Girls Who Eat Out: Navy Beach

It was my first foray out east to Montauk, Long Island’s most eastern point. We had rented a house for the weekend, and had a number of friends joining us from the city. Given that we were all city folk, who not only love to eat, but also love to cook, we intended on using the grill to the fullest extent. However, our first night there, having not had the opportunity to go grocery shopping, my friend Raven and I decided to venture out into the Montauk dining scene. There are a number of well-reviewed and popular restaurants to choose from, but given their popularity, they book up quite quickly. One in particular, you have to start calling the morning of, only to get a busy signal and try again. It all seemed a bit too exhausting for me on that particular day, so I had my friend Lyndon make me a reservation for us at his friend’s new restaurant – Navy Beach.

Located on the beach, you are immediately drawn to the wall of windows. The blue, rustic-elegant decor compliments the restaurant’s proximity to the beautiful outdoors. Lucky for us, there was an incredible lightning storm over the water that night, making us two girls from Oklahoma nostalgic for the amazing thunder and lightning storms of our youth. We kicked back with perfectly made mojitos as we watched nature’s best show.

Although known for their seafood-inspired comfort food, we were more in the mood for light and fresh seafood. So we decided to split a few appetizers and dishes from their raw menu. We both started with the hearty Montauk Clam & Corn Chowder, which was deliciously fresh. We then shared the Crispy Shishito Peppers, the Tuna Sashimi, Bass Tiradito, and the Cobia Cebiche (ceviche). The healthy portion of peppers were charred slightly, then tossed with lime and sea salt. This was my first experience with shishito peppers, and the simple preparation allowed the true flavors to shine. The Cobia Cebiche and the Bass Tiradito both followed this rule of simplicity, and really proved that if you have fresh ingredients, you shouldn’t try to mask them with too many different flavors. The Cebiche included the the usual cilantro, lime, and jalapeno, but they also threw in some fresh tomatoes and olives to give it a little twist. It all worked together beautifully, and was served with tasty homemade tortilla chips. Using the same principles, the Tiradito delighted my mouth with a burst of fresh flavors. Served thinly sliced like carpaccio, it was topped with the rare Japanese citrus yuzu, crispy shallots, roasted baby tomatoes, and garlic chips. But I believe my favorite of the raw plates was the Tuna Sashimi. The most creative of the bunch, they took the opportunity to really dress up the tuna. Beautifully plated, it arrived with avocado, wakame, spicy mayo, tobiko, mustard greens, and crunchy wontons. The flavors just burst in your mouth, and it definitely left us wanting more.

Though perfectly full from our meal, we were delighted to hear Franklin, the co-owner, would be sending over desert for us. We selected the Lemon Tart, and the Peanut Butter Bomb. Not wanted anything too heavy, we were interested to see how we felt about the Peanut Butter Bomb, which was a peanut butter mousse, with oreo cookie crust, chocolate ganache, and raspberry puree. It was absolutely delicious (hard to go wrong with all of my favorite ingredients), but also, surprisingly not too heavy. Though once I tasted the Lemon Tart, I was in love. I normally don’t go for fruity deserts, but this tart was the perfect combination of uber-flaky crust and creamy filling, as well as a great balance of tart and sweet.

So while I have not had the entrees they are known for, I can say that the fresh seafood is in extremely capable  hands at Navy Beach. I will definitely be back next time I have the opportunity to head out East. For more information, check out: http://navybeach.com/restaurant/.