Trumpets on the Bay

58 South Bay Ave, Eastport, NY 11941, 631-325-2900 www.trumpetsonthebay.com

Long Island, with its pristine beaches and seasonal rentals, attracts a large summer crowd. And there are plenty of casual waterfront eateries that cater to this young crew, offering live music, flowing beer and fresh seafood. But we were looking for a more sophisticated waterfront option and so, on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, we reserved a table at Trumpets on the Bay.

It's a little pricey but the decor, setting and clientele were all ideal and epitomized casual summer elegance. The service, too, was impeccable.

The weather was a little damp and foggy that night (not unusual on the water) so we chose to dine inside by the window and had a great view of the boats coming into Trumpet's dock.

After relaxing with refreshing frozen lime daiquiris, we dug into fresh summer salads. They were tasty and beautifully presented but, quite frankly, a little boring and ordinary. The same can be said for the rack of lamb with French beans and roasted potatoes which was properly cooked but bland and under-seasoned. And so, too, was a rather Flintstone sized veal porterhouse with mushrooms. We will say, however, that the accompanying potato croquette was spectacular.

There were plenty of dessert options on offer but we chose to skip them since we knew we had pie and ice cream waiting for us at home.

Overall, we had a lovely evening in a delightful setting. But we always ask ourselves if the food merits a return visit. In this case, we'll probably continue exploring the waterfront options on the island before returning to Trumpets.