If the Donagher family has their wish, it’s going to the summer of Smuggler’s Cove (1410 Manhanset Ave., Greenport, 631-477-6305).
Brothers Joe and Patrick Donagher and Patrick’s wife, Roz Donagher, joined forces to bring Greenport a reinvigorated surf-and-turf and Irish fare-forward restaurant at the home of the former Porto Bello restaurant in Safe Harbor Stirling Marina.
Joe, the owner, pitched the business to Patrick, who was hesitant at first. “It just grew in our minds and we were thinking about all the things we could do and the things that weren’t being done, and we think we could really turn it around,” says Patrick. “We think it’s a great location and we think there’s a lot of potential.”
Extensive renovations have been underway for months, including a custom floating staircase and roof deck, extending the indoor bar and taking down a wall to open the service area.
The restaurant’s chef, Vincent Pomara, refined his skills in Italy and will bring homemade pasta to plates, along with a menu loaded with local provisions like Peconic Gold Oysters at their raw bar, Deep Roots Farm produce, Southold Fish Market seafood and Wayside Market meat.
As for the sips, Roz, who previously worked in fine dining, applied her sommelier skill in curating the wine list and spirits selections, as well as devising an extensive cocktail menu.
The trio’s background in the business comes from family members for generations before them setting the standard, owning and operating restaurants and bars.
Joe and Patrick have decades of experience in the hospitality sector. After immigrating from Ireland over two decades ago, the brothers started behind the bar and worked their way through the industry, all the way to managing and owning spaces of their own.
While their focus now lies in Greenport, both brothers have ongoing beer and bites ventures in Manhattan, with Joe owning Beer Authority, a sports bar in Times Square, and Patrick owning The Jeffery, a brewpub on the Upper East Side.
Patrick, who has lived in Southold for a decade, was also in the beer making space for years as the founder of Alewife Brewing, based in Sunnyside, Queens with a North Fork outpost — a business he’s leaving as he enters this new chapter in Greenport.
“I think we’ll be good hosts and we’ll try to make everyone happy,” says Patrick. “It’s more than a business; it’s what we do, it’s what we love.
A grand opening is planned for Memorial Day Weekend.
Smuggler’s Cove will be open from 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. — serving brunch — on weekends. The kitchen will close at 9 p.m. nightly, with the bar open until midnight with a late-night pub menu on weekends.
Learn more about the new restaurant and make a reservation here.
