It seems like every bar is calling itself a speakeasy these days, but here’s one that actually takes the idea seriously: Nestled in the Station Yards housing and shopping complex in Ronkonkoma, Artemis is so hard to find that I had to ask a security guard how to get there.
That took me down an empty corridor to an unmarked door, which led to an old timey anteroom decorated with vintage photographs. Visitors are directed to pick up the rotary dial telephone that plays a recording with instructions on how to get into the bar. After a little song and dance, you’re deposited into a turn-of-the-century lounge.
Artemis is an ambitious spot and it comes with an equally compelling mythology. The speakeasy is named after a Prohibition-era rum-running boat that operated off the shores of the East End. Local lore tells of an incident in 1931 when the boat was discovered by the Coast Guard, leading to a shooting match and ultimately a successful escape by the boat’s inhabitants, who managed to deliver their liquor before going to the hospital. While Artemis’ interior isn’t nautical-themed, photographs and manufacturing plans from the boat are displayed on the walls.
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