The Bay Breeze Inn in South Jamesport has a new farm-to-table restaurant with Italian and Mediterranean influences courtesy of executive chef Allison Fasano. Salt & Sea Bistro is expected to open in the coming days with a menu featuring starters such as swordfish kebabs and watermelon crab gazpacho and entrees including house-made linguine and crab and local skate fish.
“There is a lot inspired by [being on the North Fork] where you’re surrounded by water and farmland,” Fasano said. “The menu is a great mix of salads, sandwiches, seafood, burgers… My food is like Nona-style, it gives you a hug.”
After being reinvented as The Bay Breeze Inn & Chophouse in March 2018, property owners and managers David and Donna Perrin decided to take a step back from the restaurant side of the operation, leasing the dining room to Long Island restaurateur Don Chiavetta of the Campagne House in Bethpage. The Perrins, who also own Cedar House on Sound Bed & Breakfast in Mattituck, said they wanted to keep their focus on lodging and hospitality.
“It is going to be a tremendous fit,” Donna said of Salt & Sea Bistro. “We are very devoted to the hospitality side and give every aspect the right attention. It was about finding the right fit — people as passionate as us to do the food.”
Chiavetta signed on at Bay Breeze Inn two weeks ago, bringing Fasano onboard to oversee the kitchen and the day-to-day operations at Salt & Sea. The 29-year-old Fasano, who most recently helmed Harley’s American Grille in Farmingdale, has an impressive résumé, working as Bobby Flay’s sous chef at Gato and Michelin Star restaurants like Del Posto and The Sagamore Resort. She also appeared on the Food Network, going up against her mentor on “Beat Bobby Flay” and on “Chopped.”
“It is great to start fresh in a new place and get a chance to do something new,” Fasano said. “The most important thing is the food. I love big and bold flavors.”
The Italian Culinary Institute graduate noted that fresh, house-made pasta will be a staple at Salt & Sea.
The dining scene at The Bay Breeze Inn has now experienced several incarnations since the Perrins purchased the historic inn along with partners Frank and Donna Scarola in 2015. Initially, there was no plan for a restaurant, but the owners recognized the need after receiving feedback from guests and neighbors. The inn started with a lighter menu of bistro-style small plates and sandwiches and evolved into a multi-cut steakhouse that boasted 100 percent certified angus beef cuts.
Salt & Sea meets in the middle with a refined, yet approachable seasonal menu that caters to hotel guests and the public. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner every day but Tuesday.
Salt & Sea Bistro is located at 46 Front Street in South Jamesport.
