Claudio’s has always been synonymous with summer in Greenport, and it looks like its poised to stay that way.
The brand — which is over 100 years old and encompasses Claudio’s Tavern & Grill, Claudio’s Waterfront, Claudio’s Pizza and Crabby Jerry’s — has its own unique waterside culture. Chances are you’ve heard someone say they’re going to “do a lap,” a phrase regulars use to describe a walk around the expansive, two-acre waterfront dining and drinking denizen and say hey to their friends. And no Claudio’s visit is complete without a frothy mudslide.
Since the Greenport staple has undergone major staffing and management changes this year, Northforker caught up with the new executive chef and beverage director to find out just what Claudio’s patrons can expect when they do a lap this summer.
EAT
“I won’t put anything out that I won’t eat,” says new executive chef Darren Boyle.
Boyle is no stranger to the North Fork food scene. He previously served as the chef at Port in Greenport and its sister restaurant Salt on Shelter Island, as well as at The Chequit. Boyle, who originally hails from Maryland, has crafted a new menu that emphasizes local ingredients, sourced from the likes of Braun Seafood, Oysterponds Shellfish and many others.
“I’m trying to keep the waterfront and Crabby Jerry’s almost similar to last year,” Boyle says. “My philosophy is that we have so much bounty in our waters and on our land as far as produce, fruits and vegetables. We have all these beautiful fish and shellfish around our local waters, so to have things that aren’t locally caught on our menus, to me, does not make sense.”
But while Boyle worked hard to update the menu, he took feedback from customers, too.
“They wanted crab cakes back,” Boyle admits. “Being born and raised in Maryland, I put a Maryland-style crab cake on the menu, which is made from scratch. It’s taken off pretty well.” Similarly, Boyle put local crab on the menu in place of the requested snow crab. “As long as I can replace them with things from [around the area], I have no problem.”
Pastry chef and Shelter Islander Mazie Galle has also brought in a host of new desserts, including key lime pie, strawberry shortcakes and seasonal treats. Galle also makes cookies daily, which are given out to kids at the hostess stands.
Boyle’s favorite menu items include the clam chowder and the aforementioned crab cakes, as well as a major new addition.
“When I signed on, I said, ‘I need this area in the kitchen for sushi,” Boyle says. “I need sushi at the waterfront … it has taken off like fireworks.”
DRINK
Ed Dattilo started as a busboy in Philadelphia in 1997 and has worked his way up the culinary food chain.
“In 2015, I was running beverage for the Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia, which was the largest purchaser of wine in the city and the second largest purchaser of liquor,” Dattilo says.
Running Claudio’s new beverage program, according to Dattilo, isn’t too daunting — it’s just a lot of moving parts. “We have boats, the building’s 150 years old, but I approach it the same way as a hotel,” he says.
For the drinks menu, Dattilo went “super classic.” There’s an emphasis on pitchers and batch drinks, like Margaritas, Aperol spritzes and Cosmos. The frozen drinks have been completely revamped, in part thanks to new industrial equipment.
“If you’ve been coming to Claudio’s for years, you know you used to wait 20 minutes for a frozen drink because they couldn’t get the things working,” Dattilo says with a laugh. “Now, this new equipment is like the Cadillac of frozen drink equipment.”
In addition to the beloved mudslide — which is now made with Coole Swan Irish Cream — Dattilo has made a frosé using Hampton Water, and a boozy frozen lemonade, which Dattilo says has been selling just as well as the mudslide.
For the batch and pitcher drinks, Dattilo uses Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company products. “All of Natalie’s Orchid products are 100% juice and it’s literally more consistent than if we squeezed it ourselves,” Dattilo explains. The batches are made fresh daily.
Local wines on the menu include Bedell Cellars — Dattilo is particularly excited for their sauvignon blanc — and Croteaux Vineyards.
Dattilo also hopes guests will try one of the new signature drinks, Purple Skies over Puerto Rico: Don Q Reserva Rum, curacao, house sour mix, red wine float and sugar rim.
As you’re doing a lap, Boyle and Dattilo hope you’ll give the refreshed version of Claudio’s a chance.
“We want you to leave happy and come back. We want to build repetitive customers,” says Boyle.
Dattilo echoes the sentiment.
“We’ve got a great team and have made a lot of changes,” says Dattilo. “But we’re here to welcome you.”
Photos courtesy Doug Young/Claudio’s
