Patrons entering the Polish Town landmark when it reopens tomorrow won’t find too many changes inside — or on the menu, for that matter.
The Birchwood of Polish Town will be serving up its classic pub fare and Polish specialties when its doors open tomorrow. Longtime chef Laurie Siebert will be at the helm in the kitchen, where she’s cooked for 25 years. In addition to the familiar hefty burgers, pierogis and kielbasa, returning patrons will find the 
restaurant’s menu has expanded with a taste of Little Italy: chicken parmigiana, chicken francese, lobster ravioli, homemade lasagna, and frutti de mare — lobster tail, shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari over linguine.
The new twist on a Riverhead classic is the inspiration of the restaurant’s new owner, Danielle Sessa. The Calverton woman, though only 33, has spent 16-plus years in the restaurant business. She’s spent the last few months readying the restaurant — closed since June following the death of its former owner — for its grand reopening. Sessa has been fussing over every detail from the composition of the revamped menu, to the beers on tap — expanded from 11 to 15 — to the new color scheme of the former “Champagne Room.”
The restaurant’s catering room has been renamed the “Montepulciano Room,” named for a Renaissance hill town in Tuscany that Sessa fell in love with.
“It’s warm and inviting,” she said, “and that’s what we’re aiming for here.” Sessa has always wanted to name the restaurant she knew she’d own someday after Montepulciano, but recognized that the Birchwood’s name — and its core persona — could not be changed.
She’s aware of the 80-year-old restaurant’s place not only in Polish Town history but in the personal histories of so many local families, Sessa said.
“For so many people, this place feels like part of their family,” she said.
Family means everything to Sessa, and the new enterprise is a family affair. Her parents, brother and sister will be working side by side with her.
And the very date of the Birchwood of Polish Town’s grand opening has special meaning for her family: Nov. 12 is the birthday of her maternal grandfather, Anthony DiMaio. He lived with the Sessas for more than 16 years before he passed away in 2002 just shy of 96 years old.
“We still celebrate his birthday every year. He always wanted to go out to dinner,” Sessa said. “So what better way to celebrate his birthday than with the grand opening of our restaurant?”
Maybe by lighting a candle on one of Sessa’s specialty cheesecakes? Her offerings include an Italian ricotta cheesecake — “to die for,” in the words of Sessa’s dad, Frank.
The Birchwood of Polish Town will be open for lunch and dinner daily. Most dinner entrées will be priced under $20. For updates, check out the restaurant’s new Facebook page. In addition to a weekly Sunday brunch, Sessa plans to host special holiday dinners too — starting with Thanksgiving on Nov. 27. She’ll be serving a Thanksgiving buffet dinner at the restaurant, as well as a complete Thanksgiving dinner to go. See brunch and Thanksgiving Dinner menu.
On the eve of fulfilling her lifelong dream of opening her own restaurant, Sessa was hard at work putting the finishing touches on the place.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” she said.
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