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Fire Island's Favorite Dining And Entertainment Destination When
the ferry pulls up to the Fire Island town of Kismet, you will have a clear view
of Surf’s Out where patrons in beachwear indulge in food and drink while
enjoying the breathtaking vista. A peaceful half an hour ride on the ferry will
take you to this perfect “daycation” destination away from the traffic and
noise of mainland Long Island. The name Surf’s “Out” is actually a play on
words to describe an eatery, which was once simply called “the Out” in
contrast to its neighbor “the Inn”.
This
reference is also made toward items on the menu that can be ordered in the style
of either “Inn” or “Out”. Humorous phrases are used to name dishes such
as “Yellow Polka Dot Bikini Panini” and categories like “Trimmed Beach
Grass” for salads and “Fish So Fresh It Should Be Slapped”. Dishes deeming
the names of familiar south shore towns make you feel right at home. New world
cuisine complete with a spectacular sushi menu, and creative tropical cocktails
might just be the perfect island dining experience.
There is an aptly sized bar stretching along the entire left side of the dining
room, fully stocked and garnished with a waterfall brandishing the Surf’s Out
logo. Along with two large flat screen TV’s, travel size games such as Trivial
Pursuit are provided for good old-fashioned entertainment. Everything has a
charming and tastefully executed nautical theme. Outside there are tables
underneath colorful umbrellas where you’re likely to enjoy your dinner or
drinks while taking in the beautiful sunset over the Great South Bay.
We
started the evening with a few drinks off the fairly extensive cocktail menu.
Trying one that is named after the restaurant seemed appropriate so we sampled
the “Surf’s Out” martini (below left). It consisted of chilled Bacardi “O” and
“Limon” with muddled mint, a citrus inspired interpretation of the Mojito
that was decidedly a great choice for summer refreshment.
The
“Dirty Stay Out” (above right), a dirty martini with muddled jalapeno was a savory delight.
Expectedly spicy, but surprisingly not, it embodied the flavor of the pepper without
being overwhelming and was delicious.
We
raised an eyebrow at the impressive platter of fresh bread, seasoned Kalamata black
olives and hunks of Pecorino Romano Cheese that adorned the bar (top right). This offering was
so generous it was actually mistaken by a fellow bar patron for an appetizer. This
was considered a wonderful upscale bar snack and an overture for the delicious
tasting dishes we might sample from the menu, which brings us to our first
appetizer.
The Kismet Calamari “Out” (top left) is sautéed with broccoli rabe, Gorgonzola Cheese, garlic & oil. This choice was not your run of the mill recipe and a must for calamari lovers. A light coating of tangy Gorgonzola-infused breading softened the naturally bitter bite of the leafy broccoli rabe, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish. Also sampled was the “Inn” version (top right), crispy fried rings of Calamari and a side of fiery cherry pepper marinara. We found the batter to be tasty enough without any help, although if you’d like to add some spice the sauce is quite a zesty concoction. The Calamari in both versions was cooked to that satisfying snappy texture without being rubbery. As
an entrée we sampled the Macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi with vanilla rum butter
sauce (below left). This fish was definitely “so fresh it should be slapped” since it was
caught 90 miles off shore in the Atlantic. It was moist and flaky with a luxurious
multitude of flavors, sweet to the point of delicate satisfaction. The rice was
coated in the vanilla rum sauce with a hint of pineapple, and hidden crumbles of
macadamia nuts throughout. On top of this delicious mound of rice were rich green
stalks of asparagus expertly blanched.
“Mary’s
Rack… of Lamb That Is” (above right) was our last entrée. The French-cut, herb crusted
succulent chops of meat had natural au jus inspired flavor. They were cooked to a
pink medium rare center with a beautifully charred outside and laid atop an almost
au gratin style whole potato which we were informed was marinated in a white wine
and butter sauce.
For
dessert we started with three lovely chocolate-dipped Cannoli’s (above left), complimented
perfectly by their excellent house coffee and cappuccino. We also tried the
Sfogiatelle (top right), a crisp and flaky homemade puff pastry filled with creamy ricotta
cheese custard and drizzled with a raspberry sauce. This was an exceptional little
strudel creation with all the right textures and a raspberry zing at the end.
We strongly recommend you visit Surf’s Out this summer, it will surely become a tradition for many years to come. Overall a relaxing and quite palatable dining experience in a place where the ocean and the moon lie between you and your worries. This Fire Island hotspot has live music, karaoke, a clam-shucking contest and drink specials that will take you all the way through Labor Day weekend and beyond. Just be careful, you may be having so much fun the ferry might leave without you.
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