Although Mother Nature has been fighting the northeast on this, summer is approaching. It’s official. The celebrated Claudio’s Restaurant has announced its 145th reopening for April 2, 2015. The yearly event kindles Greenport Village’s annual spring reawakening, and thousands of local residents and tourists alike take to the streets and to the waterfront docks to rejoice in the arrival of the long-anticipated kickoff of another season.
Greenport was settled in 1682, and by the 1800s, the harbor village was a busy port for whaling ships that would dock in the harbor, and the whaling crewmen would step onto terra firma for some well-earned rest, recreation and repast. When the Portuguese whaling ship, the Neva, docked during the 1850s, one member of its crew, Manuel Claudio, fell in love with one of Greenport’s buildings that overlooks the harbor and dates back to the 1840s. In 1870, this whaler bid farewell to life at sea and purchased the building to establish as a village tavern.
In 1919, Claudio’s Tavern was transformed into a fine French restaurant. During the Prohibition era that soon followed, the restaurant was under the ownership of Manuel’s nephew, Frank Claudio. Throughout this time, bootleggers regularly steered their boats underneath the restaurant to access a trap door. This trap door is still located behind the bar, and it is one of the most popular conversation starters between customers and the restaurant’s current owner, Bill Claudio Jr. A dumb waiter was used to clandestinely move the spirited booty between the floors of the restaurant. With the prohibition law-enforcing District Attorney’s office situated in Manhattan, and with Long Island’s twin forks surrounded by waterways, Claudio’s was just one of several east end venues that hosted these frequent bootlegging practices.
Depictions and artifacts of Greenport’s seafaring and yachting history are exhibited throughout the restaurant, including mementos of Vanderbilt’s victorious participation in the 1930 America’s Cup race. One such piece on display is a portion of the mast that adorned Vanderbilt’s Enterprise yacht. Manuel Claudio acquired the ornate Victorian bar in 1866 from a New York City hotel that was slated for demolition.
Purchased by Bill Claudio Jr. in 1990 from his father, he took the helm of the famed waterfront landmark with the goal of continuing the historic restaurant as a family venture. His son, Tony, has worked there through many successful seasons. The food and the atmosphere strike the perfect balance of casual and elegant. The American nouveau menu casts the spotlight on coastal seafood fare. Classic casual favorites include the lobster roll, the chowders and the burgers. Local wines and fresh local ingredients feature prominently on the menu.
The upstairs dining room of Claudio’s Restaurant overlooks the harbor, where countless boats come and go all season long. The two-acre stretch where Claudio’s Restaurant is situated is now also home to additional popular Claudio family businesses, including the bustling Claudio’s Marina, the casual Crabby Jerry’s seafood shack, the dockside’s lively Claudio’s Clam Bar and a couple of souvenir shops.
The National Restaurant Association has Claudio’s Restaurant registered as the nation’s longest-running single-family owned restaurant. The building is also listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Claudio’s Restaurant is located at the end of Main Street in Greenport Village. If you continue strolling toward the docks of the harbor, you will find Claudio’s Clam Bar, which reopens on April 24, and Crabby Jerry’s. You can browse the menu at www.claudios.com
Greenport was settled in 1682, and by the 1800s, the harbor village was a busy port for whaling ships that would dock in the harbor, and the whaling crewmen would step onto terra firma for some well-earned rest, recreation and repast. When the Portuguese whaling ship, the Neva, docked during the 1850s, one member of its crew, Manuel Claudio, fell in love with one of Greenport’s buildings that overlooks the harbor and dates back to the 1840s. In 1870, this whaler bid farewell to life at sea and purchased the building to establish as a village tavern.
In 1919, Claudio’s Tavern was transformed into a fine French restaurant. During the Prohibition era that soon followed, the restaurant was under the ownership of Manuel’s nephew, Frank Claudio. Throughout this time, bootleggers regularly steered their boats underneath the restaurant to access a trap door. This trap door is still located behind the bar, and it is one of the most popular conversation starters between customers and the restaurant’s current owner, Bill Claudio Jr. A dumb waiter was used to clandestinely move the spirited booty between the floors of the restaurant. With the prohibition law-enforcing District Attorney’s office situated in Manhattan, and with Long Island’s twin forks surrounded by waterways, Claudio’s was just one of several east end venues that hosted these frequent bootlegging practices.
Depictions and artifacts of Greenport’s seafaring and yachting history are exhibited throughout the restaurant, including mementos of Vanderbilt’s victorious participation in the 1930 America’s Cup race. One such piece on display is a portion of the mast that adorned Vanderbilt’s Enterprise yacht. Manuel Claudio acquired the ornate Victorian bar in 1866 from a New York City hotel that was slated for demolition.
Purchased by Bill Claudio Jr. in 1990 from his father, he took the helm of the famed waterfront landmark with the goal of continuing the historic restaurant as a family venture. His son, Tony, has worked there through many successful seasons. The food and the atmosphere strike the perfect balance of casual and elegant. The American nouveau menu casts the spotlight on coastal seafood fare. Classic casual favorites include the lobster roll, the chowders and the burgers. Local wines and fresh local ingredients feature prominently on the menu.
The upstairs dining room of Claudio’s Restaurant overlooks the harbor, where countless boats come and go all season long. The two-acre stretch where Claudio’s Restaurant is situated is now also home to additional popular Claudio family businesses, including the bustling Claudio’s Marina, the casual Crabby Jerry’s seafood shack, the dockside’s lively Claudio’s Clam Bar and a couple of souvenir shops.
The National Restaurant Association has Claudio’s Restaurant registered as the nation’s longest-running single-family owned restaurant. The building is also listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Claudio’s Restaurant is located at the end of Main Street in Greenport Village. If you continue strolling toward the docks of the harbor, you will find Claudio’s Clam Bar, which reopens on April 24, and Crabby Jerry’s. You can browse the menu at www.claudios.com