Salt on the Water in Merrick reopens with star chef

When Salt on the Water in Merrick opens Friday, April 21, for the 2017 season, its kitchen will be helmed by Massimo Fedozzi, who has earned at least three stars at the Italian restaurants Palio (Jericho), Vero (Amityville) and Pentimento (Stony Brook). The spacious waterfront restaurant succeeded The Boathouse and Cucina Bay.

Fedozzi, whose most recent gig was at the now-shuttered Tra’mici in Massapequa Park, has created a menu that is more New American than Italian. Dinner appetizers include tuna poke ($17), lobster corn dog ($22), mussels with shallots, tomatoes and chimichurri ($15). There are fried clam rolls on ciabatta with citrus aioli ($16) and fish tacos with traditional Mexican garnishes ($20).

Entrees include rack of lamb with North African spices and fresh chickpeas ($42), Faroe Island salmon with citrus-herb salad and Himalayan pink salt ($25) and Chilean sea bass in a coconut milk-crab broth ($40).

Not that Fedozzi is completely abandoning Italian food. Look for a mozzarella sandwich with tomato sauce ($12), linguine and clams (albeit with tomatillos and chipotle butter, $26) and lobster risotto ($36).

Salt, which opened in 2016, shares ownership with Parlay, a gastropub, and Mesita, a Mexican restaurant, both in Rockville Centre.

Starting Friday, Salt will be open for dinner every night, Saturday lunch and Sunday brunch. Starting May 29 the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner every day.

3100 Whaleneck Dr., Merrick, 516-442-7470, saltonthewater.com

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