
Nunzi's by the Water opens in Freeport

A tomato salad topped high with Roquefort and fried shallots at Nunzi's by the Water in Freeport. Credit: Newsday / Marie Elena Martinez
Modern Italian gets a seaside spin in Freeport, where Nunzi's by the Water has opened in a marina along a busy canal. While it’s not exactly on the water, the restaurant’s outdoor patio and bar overlook the docks. Cooled by a saltwater breeze and shaded by festive yellow umbrellas, it’s a laid-back perch for an al fresco lunch or dinner. There’s a full indoor dining room and bar ready for the offseason.
The restaurant is an offshoot of Nunzi's in Farmingdale. The slick, dark atmosphere of the original location is reversed in Freeport, where a white and blue nautical palette nods to the restaurant's location within Al Grover’s High and Dry Marina on South Main.
Start with a beverage from the 16-cocktail list, perhaps a refreshing spritz ($16) made from limoncello, prosecco and soda. The menu has many of the dishes that Nunzi’s Farmingdale fans favor, like Grandma's meatballs, limoncello wings and spicy rigatoni alla vodka. But in Freeport, “we made sure to expand our seafood selection, emulating a more relaxed dining experience that adds to the 'by the water' atmosphere,” said owner Michael Napolitano, who runs both locations with his father, Michael, and brother, Vincent Jr.
Yes, there’s calamari and baked clams, but also lobster rolls full of fresh knuckle and claw meat ($32) and beer battered fish tacos ($24). Buttery charred octopus ($21) prepared with a Greek lemon vinaigrette and Calabrian chili oil was a standout. You could go for a watermelon and feta salad ($17), but it was chef Bennett Orfaly's riff on tomato salad ($21) — a cross between a wedge and a Caprese, layered with beefsteak tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese and buttermilk-fried shallots for texture — that hit every note.

A Connecticut-style lobster roll at the new Nunzi's by the Water in Freeport. Credit: Newsday / Marie Elena Martinez
Nunzi's by the Water, 499 South Main St., Freeport, 516-517-8344, nunzis1274.com. Open Monday to Thursday, 12 p.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 12 p.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.-9 p.m.