Adieu to Summer 2007

On Labor Day I joined some friends for the last lunch of summer at Sunset Beach on Shelter Island. They love to take their boat over there, swim to shore, and have a lovely lunch. The idea certainly appealed to me, especially since the setting is much more like the Cote D’Azur than the nearby Hamptons.


After the choppiest boat road of my life, I was ready for what I had been told would be the best margarita of my life at The Sunset Beach Restaurant. We ordered a round and they were right. Edo, the bartender, made them with Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila. I've become a believer that using quality spirits in a cocktail does make a difference. The Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila added a complex and slightly smoky finish to my margarita, which made all the difference. When I asked for the recipe, he was nice enough to give me it to me so check it out below.


Later we sat down for lunch and I ordered Moules Frites Marinieres to start because I’d seen quite a few tables of people enjoying them. Good choice. The mussels were delicious and sweet, their sauce was tasty, and the fries were okay though not outstanding. We also had a couple of orders of fried calamari which came with both an aioli and a red sauce. The calamari called out for a rose so I checked their well edited wine list and ordered the 2006 Bedell Domaines “CC” Rose from Long Island, which was fabulous, crisp and refreshing. I had had it earlier this summer when I came out for a tasting at Bedell, and it has since become one of my favorite Long Island wines. After that I had the wild striped bass grille which was deliciously fresh but disappointingly meagre for something priced at $29.00.


Maybe the food here isn’t as wonderful as the fare on the Cote d’Azur, but I really don’t care. The atmosphere is wonderful and sometimes that is enough for me. So next summer I’d recommend a visit to my favorite new summer hangout!

Sunset Beach
35 Shore Road
Shelter Island, Long Island
www.sunsetbeachli.com

Edo’s Margarita

1-1/4 ounces Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila
1-3/4 ounces Cointreau
1-1/4 ounces simple syrup
1 ounce freshly squeezed limejuice

Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously and serve over ice or straight up.