Driving through Greenport on a Wednesday afternoon in April, one might be surprised how difficult it is to find a restaurant without a “closed” sign on its door.
Sure, we understand it’s not always possible to stay open for lunch every day in a town where so much of the sales are tourist-driven. But you have to give credit to a sit-down restaurant that stays open for lunch every day in the off-season.
That’s why we picked Front Street Station for a recent lunch.
“Our philosophy is we should be here all year round,” said restaurant co-owner Dave Sailor. “The only days we close are Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas.”
Another little bonus? They’ll deliver food right to your door.
“It’s a well-kept secret,” Sailor, who runs the eatery with his daughter Sharon, said of the delivery option. Last month, the pair celebrated the two-year anniversary of purchasing the restaurant. Prior to that, they ran the former DoLittle’s located in Mattituck Plaza on Main Road in Mattituck.
Although they will take your meal to your home, dining in the restaurant’s charming sun room was a good option on one of the first real sunny days of the season. I chose the special sandwich. Battered codfish, iceberg lettuce, tomato and wasabi mayo are served on a pretzel bun with a side of sweet potato fries and a pickle ($13.99).
It was a very tasty and filling menu choice (and pretzel buns and sweet potato fries always score extra points in my book.) But the real highlight came when I sampled the North Fork (half Manhattan, half New England) clam chowder which, like all of their soups, is made in-house.
Sometimes called a Long Island clam chowder, this vodka sauce-like recipe is underrated and underutilized in too many restaurants. And Front Street does it really well. I would call it a don’t-miss option for your next visit.
“We’re not fancy,” Sailor told me after my meal. “We’re just plain good.”
Seems about right to me.
Front Street Station is located at 212 Front Street in Greenport. The restaurant can be reached at (631) 333-2050.
What’s for a lunch is a weekly northforker.com column highlighting delicious mid-day meals on the North Fork. Suggestions can be sent to [email protected].
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