By Hannah Wickford
Located on the southern shore of the central part of Long Island, Bay Shore is a haven for summer tourists looking to soak up some sun. At the end of the day, locals and tourists alike head into town to sample the gastronomic delights offered by Bay Shore's local restaurants.
Fatfish Wine Bar & Bistro
It wouldn't be summer in Bay Shore without cocktails and dinner at Fatfish on Great South Bay. The restaurant's interior is spacious, modern and welcoming. But the outdoor covered bay and wrap-around patio steal the show and offer al fresco dining overlooking the water.
The menu offers an assortment of appetizers, including a raw bar, tapas and a selection of European cheeses, as well as soups, salads, sides, sandwiches and entrees. Popular dishes include char-grilled head-on lemon-saffron shrimp, twin Brazilian lobster tails and a char-grilled rib-eye steak with cremini mushrooms and a cabernet sauce. Fatfish is open from late spring through early fall.
Fatfish Wine Bar & Bistro
28 Cottage Ave.
Bay Shore, NY 11706
(631) 666-2899
fatfish.info
Tula Kitchen
Jacqueline Sharlup's desire when she opened Tula was to share nutritious food with good company. While Tula's long and narrow dining room has a slight Goth feel with its blood-red walls, black silk drapes and ornate light fixtures, but the atmosphere is lively and gracious.
The thoughtfully-prepared menu offers salads and main dishes that feature vegetables, cheeses, seafood, poultry and tofu. (If you are a steak lover, Tula's is not the place for you). Popular dishes include tofu-veggie crab cakes, a salad of roasted asparagus, string beans, cannellini beans, red onions, feta cheese and chopped tomatoes in a red-wine vinaigrette, and the Mediterranean spread for two that includes spinach pie, a Greek salad, hummus, grilled pita and tziki sauce.
Tula Kitchen
41 E Main St.
Bay Shore, NY 11706
(631) 539-7183
tulakitchen.com
Smokin' Al's
Zagat-rated Smokin' Al's serves diners authentic Southern barbecue in a lively and comfortable atmosphere. The spacious dining room features dark wood tones and exposed-brick walls. The extensive menu offers a variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, sides and burgers, but the star of the show is the barbecue, from baby back ribs to brisket and chicken. Customer favorites include the specialty baby-back ribs that have been smoked for no less than six hours, the 12-hour smoked brisket and the barbecued half-chicken. While Smokin' Al's does offer salads and a seafood appetizer, it is really a meat lover's paradise.
Smokin' Al's
19 W Main St.
Bay Shore, NY 11706
(631) 206-3000
smokinals.com
Resources
About the Author:
After attending Fairfield University, Hannah Wickford spent more than 15 years in market research and marketing in the consumer packaged goods industry. In 2003 she decided to shift careers and now maintains three successful food-related blogs and writes online articles, website copy and newsletters for multiple clients.
