by Sue Giustino
Located along the old highway in a lovely white house with a quaint wraparound porch and spectacular view of the ocean, the Surfside Inn offers hassle-free scenic setting for dining on top-shelf cuisine. This is one of my favorite places to enjoy a meal while listening to the lull of the waves breaking and watching the moon rise over the Atlantic.
With a lovely August breeze blowing off the water, we sat comfortably on the patio for our dinner. Devon, who is always entertaining and accommodating, has been a waiter at Surfside for years. His smile, laughs, stories, and occasional songs adds to the welcoming feeling at this intimate restaurant. On his recommendation, we tried three signature Martinis – the Watermelon, Pineapple, and the Toasted Coconut which he warned was hard to have just one. He was right of course; they were so fresh and had just the right amount of natural juice sweetness. The Toasted Coconut one was just like a toasted coconut ice cream pop- creamy with a bit of a crunch from the coconut rim.
Starting with one of the evening specials, the Baked Chopped Clams with andouille sausage were bursting with a delicious blend of flavors. Such a great combination of spice from the sausage, herbs, clams, and a bit of cheese all baked together in the natural clam shell. For a change, we chose the Asian Vegetable Dumplings with a choice of two Asian dipping sauces. The light crisp wonton is filled with a gentle blend of vegetables. Another crisp and tender choice was the Lightly Battered Crispy Calamari which is served with banana pepper rings, sweet garlic ginger chili dipping sauce and marinara.
Although we didn’t order these this time, we always enjoy the Prince Edward Island Mussels sauteed in a delicious white wine and garlic butter sauce. In addition, they offer a wonderful assortment of salads and a tasty New England Clam Chowder.
The ‘Dishes from the Farm’ section of the menu offers a variety of steak, pork, chicken and duck options. ‘Pasta, Pasta, Pasta’ includes their notorious Lobster Ravioli, a Bolognese, red or white Clams Sauce, Shrimp Capellini tossed in house marinara, and even a Vegetarian pasta with garden vegetables in a white wine sauce over capellini. ‘From the Front Yard’ contains a wide variety of fish and seafood delights including lobster and a ‘catch of the day’. In addition, there are always intriguing evening specials.
In the past, we’ve really enjoyed the Savanah Style Shrimp with the creamiest cheddar cheese grits, Sauteed Shrimp Capellini, the Barbecue Glazed Pork Shank and especially the fall off the bone Mango Chipotle Glazed BBQ Baby Back Ribs.
Our choices this time spanned the menu- the Roasted LI Duck, Sesame Pan Seared Saku Block Ahi Tuna, and White Clam Sauce served over Linguini. The special flavor of the traditional Orange Grand Marnier Sauce over the LI Duck which was nice and crisp on the outside, yet perfectly tender inside makes this dish one of the best I’ve ever tasted. Rounding out the meal, it’s accompanied by wild rice, seasonal vegetables and extra orange sauce. I ordered the Pan Seared Tuna rare, which is exactly how it came. The crunch of the sesame crust on the tender fish, along with the field greens drizzled with a balsamic glaze, seaweed salad, ginger and wasabi together create a wonderful meal full of delightful textures and flavors. The light broth of the Linguini with Clams, with olive oil, garlic, and parsley enhances the freshness of the clams thus creating a gentle summer pasta dish. As always, each meal is made fresh with generous portions and full of delicious flavors
Enjoying the moonlit evening while savoring our wonderful meals, we decided that we were too full to have dessert. However, Devon convinced us there were a few we just had to try; not surprisingly, his choices proved that maybe we weren’t as full as we thought. Chef Juan has created a fabulous list of desserts, many of which are made in-house. His French Crème Brule– creamy custard topped with a crisp caramelized sugar, 
as well as his Tequila Key Lime Pie– tart and smooth with a buttery graham cracker crust are both absolutely delicious. However, the Chef Juan’s Mud Pie stole the show. This is the biggest piece of pie ever. Layered with coffee ice cream, thick rich dark fudge, walnuts, and Oreo cookie crumbs- purely decadent, sharable and delicious!
Owner/operators Tom and Helene, Chef Juan Brufau along with his staff, and the friendly, attentive wait staff, have maintained a traditional Montauk friendly environment with top-notch food. Be sure to stop by for dinner and/or cocktails- Enjoy the view!
For hours and further information go to: https://surfsideinnmontauk.com/
