Lucky Mojo's tackles family-friendly fusion food

By Farnoosh Torabi | Special to amNew York

April 7, 2008

A yellowtail dragon roll from Lucky Mojo's at 5-14 51st Ave. in Long Island City which specializes in New Orleans-style southern cuisine and sushi. (Dave Sanders, Newsday / April 6, 2008)

For restaurateur Jim Goldman, aka "Mr. Mainstream," Long Island City is his latest frontier for experimentation.

"I open up what I like, serving to mainstream, upper middle income metro New York," he says.

While Long Island City isn't quite as "metro" or "upper middle income" as Manhattan, Goldman bets it is only a matter of time.

The 45-year-old founder of the acclaimed Brother Jimmy¹s eateries opened Lucky Mojo's on 51st Avenue four months ago.

The family-friendly restaurant features a fusion menu of Mexican food, New Orleans-style cuisine, barbeque and sushi. Sure, it's a hodgepodge, but "it works in that area," he says.

Goldman's opening on Long Island City is strategic -- the community is in the midst of evolving from a primarily industrial district to a neighborhood with young professionals and families seeking a Manhattan-esque lifestyle equipped with high-rise rentals, 24/7 amenities and good eats.

Developers are rapidly land grabbing, as Queens officials have estimated the population of Long Island City will grow to more than a million by around 2010.

Lucky Mojo's is off to a decent start. Sales have grown about 10 to 15 percent each month since its first month, Goldman says. He's even more optimistic about the season ahead.

"Right now is deadville," he says. "The real growth curve will be in the summer, when it gets warmer." Goldman is so bullish on Long Island City that he¹s opening another joint later this year called Sacred Grounds, an organic coffee bar along the river.

Goldman is hardly a new kid on the block when it comes to launching successful, theme-driven restaurants. In 1989 he introduced the Brother Jimmy's barbeque chain to New York and Chicago. Earlier this year he closed his New Orleans-influenced restaurant Jacquimo's on the Upper West Side where rent had jumped to $36,000 a month.

Goldman, instead, decided to take Jacquimo's Cajun theme and add a few other influences to open Lucky Mojo's.

"I do what¹s appropriate for the market," says Goldman, who thought a Brother Jimmy's wouldn't do as well in the area.

On Long Island City, where dining variety is scarce, Goldman figured he needed to create a one-stop solution for all tastes.

"You can only eat ribs so many time a week. I needed a concept that was broader-based and a little more sophisticated."