Long Island Restaurants

Louie's Oyster Bar & Grille

For generations, Louie's Shore Restaurant seemed as much a part of Port Washington as the bay. But the appeal dried up many mussels ago. Louie's Shore turned very spotty and beached itself.

It's succeeded by a new, fresh and often good Louie's, now surnamed Oyster Bar & Grille. The dining rooms have been lightened up, and so has the cooking, but in a very traditional way.

Enjoy the house's namesake chowder, a smoky variation on New England that's satisfying and very good. The Manhattan rendition is, by comparison, pretty routine. Gazpacho refreshes.

Also recommended is the lobster cake. The lobster cocktail, too. And the shellfish platter for two is a briny production that may sport Malpeques and more among the bluepoints, lobster, shrimp and clams.

Louie's stuffed clams are chopped, well-seasoned, but overdone. Whole baked clams are on the salty side.

Linguine with white clam sauce is fragrant and flavorful; penne primavera, the husky variety.

The something-for-everyone fried and broiled platters are available. The former is crisp, but rather bland; the latter includes tasty scrod.

Lobsters reign here, from one to five pounds. They're moist and recommended. The cold, well-dressed lobster stuffed with scallops and shrimp also is a winner.

But skip the surf-and-turf, with its rubbery lobster tail and tasteless filet mignon. The shell steak, by comparison, is juicy, charred right and sent out as ordered: Louie's best alternative for carnivores.

The creamy rice pudding and graham cracker-crusted cheesecake are worth sampling. But shield yourself from tiramisu, chocolate "mud'' cake and a stab at Key lime pie. Nostalgia goes just so far.

Peter M. Gianotti

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