Artie's South Shore Fish Market In Island Park

Artie’s is a seafood restaurant with a difference. Not only does it share quarters with a fish market, but owner Artie Hoerning is himself a commercial fisherman and reels in and / traps much of what he sells and serves. The restaurant—consisting of a counter, dining room and deck with a view of the parking lot—is very modest, but there is probably no Long Island restaurant with a better or fresher selection of local seafood in season: fluke, striped bass, bluefish, sable, Peconic Bay scallops, local clams, oysters, crabs (hard and softshell) and lobsters that Artie traps in boxes of his own design. Fried clam bellies are made with softshell clams that are shucked to order. The lobster roll is made with lobster meat, mayonnaise, a little tarragon, salt and pepper plus a dash of lemon, and it comes on a toasted hot dog bun with lettuce and tomato. At $17.95, it's accompanied by fries and coleslaw. It doesn't get any fresher than this.
—Erica Marcus