Amalfi opens in Hampton Bays

Sal Biundo knows the Hampton Bays Italian dining scene.

"There are a lot of Italian restaurants here, but there were none on the water," he said.

Cue Amalfi Coastal Kitchen & Cocktails, which Biundo opened in July. The restaurant takes over the former site of Crash Cantina, an indoor-outdoor venue with majestic views of Shinnecock Bay. Biundo and his wife, Nina, named it after their "favorite place in the world."

Mediterranean cuisine was underrepresented in the area, Biundo said, so he expanded Amalfi’s menu to encompass both Italian and Greek seafood dishes. Starters ($19 to $25) include a mezze plate and fried zucchini and eggplant chips along with truffled arancini and fried calamari served "Casino" style, with bacon and Parmesan. There is Caesar salad alongside a swanky take on the Greek romaine-feta-dill maroulosalata. Moving into pasta and mains ($31 to $49), the kitchen skews more Italian: linguine with clams, malfadine with lump crab, lemon cream and pistachio dust, a special of lumache (shells) with shrimp in a vodka cream sauce, chicken Milanese, grilled branzino.

Not in a fish mood? There’s filet mignon with charred broccolini, skirt steak with chimichurri and truffle fries, Amalfi moussaka or, straight from the shores of Long Island, chicken Parm pizza for two.

The restaurant accommodates 45 diners in the dining room, 55 on the back porch and plenty more on the lawn that goes right down to the water. Outdoor tables don’t have access to the food menu but it’s a glorious place for indulging in beverages, from signature cocktails like the Private Plane to Amalfi (bourbon, Aperol, amaro, white peach purée and lemon juice), the Sicilian Margarita (blanco tequila, lime juice, blood orange liqueur, Aranciata) or the Hampton Spritz (Lillet Blanc, limoncello, sparkling rosé and sparkling grapefruit) to small but well chosen wine list, all of whose offerings are available by glass or bottle.

Biundo plans to stay open year-round and plans to enclose the porch in glass so patrons can enjoy the water views and still stay warm in the dead of winter.

Amalfi, 32 Lighthouse Rd., Hampton Bays, 631-594-2552, amalfihamptons.com. Open Monday to Thursday 4 to 10 p.m., Friday to Sunday noon to 10 p.m., closed Tuesday.