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A summer spent on the East End of Long Island is not complete without a visit to the end of the Island. This week Arts & Living took a trip to Montauk and asked three restaurants to share the dishes diners consider to be top picks, standout choices and those most worthy of even a chef’s palate.
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ost Popular: Stuffed Mushroom Caps; entrée; $10.95.
Signature: Crispy Potato Crusted Flounder; entrée; $13.95.
Chef’s Favorite: Wreck Bar BBQ Baby Back Ribs; entrée; $24.95.
Longtime Montauk area chef Sam Joyce said he knows what the people want and that he’s developed the menu to meet those desires.
According to Mr. Joyce, the Stuffed Mushroom Caps became a favorite right away. The large caps are stuffed with shrimp, lobster and scallops mixed with fresh herbs and served over a lobster cream sauce.
“People want it,” he said. “They love the sauce, they ask for tubs of it to go.”
As a signature dish, Mr. Joyce said he couldn’t ignore the Crispy Potato Crusted Flounder sandwich. The fresh flounder is crusted with fresh shredded potatoes and served on a toasted English muffin with homemade tartar sauce, and comes with french fries and coleslaw.
“You can tell how fresh it is immediately,” he said. “It’s a huge portion, and the plate is beautiful.”
As his personal favorite, Mr. Joyce chose the Wreck Bar BBQ Baby Back Ribs that come as tapas, a half rack and a full rack. The chef said his ribs are special because of a Caribbean barbecue sauce recipe he picked up in St. Croix, which calls for nutmeg and cinnamon. The ribs are served with sweet potato fries and fresh coleslaw.
“The meat falls right off the bone, just the way ribs should be,” he said. “Everyone wants to know what is in the sauce.”
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ost Popular: Braised Short Rib; entrée; $29.
Signature: Pan Roasted Sea Scallops; entrée; $28.
Chef’s Favorite: Squid Jig Salad; entrée; $16.
General manager Sue Berkhofer said she and co-owners and chefs Tony Berkhofer, her husband, and Dustin Schick, who is married to co-owner and bar manager Serena Schick, were all surprised when the Braised Short Rib dish quickly became the most popular item on the menu.
“It’s a delicious dish,” she said. “But we are in Montauk, and typically the seafood dishes are favored.”
The short ribs are braised in a Yeungling lager and served au jus, meaning “with it’s own juice,” steamed asparagus and steak fries.
As a signature dish, Ms. Berkhofer selected the Pan Roasted Sea Scallops because they are always on the menu. But they are never made the same way, she said, because “the dish varies based on the freshest ingredients.”
This time around, the scallops were substituted with lump crab meat. The dish was served with a roasted tomato, prosciutto and fennel ragú.
As the chef’s favorite, Mr. Berkhofer chose the Squid Jig Salad probably because he has a vested interested in the dish.
“He goes out and catches the squid himself,” Ms. Berkhofer said of her husband’s spoils from the sea. “That makes preparing the dish a little more fun.”
The salad is made with grilled local calamari, julienne cucumber, red cabbage, carrot, red beet aioli and a miso basil vinaigrette.
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ost Popular: Baked Clams; entrée; $7.
Signature: New England Clam Chowder; appetizer; $6.
Chef’s Favorite: Lobster Roll; entrée; $17.75.
Once you are the Lighthouse Grill, you are at the farthest point of Long Island—the restaurant is right next to the Montauk Lighthouse—but diners can still get something to satisfy their hunger, thanks to chef Joann Piccozzi.
She named the Baked Clams the most popular. Three baked clams are served with coleslaw and a pickle.
“They are probably popular because they smell so good when we cook them,” Ms. Piccozzi said.
As the signature dish, the chef chose a classic New England Clam Chowder. The chowder is made traditionally with clams, onions, potatoes, celery and clam juice.
“We make it every day and people love it because of the atmosphere here,” Ms. Piccozzi said.
As her own personal favorite, the chef chose the Lobster Roll. Chunks of lobster are served in a fresh roll with lettuce and tomato. The sandwich is served with french fries and coleslaw.
“It’s made with simple ingredients but it is typical Montauk,” Ms. Piccozzi explained.
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