Morty’s Oyster Stand
2167 Montauk Highway
Amagansett
631-668-8355
Lunch and dinner daily
As our caravan of cars headed East on the Napeague stretch, we passed the super busy fried fish emporium, Lobster Roll, a.k.a. Lunch, on the right. Then we passed the Clam Bar on the left, which seems to have expanded in seating and vehicles this season, rather like those little shriveled creatures you put in water and the next morning they are 100 times larger. We pulled into Morty’s Oyster Stand, which wasn’t nearly as busy as the other establishments, having only been open a month.
For those who remember Cyril’s Fish House, the change could be a shock. There are winks and nods to this Irish character who ruled the stretch for many years and his eponymous place that was known more for its bar than the restaurant. Morty’s is still quite small and the renovation is exceptionally beautiful. The homages to Cyril Fitzsimons are the toile wallpaper with blue images of the lighthouse, seals, fishing boats, the stretch, the Ditch Witch food truck, and portraits of Cyril in red, interspersed with the blue images. Morty’s also continues to serve the iconic BBC, Bailey’s Banana Colada, a wicked, sugary, addictive concoction that probably originated on Anguilla (or St. Maarten) where Mr. Fitzsimons spent his winters.
It is obvious that no expense was spared on this renovation. The building is a deep, dark, lush blue, there are shiny brass accents and porthole windows, bistro and other very comfortable chairs for outdoor dining, and a menu that is short, original, and sophisticated.
We sat outside and began with broiled Lazy Point oysters, steamed mussels, fried Ipswich clams, chili squid, and black bass ceviche. Every single thing we ordered was superb.
The broiled oysters were small and briny and emerald green from the garlic parsley butter. The steamed mussels came in a slightly sweet corn broth with paper thin slivers of garlic, a generous half of a crisp baguette, and were topped with many basil leaves. The fried Ipswich clams were in a perfectly seasoned batter, kind of like fried chicken batter, and had a great, hot bird-chili aioli on the side. There was a little mound of shredded daikon radish, pickled slivers of garlic, and some julienned carrots on the side to cool your mouth after a taste of that addictive aioli.
The chili squid was such a beautiful and peppery dish. Besides the perfectly cooked squid (tentacles included, yay!), the dish had jackfruit, little Kirby cucumber slices, and watermelon radish. Tiny bits of dried shrimp, wilted baby spinach, some Thai basil leaves and cilantro added more color and flavor and the whole shebang was topped with bonito (katsuobushi) flakes. These paper-thin flakes are dried, smoked skipjack, full of umami. They are so thin, the heat from the dish makes them dance and wave.
The black bass ceviche was a pale yellow (perhaps from turmeric or the chilies?) and had a sauce called leche de tigre mixed in. This is a Peruvian citrus-spicy marinade with the paste of aji limo, a Peruvian pepper, and a gazillion other ingredients. There were red onion slices mixed in and it had a crunchy topping of quinoa and toasted corn kernels. A huge wedge of crisp rice cracker was served alongside to scoop up the ceviche.
For entrees we tried the fried chicken, the whole fried fish special of the evening (black bass), a side order of lobster macaroni and cheese, cioppino, and lobster rolls. Again, everything was absolutely delicious and beautiful to behold.
The fried chicken was crunchy outside, moist inside. The menu said it was served with spicy honey but we all thought it was sweet chili sauce. Either way, it was divine. Alongside it was a celery root slaw with bits of green apple and a lime dipping sauce.
The whole fish special was a black bass and although the price was hefty, it was enough for two people. It was perfectly fresh, served on top of excellent hand-cut fries and with a green sauce of aji limo. The lobster mac and cheese was another winner, it was a creamy blend of radiatore pasta (the perfect shape to capture the sauce) and plenty of chunks of lobster meat. The cioppino was as classic a version as you could want. The broth was light and tomatoey with fennel, onions, the usual suspects. There were plenty of clams, sea scallops, shrimp, and white fish in it and a big slab of toasted sourdough bread on the side to sop up the soup.
It is also worth noting here that every one of these dishes had so many fresh herbs sprinkled in and on them — like the Thai basil in the squid dish and the crunchy fried garlic chips on the mac and cheese — that really added to the flavor.
The lobster roll was simple, as it should be. Warm chunks of lobster barely dressed (buttered) on a toasted brioche bun with a light mesclun salad on the side.
The service on the night of our visit was as good as the food, as in most excellent. Our waitress, Jeannine, knew everything about the menu and the history of Cyril’s. There were seven of us, with increasing degrees of rambunctious enthusiasm over the food as the BBCs and beers were consumed. (The designated drivers behaved, F.Y.I.)
The prices at Morty’s Oyster Stand are high, but not a single one of us would balk at them because of the quality of everything we had. Prices are $16 to $27 for starters, mains are $28 to $41, sides are $9 to $18, and desserts are $14. For those who gripe about bamboo plates and cellulose cups at these prices, it is not just because you are dining outdoors and glasses could break. These places along Napeague stretch are at or below sea level, so if all these restaurants were running dishwashers nonstop, there would for sure be a stinky need for the pumpout truck to show up, if you get my drift.
I don’t usually get into the background of new owners, partners, investors, etc., but it is worth noting that these three fellas, Jeremy Morton, Jack Luber, and Charles Seich have the hospitality (and design and construction) chops to make this place a success. It’s not just another “Duryea-ization” of a beloved old rundown shanty. I just made that word up. Sam Talbot is the executive chef, he of “Top Chef,” Surf Lodge, and People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” fame. To even mention these trivial celebrity attributes does him a disservice, for he is an author of several books, one specifically about his life with Type 1 diabetes, and is very involved with numerous charities. And he is an extremely talented, healthful-minded chef.
There were two desserts on the menu on the night of our visit, a BBC ice cream sandwich and something called a pineapple bar. The BBC ice cream sandwich was very good, two chocolate chip cookies with a whisper of sea salt on them encasing some rich Irish Cream-flavored ice cream. Alongside it was a superfluous dipping sauce that tasted of sweetened condensed milk with kaffir lime leaves in it. The pineapple bar was very much like a square serving of key lime pie. It was excellent, with a creamy topping full of tart pineapple flavor on a cinnamony graham cracker crust and topped with lots of lime zest.
It’s unusual to have so many happy, enthusiastic diners who truly love everything placed in front of them, but such was the case at Morty’s Oyster Stand. I believe Mr. Cyril Fitzsimons would approve.