Business

Restaurant round up for Easter

ULIE LANE PHOTO | Vine Street Cafe will be one of many restaurants welcoming patrons for Easter Sunday dinner.

It may not feel much like spring, but an early Easter means some extended hours for a number of Shelter Island restaurants, while others have elected to forego Easter Sunday business and remain either closed or with limited hours until some time in April.

Who’s open for Easter Sunday?
Vine Street Cafe, now in its 11th year of operation on Shelter Island, will be serving dinner on Easter, opening in the late afternoon. Its new Greenport restaurant, Blue Canoe, just across the water, operates seven days a week and will be open for the holiday as well.

The VSC Market, behind Vine Street Cafe, has added a new organic steak sauce to its stock and continues to be open year-round, for takeout meals and other retail items, according to Hannah Harwood.

At La Maison Blanche it will be the annual Easter brunch between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., followed by the annual Easter Egg Hunt. Look for Bonnie Bunny to be on site for picture opportunities, according to owner John Sieni. The restaurant is now open Thursdays through Sundays beginning at 5 p.m. and the bakery is open on weekend mornings from 7 a.m. to 12 noon. La Maison Blanche will be fully operational by June, but could it be sooner? The jury is still out, Mr. Sieni said.

At Sweet Tomato’s, there’s a brunch seating at 11 a.m. and two Easter dinner seatings at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Throughout March, Sweet Tomato’s is open Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. before resuming longer hours in April. On Thursdays and on Fridays before 6:30 p.m., there’s a prix-fixe menu, including fish during Lent. Sweet Tomato’s new spring menu will include veal shank Osso Buco and gnocchi with smoked tomato sauce.

At 18 Bay, Easter will mark the first Sunday opening for brunch. But Sunday dinner service, starting around 3 p.m., won’t resume until sometime in April, according to co-owner Elizabeth Ronzetti.

Commander Cody’s will be open all day Easter.

Shelley Clark-Rohde at Clark’s Fish House will be open Easter Sunday. featuring ham as the price fix, and Clark’s will be maintain her usual weekend hours from 5 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until further notice.

The Chequit will offer “light fare” from noon to 8 p.m., according to co-owner Linda Eklund. The Ram’s Head Inn remains closed except for private parties until later in the spring,.

The Dory has had a rough winter, still recovering from the wrath of Sandy that brought extensive flooding to Bridge Street. Owner Jack Kiffer is still working at getting his kitchen fully up and running, at on least Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. At this writing, Mr. Kiffer was unsure when he would be fully operational.

Ashley Knight, who has kept the Islander open throughout the winter when most other places were closed, couldn’t be reached about her plans for Easter Sunday. Workers at the restaurant said they had no information on her plans.

Kyle’s won’t be open for Easter, but will be up and running for its annual meatball contest, open to contestants whose meatballs will be judged by patrons who pay $30 for a spaghetti and meatball dinner with salad, wine and desert.

Don’t look to Fresh or Sunset Beach for Easter; both will start their seasons later this spring. Nor will Bob’s Fish Market and Restaurant be open for Easter. But Kolina Reiter said the market will be operating from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and the restaurant to be open from 5 to 9 p.m. the same days starting the first week in April..

Don’t count on Maria’s Kitchen or Bella Vita Pizza and Restaurant for Easter.
“We’re Catholic,” owner Anthony Riccobano of Bella Vita said, explaining why his doors won’t be open Easter Sunday.

But fret not about your morning coffee. Stars Cafe will be open until 1 p.m., owner Pepe Martinez said.