Isola offers island-side Italian fare in a laid-back, beachy atmosphere
THE GIST Opened in 2017 by Midwest-born and Manhattan-bred Brad Kitkowski, Isola is a year-round Shelter Island eatery offering crowd-pleasing, slightly Calabrese-influenced Italian fare. Perched on Grand Avenue in Shelter Island Heights, the 135-seat restaurant sits in a historic vintage farmhouse, complete with a covered porch and outdoor seating. Italian for “island,” nautical themes run throughout Isola, making for an effortless, unpretentious approach to simply prepared Mediterranean food.
THE VIBE Enter via a brick path along the right side of the building, which leads to a little wooden deck with French doors that open into a foyer. Here, you’ll find the hostess stand and, to the right, a lively, 12-seat wood-topped bar opposite a row of four high-tops. To the left is the dining room, with white walls and hardwood floors running throughout. Two small partitions divide the seating areas: one that affords a peek at the kitchen’s woodburning brick oven and the other anchored by two large bay windows.
THE FOOD While the menu boasts familiar Italian-American red sauce-based favorites, there’s also a keen focus on local seafood and lighter riffs on beloved classics. That said, if you feel like a burger with truffle fries, a steak with mashed potatoes, or an order of wings with Calabrian garlic, they have those, too.
Chicken parmesan A breaded cutlet is topped with a healthy ladle of house-made tomato sauce, evenly blanketed in mozzarella and baked until browned. Shingled atop a mound of bucatini tossed in that same excellent sauce, a little shave of parmesan and whole basil leaves help add a little salty, herby kick to this classically decadent, super-satisfying dish.
Gnocchi con fungi These pillowy, handmade ricotta gnocchi are sauteed in a toasted sage and brown butter sauce. Unexpectedly balanced, the sauce is brightened by a generous glug of white wine and squeeze of citrus, while the mushrooms and green peas provide welcome freshness and earthiness.
Margherita House-made pizza dough is rolled out into individual size pies and cooked in the resto’s brick oven. It’s all about the dough here, as the secret recipe, which Kitkowski and his staff “take a lot of pride in,” has honey in it, acting as both a vigorous fermentation source for the yeast and contributing to a whisper of sweetness in the golden crust. It’s thin, crispy and wonderfully chewy in all the right places.
Cioppino A true celebration of the fruits of the sea. Piled high in a bowl, jumbo shrimp, clams, mussels and thick-cut calamari are deftly cooked and tossed in a slightly spiced-up version of the house pomodoro, then pleasantly tangled with handfuls of bucatini. No rubbery tentacles here, each piece is sweet and tender with a little brine to cut through the robust richness.
Caesar salad All the traditional Caesar elements are present and accounted for, as chopped romaine hearts are tossed in a super bright dressing. Instead of croutons, the salad is flanked by fried fontina sticks, while a sprinkling of crispy capers adds texture and piquancy. Don’t be afraid of anchovies — these white filets make for one of the punchier Caesars around.
Isola
15 Grand Ave., Shelter Island Heights
631-749-9036
Hours
Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.
isolany.com
@isolashelterisland
Good to know
Live music and/or karaoke every week, all year lon
