New Orleans-style restaurant Big Daddy's East closes in Bay Shore after less than six months
Duck wings with vermicelli and Thai basil were a specialty at Big Daddy's East in Bay Shore, which has closed. Credit: Newsday/Corin Hirsch
The construction took well over a year, but Big Daddy’s East in Bay Shore was open for less than six months. The New Orleans-style restaurant, an ambitious second location for the Massapequa original, has been dark since the beginning of the year but the official story was that it was closed for renovations. Now Tom Kurtz, general manager in Massapequa, confirms that it is closed and for sale.
Peter Sheskier opened the original Big Daddy’s in Massapequa in 1993. The Bay Shore restaurant, co-owned by Sheskier and Melissa Sutherland, debuted in August. In contrast to the casual vibe in Massapequa, Big Daddy's East was soaring and elegant, with a dramatic marble bar and centerpiece chandelier, plus plenty of brick, gas lanterns, curtains and dining nooks. The menu combined Cajun, Creole, Vietnamese and even Czech touches and, in Nola-esque fashion, there was an oyster bar and shucker positioned near the front door.
The good times are still rolling at the original Big Daddy’s, 1 Park Lane, Massapequa, 516-799-8877, bigdaddysny.com.
