Riverbay in Williston Park said to close

RIVERBAY LIKELY TO CLOSE

Riverbay, the longtime seafood restaurant in Williston Park, is expected to close later this year, and be replaced by a branch of TD Bank. Owner Dean Poll said that a key variance has been approved by the local Zoning Board of Appeals.

The Poll family has owned the property at 700 Willis Ave. for more than 30 years. Poll said it would be more profitable to lease the site than to keep the 250-seat restaurant in business there.

Poll, who operates The Boathouse in Central Park, added that he would consider reviving Riverbay or opening another restaurant with less seating.

JOLLY FISHERMAN GETS FACE LIFT

Changes are afoot at The Jolly Fisherman -- but not too many changes. The 55-year-old Roslyn landmark has just wrapped up four months of renovation and a menu revision that chef-owner Steven Scheiner described as "an evolution, not a revolution."

The entrance, hallway and main dining room now have a sleek, modern look with sea-toned upholstery and tile work, contemporary light fixtures and dark wood accents. Meanwhile, the bar and the two smaller dining rooms have retained their so-stodgy-it's-charming decor.

That stodgy charm also informs the food. Most of the menu is a trip down seafood-memory lane: Fish comes fried, broiled, à la française or à la meunière, accompanied by your choice of potato, salad or the daily veg. The new items include pan-seared Chilean sea bass, Shanghai shrimp and vegetables, crispy shrimp dumplings -- but I don't see myself ordering Asian-fusion at the Jolly Fisherman anytime soon. That would mean forgoing the excellent New England clam chowder and fried Ipswich clams, shockingly generous servings of soft-shell crabs and broiled scallops dusted with paprika and broiled in butter as scallops have been broiled since the Coolidge administration.

Friendly, comfortable and dependable seafood restaurants on Long Island are all too rare. Here's to the Jolly Fisherman's next 55 years.

Coming soon: Vintage in JerichoVintage Bar and Grill, an offshoot of Vintage Steakhouse in St. James, is expected to open late next month or in early September at the ever-fertile Jericho address that most recently housed Philippe. The interior is being "totally redesigned," said owner Michael Cacaro.

Last month, Cacaro closed Fulton & Prime, the steak and seafood restaurant that had a six-year run on Jericho Turnpike in Syosset. The adjoining Manero's Market butcher shop also closed.

The former Philippe, a free-standing building, earlier was home to Palio and, for many years, Capriccio.