Blue Sky brings Mediterranean flavors to Sag Harbor

An East End chef has left one local establishment to open his own restaurant: Giuseppe “Beppe” Desiderio, formerly the executive chef at Grappa Wine Bar in Sag Harbor, is now the executive chef and managing partner at Blue Sky Mediterranean Lounge, also in Sag Harbor.

Housed on Main Street in the building that formerly housed Spinnakers, Blue Sky has been open since the beginning of the summer. The restaurant’s Mediterranean menu draws on Italian, French, Spanish and Greek influences, among others.

Blue Sky has a vivid, colorful décor, with white ceilings, pale gray booths and bright blue cushions and accents. The back of the restaurant is a garden-like space, with brick floors, skylights, floor-to-ceiling windows and lots of foliage.

In a recent interview, Mr. Desiderio said he had been interested in opening a restaurant like Blue Sky for quite some time, particularly when he was working at Grappa.

“I kept looking across the street at a very good building that wasn’t doing too well,” he said.

In March, Mr. Desiderio approached the owner of the building, Jerry Warwryk, and proposed the idea of replacing Spinnakers with what he thought was a new, fresh concept­­­—a casual restaurant that offered classic Italian flavors with other eclectic, Mediterranean fare.

Mr. Warwryk liked the idea, and in April he agreed to partner with Mr. Desiderio to open Blue Sky.

Mr. Desiderio, who has spent nearly 40 years working in the restaurant business, is originally from Italy, so he said Blue Sky clearly has certain Italian influences. But he was quick to add that the restaurant aims to offer a diverse Mediterranean menu, without focusing on any one nation or region.

The Blue Sky kitchen offers dishes with French, Spanish, Italian and Greek influences, he said.

“It’s straightforward, but with a twist,” he said, adding, “The influence is often in the spices.”

Mr. Desiderio said customers have responded well to the menu choices, seeming to enjoy both the flavors and the prices.

“It’s a good fit for the area,” he said of the restaurant. “We’re easygoing, we’re not pretending to be high-end.” And Blue Sky will be open year-round, he said.

“Everyone can be a king in the summertime,” he said with a laugh. “So we will gear to the all-year-round clientele.”

Mr. Desiderio said the menu has undergone minor changes three times already since the restaurant’s May opening, and will likely continue to change as winter weather settles in.

The lunch menu includes soups, salads and sandwiches, as well as entrée dishes.

Offerings range from Mediterranean fish soup with clams, mussels, tomato and calamari, $10, to the classic lobster roll with potato salad and garnish, $18.

Other dishes include the classic hamburger, with Swiss or cheddar, fries, lettuce and tomatoes, $12; grilled steak with fries, onions, tomato and cole slaw, $15; grilled chicken breast sandwich on ciabatta bread with lettuce, tomatoes and fries, $12; cod fish and chips with coleslaw, tartar sauce and fries, $15; mussels mariner, served in a garlic broth with a pinot gris crème, $10; steamers a la maison with drawn butter and garlic broth, $14; Tuscan panini with prosciutto, fontina, arugula and coleslaw, $12; vegetarian panini with zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and coleslaw, $11; pizzetta Sorrento with oven roasted tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, $12; and junior roast turkey club with bacon, lettuce, tomato and fries, $11.

Mesclun, Greek, arugula and spinach salads are offered at $7, $8, $9, and $10, respectively. The salads are available with chicken, $7, seared tuna, $9, and lobster, $15.

The dinner menu is based on small plates and entrées. Small plates range from arugula and Greek salads, both $9, to an antipasto plate with vegetable terrine, prosciutto, pecorino, manchego, feta and almond crusted brie, $16. Other small plates include “Blue Sky” crab cake with corn salad, sauce remoulade, $15; Parma pizzetta with arugula, mushroom, shaved Reggiano and truffle oil, $14; Mr. Desiderio pointed out the bruschetta plate with Caprese, Toscana and Romana bruschetta, $15, and the seafood martini salad with shrimp, scallops and calamari in a spicy lemon vinaigrette, $14, as customer favorites.

Entrées include moussaka with eggplant, beef, béchamel and tomato sauce, $22; tuna provencal with olive tapenade, arugula, capers, scallion and cherry tomatoes, $24; jumbo shrimp tahini with spinach salad, black bean hummus and basil extra virgin olive oil, $25; and sirloin steak Toscana with an oyster mushroom demiglaze, spinach flan and roasted potatoes, $28.