It just got easier to find a seafood dinner made with Long Island-landed fish and shellfish.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program (CCEMP) in collaboration with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has just launched the Long Island Seafood Cuisine Trail, meant to highlight fish markets, restaurants and oyster bars that sell and serve locally harvested fish and shellfish.
The Seafood Trail app features both north shore and south shore trails and provides a description of the business, a link to their website, a map and a check-in process to keep track of which seafood sites you’ve visited.
The Seafood Cuisine Trail is part of New York State’s Blue Food Transformation initiative, created to “bolster marine agriculture, promote a healthy natural environment and provide New Yorkers with a nutritious source of locally grown seafood,” according to their website.
Kristin Gerbino of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Program says that the state funded the venture while CCEMP did the hands-on work putting the trails together and getting the app built. “People don’t realize how much seafood is landed by our commercial fishermen and oyster growers — that it’s such a big industry here on Long Island. We want to raise awareness about that,” Gerbino says. “So much of the seafood that we consume is imported; it doesn’t make sense. We want to stop that disconnect and get people connected with the seafood that is available here.”
Scallops from the North Fork Table and Inn and seafood marinara from Jerry and the Mermaid. (Photos Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program)
The south shore trail, which runs from Bay Shore to Montauk, was launched in April of 2025. The north shore trail runs from Northport to Greenport and was launched this week. About 40 restaurants and fish markets are represented in total on both trails. “It made more sense to do two trails to incorporate both forks,” Gerbino says. Participating businesses are required to take a survey and sign a pledge resolving to serve local seafood.
While the response has been positive from the public, it also is applauded by the fish markets and restaurants that make up the trail itself. “Eating local fish cuts out several middlemen in a supply chain that is notoriously riddled with traceability issues,” says Andrea Tese, owner of Minnow at the Galley Ho and Legends in New Suffolk, both stops on the north shore trail. “This way you know that you are eating the freshest and healthiest fish that is best for your body and the planet.”
Purple fluke aguachile from Little Creek Oyster Farm & Market and assorted seafood dishes from Inlet Seafood Restaurant. (Photos Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program)
The CCEMP team will be promoting the Seafood Cuisine Trails on their social media featuring Ian Wile of Little Creek Oyster Farm & Market in Greenport and Amanda Jones of Inlet Seafood Restaurant in Montauk, the last stops on their respective trails. “We are trying to tell the story of how the seafood gets from the boat to the plate,” says Gerbino.
To learn more about the program and to download the app, visit CCEMP’s website.
