Freeport's Nautical Mile adds restaurants Off the Hook and Prime on the Mile

Off the Hook

Iglent Fejzulla opened Off the Hook Raw Bar & Grill in Astoria in 2013, but his dream was always "to bring the concept to the water." In May, he accomplished that task, taking over the old River House Grill and sprucing up both the inside and the deck.

An immigrant from Albania, Fejzulla said that the menu is "drawn from my travels along the Atlantic coast, from Maine to the Caribbean," a swath that encompasses fish dishes from New England clam chowder and lobster rolls to tequila-chorizo "drunken" mussels, shrimp mofongo and fried red snapper with tostones.

The restaurant’s raw bar puts out clams, oysters and platters that add in shrimp and mussels. During the summer months, Fejzulla sources his oysters from the colder waters off Massachusetts; come fall, he’ll serve local oysters.

Landlubbing diners can choose among Buffalo cauliflower, watermelon or Caesar salads, cheesesteaks, tamarind chicken, grilled sirloin steaks, country-fried pork chop and more. Starters range from $12 to $25, mains from $25 to $58.

Fejzulla conceded that there’s a contingent that comes to the Nautical Mile more to drink than to eat, but he’s determined to attract a more culinary crowd. "We want to bring great food to the Mile," he said. In addition to cocktails and beers, he’s put together a wine list with interesting selections from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, New Zealand, California, Washington and New York’s Finger Lakes.

Off the Hook, 195 Woodcleft Ave., Freeport, 516-442-0600, offthehooknyc.com/long-island. Open Monday to Wednesday 3 to 10 p.m., Thursday and Friday 3 to 11 p.m., Saturday 1 to 11 p.m., Sunday 1 to 10 p.m.

Prime on the Mile

Two blocks south of Off the Hook, Prime on the Mile has taken over the sprawling, multilevel building that used to be Hudson’s on the Mile. Owned by Bryant Postell and Rocky Jenkins (of Lynbrook’s Prime 39) the venue has indoor and outdoor bars and dining areas, including a rooftop "SkyBar" with views of the water. There’s a full lineup of DJs, live music and comedy.

On the menu, starters ($18 to $28) include mussels with lobster and crab, chargrilled oysters with lobster and crab, "sweet and crispy" calamari, lamb chops and tacos. Mains ($28 to $48) include lobster rolls, surf-and-turf mac-and-cheese, roast chicken, crab-stuffed salmon, surf-and-turf burger, lobster ramen and short rib pasta.

Prime on the Mile, 340 Woodcleft Ave., Freeport, 516-224-3344, prime-onthemile.com. Open Wednesday to Sunday 4 p.m. to midnight. Closed Monday and Tuesday.