LoisL

I'm looking for a good seafood restaurant on Long Island, for an anniversary dinner. Does anyone have a recommendation?

Frank

The Pine Island Grill in Bayville. Not strictly a seafood restaurant, but plenty of good seafood. The best views of Long Island Sound, and on a nice day you can eat out on the deck. Very elegant, valet parking, and relatively expensive. Perfect for a special occasion celebrated between April and October.

For strictly seafood, Riverbay in Williston Park always gets good reviews and would be a good choice during the Winter.

Annabel

What part of Long Island?? It's a pretty big place and you could spend most of your evening in a car? Let us know where you are coming from.

Also if you google "long island fine dining" you will get a list of sites to help you.

otto

do you know what neighborhood (or county at least) you'll be in? i can help.

nytraveler

Exactly - whre are you coming from? Do you want Nassau? The Hamptons?

Scarlett

Montauk-
Shagwon Inn
The Dock
Gosmans
I cannot think of anymore right now, mainly because I am wishing I were there right now

ediegirl

in Oyster Bay, Fiddleheads. it's small and not in a great location ( a mini-mall) but GREAT seafood

in Huntington Village, which is a vibrant, bustling downtown area, there is another Fiddleheads location called Fiddleheads New York (b/c it's on NY avenue). also, there is an interesting/hip/trendy but good place called Blue Honu, sort of hawaian/asian fusion.

also in huntington, Finleys on Greene STreet just collaborated with one of the better known LI chefs, he developed a menu for them modeled on the new england seafood shack style, with lots of outdoor deck seating and live music on weekends.

that same chef, tom schaudel, has two restaurants in Syosset, Coolfish is in an office building, not a great location, but food (i've heard) is good and Passionfish is in a Gold Coast Mansion that's the club house for a Nassau County Golf course.

i second Pine Island Grill, good food, great outdoor seating at the only sandy N.Shore beach (they truck in sand, normally our beaches are rocky) views of LI sound and over to westchester/CT

LoisL

I thank you all for your suggestions. I will research each, since I also have a birthday coming up. Sad to say, despite living on L.I. all my life, I do not know of a good seafood restaurant here, though I could recommend several in Maine, North Carolina or Florida! Since we live in western Suffolk, I would go to either end of the island, and on either shore [north or south], since no matter what direction, it would be an hr. or less drive. And, since we're recently retired, we'll be happy to try out some restaurants, at our leisure, for no particular reason. All suggestions are welcome!

LoriNY

Lois, I know what you mean. It has always amazed me that we live on an island and there is a lack of really good seafood restaurants. DH and I recently discovered Catfish Max in Seaford on Naomi Street. Little out of the way place on a canal, really good seafood dishes. Try it.

otto

coolfish is wonderful. you won't realize it's there because it's in an office park, but it's a must. or, legal seafood in huntington/melville is always a good bet. enjoy.

mclaurie

Well, Lois, fwiw, the Zagat guide lists Dave's Grill in Montauk as the best seafood on Long Island. I've been there a number of times and think it's very good and it is on the water (the dock) but I'm not sure I'd drive from western Suffolk to get there.

Plaza Cafe in Southampton is also rated as highly, I have also eaten there and I think that is worth a drive. The food is divine and it's nice atmosphere but not on the water or anything. In fact, it's sort of a suburban setting for being in Southampton. It sits in the parking lot behind the Southampton Inn which is really a motel (but maybe an overnight for the anniversary is not a terrible idea?)

Coolfish, mentioned by ediegirl and others, on Jericho Tpke in Syosset is also rated the same high level as the first 2 in food. I've never been there. Website
www.tomschaudel.com

Catfish Max and Fiddleheads are the next 2 places mentioned.

Happy anniversary and happy birthday!

LoisL

Thanks to all for the suggestions! It is good to finally have some good recommendations for local seafood restaurants. I am not kidding when I tell you we've done road trips to Maine for just this reason. Of course, the Maine coastline provides an added incentive.... I look forward to trying them out.

Laura147

Can definitely recommend the RiverBay. Had a terrible meal at Legal Seafood in Melville about 1 month ago. All 4 diners were disappointed. Won't be back. If you make the drive out to Montauk, Oyster Pond is great too.

michelleNYC

How about The Mill Pond House in Centerport?

nytraveler

We have family that live near Riverbay and have taken us there several times - all on Sundays. We have alway been disappointed - too mobbed and circuslike - and the food was quite routine and seemed mass produced. (They love it - can;t understand why.)

LoisL

Although I haven't been to Legal Seafood in Huntington, I've been to two different locations in the Boston area, and felt it was not anything special. I'm looking for something that stands out. So, I'm not particularly interested in that chain, though I appreciate the evaluation from Laura, just to remind myself not to feel compelled to try it.

Annabel

One of my favorite restaurants is Rothamnns Steakhouse in East Norwich. I know it says steakhouse, but they have every kind of seafood...Lobsters - in which they take it out of the shell for you. shrimp, oysters, raw platter, all kinds of fish for entrees. The food is beyond excellent, the service is just as excellent. There is an extensive wine list bottle and glass and great cocktails. It is easy to get to also. Tell them it is a special occasion and ask for a booth.
What we ususlly do is a surf and turf 1 3 lb lobster and 1 Kansas city sirloin after appetizers of oysters and crab cocktail........

Hmmmmm, this sounds too god....we'll be there tomorrow night