Summer may be over for the toes-in-the-sand dining and al fresco bar action that Eddie’s has become known for at Silver Sands, but there’s a brand new, cozier reason to head down sleepy Silvermere Road starting Thursday, Sept. 25, and for the rest of the chillier months: the opening of the Boathouse.
Serving chef Finn O’Hara’s excellent take on local classics (think raw and dressed oysters; Bloody Mary clams with a tangle of fresh local horseradish; thoroughly irresistible, piquant broiled mussels; smoked, crispy oyster fritters; mussel chowder with black truffle; and sandwiches like the smoked bluefish roll), the roomy venue will be open food and drink on weekends throughout the shoulder season and winter months, adding a welcome new dining option, as well as a complement to last year’s evening service launch of Nookies at Night.
The re-imagined space still holds the feel of its original practical purpose but will now be a convivial space to sip and dine. According the current owner Alex Perros, this was the dream of Ed Jurzenia, for whom the adjacent Eddie’s is named and who was part of the family who originally owned Silver Sands dating back to 1952.
“Ed always dreamed of turning the old boathouse into a bar and restaurant. Eddie’s carries his name, and the Boathouse is the realization of that dream,” says Anna Perros, Silver Sands director of brand strategy. “Inside, a photo of him holds a place of honor, a reminder that this place is as much about the people who shaped it as it is about the history of the working waterfront.”
Walk inside and, indeed, you find yourself in a space where you want to hunker down with friends for a fun evening of great food and good conversation. The old, bare shiplap walls are decorated with photos and sea-centric art, an old Coca Cola sign and well-used buoys. Maritime and myriad country flags dangle from the lofted, open ceiling, and broad windows offer a view out to Pipes Cove.
Four extra-long wooden tables with bench seating hold about 50, give or take, and encourage communal dining (you know, getting to know your neighbor!). The bar, where the wonderful mixer and shaker Mike Derby can often be found doing his thing, seats about 11. In addition to dining and drinks, there are board games aplenty to dive into at the roomy tables, and they also plan to screen movies weekly, projected onto a canvas sailcloth.
On Friday, Oct. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m., the Boathouse will host its first community-focused fundraiser where all proceeds from the $50 go to Cornell Cooperative Extension’s marine-focused program, Back to the Bays, in an effort to raise money for more seahorse hotels, temporary, biodegradable structures meant to bring back the local seahorse population and restore the eelgrass beds where they typically live. In return, you get a fun Friday night kick-off filled with oysters from on-site Pipes Cove oyster beds, light bites from talented chef Finn O’Hara, wine from McCall Wines and beer from Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, who are both in-kind sponsors of the event. Grab your tickets here.
The Boathouse, located at the Silver Sands (1400 Silvermere Road, Greenport, 631-997-7747) will be open Thursday, Friday and Monday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., with food served until 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday noon to midnight, with food until 11 p.m.
