Darryn Weinstein had never even heard of Shelter Island. It was 2015 and he and his event-planner wife, Amy, were living in the Five Towns. Amy was tasked with creating a soirée on the petite island: Would her husband like to tag along to make a weekend of it?
It was a trip that forever altered the trajectory of his life.
“We got to the North Ferry and the sun was setting, and that was it. When I got on that ferry, every worry I had in world melted off my shoulders,” Weinstein says. “I never felt like this anywhere else in the world. In a month we found a house.”
At the time, Weinstein was a 32-year veteran of the luxury travel industry, a career ironically absent of relaxation. Shelter Island became his salve — but the one thing that was missing from the Rock? A good bagel.
“I grew up on the Lower East Side [of Manhattan]. I would pretty much eat a bagel or a bialy every day. When I came to live on Shelter Island, we’d go for breakfast and I’d order a bagel, take two or three bites and spit it out—they always tasted like papier mâché!” he laughs. “I’d bitch to Amy and she got tired of hearing me. One day she said to me, ‘If you don’t like it, do something about it.’”
She was probably thinking something more along the lines of buying good city bagels in bulk and freezing them, but Weinstein knew he had to go big to be home: He opened Shelter Island’s first-ever bagel store.
Since The Eccentric Bagel (25 West Neck Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-5363) opened in April 2022 he’s been living a bready dream, not only serving up fresh, outstanding bagels to a community clearly hungry for them, but good vibes too.
Favorite bagel Any that I make! But I will say that probably my favorite—the bagel I’ll walk into any bagel store and be thinking about— is an everything bagel. Some days I have a craving for a poppy or a sesame, and I love my sundried tomato and Italian herb bagel! And if you can’t make a good plain bagel? I’m not trusting you on anything else. But “everything” is my go-to.
Favorite time of day I get up between 3 and 4 a.m.; that’s when I go into the store. It’s so magical, looking up at the sky and seeing the stars. It can make the hair on my arms stand up, just the wonder of looking at the sky.
Favorite restaurant for a special dinner Vine Street. I love the feeling when I’m there. There’s a comfort to it; whether it’s Marco or Alejandro behind the bar, there’s always a smile or a hello. They’ll do what they can to make the dining experience great. And Lisa and Terry [Harwood, Vine Street’s owner] are wonderful people. One of the biggest compliments I got when I was open for only three or four weeks was when Terry came in and said, “I’ve gotta tell you, your rosemary-and-salt bagel is amazing!”
Favorite spot to decompress on the island I love the Ram Island causeway. I’ll pull my car over and just stare at the water on the rocky side. I also really love Kissing Rock. I’ll head over there for just, like, 15 minutes and watch the water and the seals.
Favorite place to get a gift Cornucopia. We love owner Mary Lou [Eichorn]! When you walk in there you get a true feeling of Shelter Island. There’s so much love in that store. Mary Lou loves what she does and she loves helping you. She’s the most amazing person. And maybe the hardest-working person on Shelter Island.
Favorite place to grab a bite on SI In the summer, it’s Salt. Between the view and [owners] Keith and Ali [Bavaro] and the staff there, it’s great. There’s nothing like watching the sun set at the Shipwreck, munching on a smashburger and listening to music. It makes those 17-hour days feel like nothing. And Brad Kitkowski’s Isola! It’s a great place to grab something and chill. It has that “Cheers” feeling, like you’re home.
Favorite quirk about Shelter Island It’s the land that time forgot. You see nature. There’s no traffic lights. A traffic jam is two cars at a stop sign. There are no strip malls. No car alarms. You can cut up my passport — I never have to leave this island. Although maybe a little Chinese food place here would be nice…
