When the warm weather hits, we are drawn to the beach. One other ocean-inspired pursuit we like to indulge in every summer: a casual dinner of golden fried seafood.
Try some seafood in the 36-mile Sound Shore region of our county — which includes Larchmont, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Port Chester, and Rye — all municipalities on or near the Long Island Sound. Expect miles of shoreline, marinas, ports, charming villages, a city, and all the small-town feels in between, plus a shore area with private beaches and inlets.
Sample the bounty of the sea, deep-fried, boiled, sauteed, baked, or marinated by the talent in these Sound Shore kitchens, like Pepe’s Palace in New Rochelle, a small casual café that’s received nationwide acclaim since opening in 2014. “I just cook and let the people speak,” says Chef Pepe Manigault.
While the weather’s warm, check out these seafood spots before (and after) Labor Day.
Harbour Fish & Company
576 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck; 914.630.4790
Before this summer, Harbour Fish & Company operated primarily as a takeout establishment known for fried fish sandwiches and steamed crab legs, a stone’s throw away from scenic Harbor Island Park.
Now, it’s still casual, but has transformed into a sit-down eatery. It’s a Peruvian kitchen and bar, with at least four varieties of ceviche, which includes fish, shrimp, and other seafood marinated in lemon juice, with potatoes and corn. You can still get deep-fried fish and seafood, but now they come with rice, fries, pasta, or potatoes — Peruvian style. For the seafood-averse in your party, there are plenty of chicken and beef options, too.
Leno’s Clam Bar
755 Pelham Rd, New Rochelle; 914.224.2489
Summer is not complete without enjoying a meal on the patio at this timeless roadside eatery steeped in nostalgia. (That it happens to be on a busy street across from a gas station only emphasizes the laidback, greasy-spoon atmosphere.)
There are classic menu offerings that scream of the season — hot dogs and hamburgers contribute to its reputation as Greasy Nick’s — but, when it comes to ordering, the name says it all. Golden, fried, breaded clams strips are crispy and succulent. Pair them with French fries or corn on the cob drenched in melted butter.
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Pepe’s Palace
560 North Ave, New Rochelle; 914.632.7373
Calling its cuisine “multicultural soul food,” Pepe’s encompasses the comfort food of several cultures, where the rich, creamy mac ’n’ cheese is award-winning; the northern mustard greens are scrumptiously nourishing; and the yams are made with Tahitian vanilla bean. Dishes vary in flavor and inspiration from Moroccan and Caribbean to Greek, Thai, Indian, and American South. A few stools are the only form of seating (they’re great for people watching, but you may need to take your order to-go if they’re full).
In either case, the legendary New York Buffalo fried shrimp shine — flawlessly cooked and utterly juicy. Battered with a light, crispy coating and served piping hot, they’re tossed with a vibrant, tangy sauce and finished with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. You can also find platters of shrimp and ling whiting, a fish from the cod family, with basmati rice, salad, and roasted garlic yogurt sauce. Or savor your shrimp in a gyro, spiced with Thai chili sauce. There are no rules, besides quality, Manigault says.
“It’s the best shrimp in New York, I don’t know what to tell you,” Manigault says. The New Rochelle High School graduate worked in Heathcoate Tavern in Scarsdale and Larchmont Avenue Oyster House, followed by the kitchen of Manhattan’s Park Central Hotel for 13 years, before opening Pepe’s in his hometown in 2014.
Whatever you order as your main, be sure to save room for cheesecake. For his Philly cream cheese-style cakes, Manigault makes a new flavor each week, from lemon drop and orange creamsicle to toasted almond, pistachio, and Key lime — “whatever’s in my head,” Manigault says. “It’s really about variety and quality.”
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Ruby’s Oyster Bar & Bistro
45 Purchase St, Rye; 914.921.4166
Ruby’s serves up a fresh raw bar, colorful salads, and a wide selection of wine right on Purchase Street. That raw bar features double and triple tiered trays of lobster, oysters, shrimp, mussels, clams — fresh year-round. There are also dishes like the popular poke tuna tartare, sauteed Maryland crab cake, and butter-poached or chilled lobster roll, plus entrees with sole, salmon, cod, swordfish, and shrimp. You can dine inside, on the sidewalk, or on the Sound Shore destination’s back patio when the weather’s right.
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Related: 10 Lobster Rolls in Westchester for Serious Summer Flavor
