Seafood restaurant Spinnakers replaces Jack Halyards in Oyster Bay

A new restaurant sign has been hoisted in Oyster Bay: Spinnakers takes over the South Street space occupied, since 2006, by Jack Halyards.

Owner Damien Carlino, a veteran of dining rooms at Insignia in Smithtown and IMC in Huntington, came aboard as manager of Halyards in February. In July he and his wife, Yakshi, bought the restaurant, and on Aug. 13 they officially re-christen it as Spinnakers.

The Carlinos hired Michael Ross as their executive chef. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Ross, who opened Fiddleheads in this very space in 1998. Since then he’s cooked all over the Island and, for the last 10 years, has worked as the right hand to Tom Schaudel, helping to open Jedediah Hawkins Inn in Jamesport and, most recently serving as executive chef at Jewel in Melville.

Ross characterized his menu as “modern, eclectic seafood.” Starters range from New England clam chowder ($9) and fried calamari ($13) to grilled octopus with chick peas, olives and harissa-tahini ($14) and beet salad with goat cheese, pistachios, sorrel and white balsamic ($12).

Among mains: scallops with corn, asparagus and truffles ($33), “silk handkerchief” pasta with shrimp, tomatoes and goat cheese ($23), simply grilled “fish on a plate” (market price) and, for landlubbers, skirt steak ($30) and duck breast with Thai chili glaze and Asian stir fry ($29). The burger, with Gruyere, mushrooms, bacon, egg and arugula, is $18; shrimp pizza with mozzarella, fontina and cilantro is $14.

There’s also a bar menu of a dozen casual noshes — fried clams, wings, pork-belly tacos, duck-fat fries with chicharron and mango ketchup — none of which top $20.

Spinnakers is at 62 South St., Oyster Bay, 516-922-2999.

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