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A Nice Place, If You Can Find It!
Upon arriving at the
Sayville Inn, customers drive past a sign that reads, “No View, Great Food.”
While customers have no view of the typical water scene of so many Long
Island Restaurants, every seat at the Sayville Inn provides a front row view of
the ever-changing interior décor. The
owner and operator, Pamela Raymond, hails from Greenwich, Connecticut and while
she has traveled to over 100 countries, she has chosen Sayville as her ideal
location. It is conveniently
located between New York City and the Hamptons. The establishment is set off of Main Street at 199 Middle Road.
William Bergin (below left) is the executive chef of The Sayville Inn. He has been preparing meals there for the past seven years. Prior to working on Long Island, William cooked in Miami and New York City. Pam, the owner, takes great pride in knowing her customers. She not only recognizes regulars, she can tell you where they live, what they do, and how long they have been frequenting her restaurant.
Not
only do current elected county officials dine at Sayville Inn, but famous former
Presidents have enjoyed the Inn’s hospitality.
The Inn was built in 1888 on Middle Road,
The evening we ate
at The Sayville Inn, the wait staff was dressed in Halloween Costumes.
Servers present were dressed as an angel, a cat, and Dopey.
Dopey, better known as Michelle
the Head Waitress attended to our table and provided our table with the advice
“don’t order something you don’t like.”
She informed us there is no set uniform for the staff, it is entirely
based on the month or week’s chosen theme.
The entire staff was amiable and extremely outgoing.
Their personalities only added to the homey impression given by The
Sayville Inn. The bread and crackers were served with a spread, which is changed on a daily basis. Our basket of fresh poppy and sesame seed rolls were served alongside a spicy cilantro hummus spread. It delivered a slight spice with each bite.
Our first appetizer of the evening was a Caramelized Onion Gorgonzola Tart with Rosemary Demiglace (above left). The crust was created from crushed crackers, which offered a very homemade feel. The tart was similar to a slice of pie in shape. There was a very subtle undertone of gorgonzola and a sweet taste of onion, which was an excellent combination. The second appetizer presented to the table was Baked Oysters (above right). The oysters were whole and had an herbed breading. They had a nice taste – not salty, fresh, hot and seasoned perfectly.
All entrees were served with fresh vegetables, which are grown locally on Long Island at Agriculturally Interested Natural Grown in Bayport by the Bush Family. Coincidently, they were enjoying dinner at The Sayville Inn the same evening. The first entrée that graced our table was the Red Miso Poached Shrimp (above left) served with bamboo rice and red pepper. Bamboo rice is short-grain rice infused with the chlorophyll of bamboo, which gives it a green color. The dish was fragrant from the fresh red peppers. The Bamboo rice was soft, and the shrimp was crisp and firm. The next entrée was Creole Seafood Stuffed Salmon (above right) served with fresh green beans and creamy mashed potatoes. The stuffing was made from monk fish, cod and salmon. The salmon was cooked in a Creole sauce and adorned with roasted red peppers. This dish provided a variety of flavor. The fish was fork tender underneath its crispy top. BBQ sauce decorated the side of the plate.
Our third entrée was the Marinated Club Steak (above left) with smashed potatoes and carrot puree. The steak was marinated in a dark homemade marinade, which was deliciously sweet. Each bite of steak melted in our mouths. The smashed potatoes were flavored with shallots. The carrot puree was an amazing fall vegetable choice. The freshness of the carrots was evident to all. The Roasted Lamb Loin (above right) complemented by soft polenta was the next sampled entrée. The lamb was tender, and not gamey. The polenta was salty and buttery. The grilled zucchini balanced out the dish.
Crawfish Ravioli with white eggplant roasted tomatoes and basil (above left) was our fifth entrée. The pasta was hot and cooked al dente. There was a little kick to the pink colored ravioli filling, which was from combining the fish and pepper. Our last tasted entrée was the Apple Mirepiox Demiglace over chicken (above right) with mashed potatoes. A combination of carrots, celery and onion created the demiglace. The dish was presented with strips of fried pasta to provide additional height and a side of our favorite carrot puree. The chicken was flavorful and succulent.
For dessert, our table sampled four delicious indulgences. The first to arrive at our table was the Flan (above left). The custard was thick and heavy and had an overall sweet taste. A favorite was the Tollhouse Pie (above right). It was a giant chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a slice of pie with vanilla ice cream. The cookie was warm and gooey with walnuts, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. A cookie lover’s delight!
The third dessert was a Key Lime Pie (above left). It was homemade and delicious with its perfected sweet and sour taste and delicious graham cracker crust. The last dessert was the BK (Bellport Kitchen) Knockout (above right). Served “sundae style” in a large glass bowl, your utensil will discover a chocolate brownie with sweet cream cheese in the middle, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream. The BK Knockout is a definite satisfaction for any sweet tooth craving. You can enjoy dinner at the same
place Theodore Roosevelt has enjoyed a drink.
The Sayville Inn is quite the experience with just the unique interior décor
and genial staff. In addition, you can enjoy a delicious dinner in what, at times, feels
like your family dining room. Everyone
seems to know everyone and it makes for a fantastic atmosphere.
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