Southold Fish Market

For some reason, the North Fork lacks a proper "seafood shack," a restaurant where you can get simple, fresh, local, straight-ahead American seafood classics such as steamers, fried clams, lobsters and lobster rolls. Thankfully Southold Fish Market has stepped into the void.
 
During a weeklong stay in a rental house in Mattituck, I had three lunches at Southold Fish Market. There’s no indoor seating, but in sunny weather the picnic tables overlooking the marina are hard to beat. Southold’s terrific lobster roll contains big hunks of freshly picked meat of a 1¼-pound lobster mixed with mayonnaise and celery and comes with skinny, salty, hand-cut French fries, a bargain at $16.95. For my second lunch I ordered the fried whole-belly clam platter ($11.95) and they were so delicious that I made them my third lunch, too.

You’d be nuts not to peek into the actual fish market at Southold Fish Market, where owner Charlie Manwaring simultaneously helps customers, confers with fishermen and breaks down fish. There’s no place on the North Fork (or on the Island, for that matter) to see a better selection of just-landed local fish. Over the course of a week I bought littleneck clams, swordfish steaks and one 7-pound striped bass from Manwaring. They did my, respectively, spaghetti and clam sauce, Sicilian-style stuffed swordfish and whole roasted striped bass very proud indeed.
Southold Fish Market is at 61850 Main Rd., Southold, 631-765-3200. Hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 'til 7:30 p.m.