when the sandwich style originated in Vietnam.
“I’m not speaking to the authenticity. It’s a facsimile,” says Wentworth. “It’s our version.”
Wentworth says he grew up in New York, eating a lot of different types of foods.
He says he hasn’t been able to do much traveling, so in a sense, he does that “through the food.” He says he does a lot of research — a lot of reading, driving around and trying things — and is always looking for new things to make.
The menu is Wentworth’s vision, and McColgan chips in where he can, manning the register, answering phones, making orders, and smoking meats. “I love making barbecue,” McColgan says.
Harry Foster, 47, of Greenfield says he and his friend Dennis Mills take a lunch break here at least once a week. They have difficulty taking long-enough breaks from eating the fresh-off-the-grill burgers to talk about how delicious the food is. “This is a great spot,” Foster says. “My girlfriend loves this place, too.”
McColgan and Wentworth say they cater to special requests — since everything is made to order, they are often able to change items on the fly. For those craving a healthier version of the fish tacos, McColgan says, they can broil the fish instead of frying it. They also have a gluten-free batter made from chickpeas and a designated gluten-free fryolator.
McColgan and Wentworth are brainstorming food truck ideas, though McColgan says food trucks are heavily restricted in Northampton. Still, he says, they are looking into getting one for special events, assuming they are held on private property.
What’s their biggest challenge? McColgan says he is trying to wrangle the dinner market. The restaurant stays open until 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, though he’d like to open more hours. He hopes that the wine and beer and the patio will help him accomplish that this spring.•
