One of Shelter Island’s liveliest dining spots — and coolest place to hang – is SALT Waterfront Bar and Grill. Located on the Island Boatyard’s marina, this is the place for good food with a view.
At 11 a.m. Friday, owners Keith Bavaro and Ali Bevilacqua, and their friendly and efficient staff, including Executive Chef Darren Boyle, sous chef Zach Miller and pastry chef Beatrice Serrano, were preparing to pull out all the stops for the Labor Day weekend.
Also on tap for the weekend: special drinks and sounds are at the outside Shipwreck Bar. Ask for the special cocktail menu. They also serve bar food.
If you’re coming by boat, give the dockmaster a shout at 749-3333 to reserve dock space at the marina and he’ll do his best to accommodate you. Don’t forget to make a reservation at SALT too! They’re expecting a record-breaking weekend.
Chef Boyle is featuring freshly caught big-eyed tuna poké, served with avocado, scallions, a green seaweed salad, spicy aioli and crispy wontons.
The raw bar is spectacular and can include any number and variation of local littleneck clams and an array of oysters: Montauk pearls, Peconic Golds from Southold, Diamond Jims from Greeport, and Blue Points from Long Island. They’ll even custom design a “seafood tower” for you and your friends.
The menu also showcases fresh, locally caught Atlantic halibut with summer succotash, roasted shiitake mushrooms, jumbo lump crab, watercress and a carrot orange vichyssoise. Don’t forget to sample his award-winning Shelter Island clam chowder made with local sweet corn. He and his staff make 125 gallons a week!
For appetizers, there local yellow watermelon — sweet! — served on arugula with feta, toasted pine nuts dressed with a kiwi vinaigrette. There’s also a local heirloom tomato and Burrata cheese salad, with micro basil, fresh summer truffles and finished with 20-year-aged balsamic vinegar.
For dessert, try Beatrice’s vanilla pound cake with local peaches, vanilla gelato and homemade granola. Key lime pie, white chocolate oreo cheesecake with raspberry coulis and whipped creme fraiche, strawberry shortcake, peanut butter mousse cake and the assorted cookies baked fresh daily, including snickerdoodles and raspberry bars, is the perfect ending to your meal.
It’s the last weekend for the Shipwreck Bar so enjoy their live music while you can. Jim Preston will play tonight, Saturday, August 30 from 1 to 4 p.m., Dub Steady (reggae and ska) is on from 5 to 8 p.m., Clinton Curtis will play Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., followed by Black & Sparrow from 5 to 8 p.m. Finish the weekend with Scotty Hopson on Labor Day from 1 to 4 p.m.
SALT is open for lunch and dinner starting at 12 noon on. Call 749-5535 for reservations or visit them at saltshelterisland.com for more information.