Paris Street Market owner Gale Scalia (left to right) raises a glass with Down the Rabbit Hole wine shop owner Jessica Green and SAYville Cheese owner Christine White.
The beautiful Paris Street Market in Sayville on South Main Street with its Gallic music playlist offers a soothing, classy getaway as well as friendship bonds. Owner Gale Scaglia is the hostess who presides over her domain, one that is kind, helpful, and encourages other women business owners, like SAYville Cheese’s Christine White and Down the Rabbit Hole’s Jessica Green.
White and Green have collaborated with Scaglia at many merry wine and cheese gatherings in her store.
“When I took over my shop on Galentine’s Day, in 2019, Gale reached out,” recalled Green.
Galentine’s Day is Scaglia’s take on Valentine’s Day emphasizing her name to make it a bit more distinctive. Perhaps you’ll hear Frank Sinatra in the background or Michael Buble as happiness hits the high notes sipping Green’s wine. “We specialize in organic and natural wines, sometimes French or Spanish and pair it with a theme,” she said.
White’s cheeses are, in essence, divine. “We do artisanal, imported and domestic and a lot from Europe,” she said. “I also take requests.”
Those wine and cheese happenings have been too numerous to count. “Lots,” said White. “Every weekend over the summer,” said Scaglia.
Scaglia has a photo of her dad, Albert Bruno Scaglia, wearing his WWII Marine uniform. The black and white snapshot sits by her register; Albert’s mother was born in Paris. That’s where her love of Parisian things started. (She also has a photo there of her brother-in-law Gerald Cohen, in uniform, who died in Vietnam.)
Her grandmother Marcella would describe Scaglia’s great grandfather Ambrogio Comazzi, born in Milan. He married a woman from Paris, Bertha Melric, and wrote music for carousels in France and Italy where he traveled. Carousels, which emerged in the 18th century, are in most of those countries’ parks and plazas. Scaglia admitted to lingering sometimes for a half hour when she visited those sites, thinking about her ancestor. The vibrant markets in Paris, along with heritage and antiques, imprinted themselves in her DNA.
Scalia is no newcomer to Sayville, she’s lived here over 40 years, and has tapped into a wealth of experience. She’s a Long Island Railroad retiree, worked at the beloved and now closed Cottage & Company for a while, had a Paris Street Market storefront on Main Street for a couple of years. She is also a real estate agent for Pat Kassten Realty.
The bar area, where the wine events take place, is an antique door secured on wine barrels, big enough for a spread. Besides Scalia’s enveloping welcome vibe, the store’s homey feel is because Scalia really loves her items. Case in point: She sold early 1900’s canisters two weeks ago and said, “I miss them.”
Thursday mornings, the store resembles a Paris flower market, when she brings in vibrant profusions for the weekend.
As for parking, there’s plenty in the free back parking lot, Overview South. Plus, you can’t miss her sign or store by the back entrance. And in the patio area with its iron bistro chairs and tables, rises, you guessed it, an Eiffel Tower.
