Gerry Christopher, a restaurateur of 15 plus years, teamed up with SmartServ Solutions owner Mario Costanz to create the 1,700 square-foot Italian and American Comfort Food eatery Good to Go, at 1894 Eastchester Road.
While the idea to open came easily, Costanz said it was the name selection that gave them the most trouble.
“We were throwing around hundreds of different names, but couldn’t come up with something that explained what we were trying to convey to our customers,” he commented about the late night brainstorming session on his partner’s stoop.
After hours of unproductive pondering, Costanz said Christopher blurted out “To Go.” He then added “Good” and Good To Go was born.
Costanz said that while the latter half of the title describes their desire to bring home-style cooking into the lives of busy families and young professionals, “Good” simply describes the quality of their food.
“We have a very expansive menu of both Italian and American foods, so unless your in the mood for Chinese, you’ll always find what you’re craving on our menu,” Costanz commented.
Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Good To Go teases customers’ taste buds with house specialties such as Rice Croquettes, Meatball Empanadas, Fried Rigatoni and a Grilled Skirt Steak in Jack Daniels Cream Sauce.
Adding to each meal, Costanz assured, “Our chefs always add an equal amount of love into every dish. We require that of them.”
And if choosing from the 115 lunch and dinner dishes isn’t enough, customers also have the delectable delight of devouring desert straight from the Cheesecake Factory’s bakery.
But even more important than the food, Costanz explained, is the reason he and his partner decided to open.
Costanz, of Pelham Bay, and Christopher, of Morris Park, both lost their mothers to Cancer in 1999 and wanted to offer customers what their moms left behind.
“We both miss our mothers very dearly, and when you grow up in Italian families like we did, many of our favorite memories always had good food associated with them,” Costanz said. “Many people today never cook at all or only eat pre-prepared frozen dinners.”
Though he recognizes the convenience of such food options, he questioned, “What kind of memories can be associated with eating a hot pocket?”
To avoid the freezer and enjoy a freshly prepared meal, call (718) 829-2222 to order for delivery or take out.
“We didn’t start this business for the money, but instead to share our vision of good food that’s affordable with the rest of the world,” Costanz reiterated. “We hope to help create smiles and memories for others the way our mothers did for us growing up.”
