Opties and Dinghies

I got the shrimp dumplings in the fried rice and they're both phenomenal. Well worth my trip over to the island. The atmosphere and outdoor seating was beautiful. I need to come back during the day in the summer

Sometimes, a truly great meal is about so much more than what lands on your plate. Sure, delicious food helps, but sometimes it’s the chef’s magic touch, a server’s witty banter, or the setting itself that turns “just dinner” into a full-blown adventure. Case in point: My wife and I recently embarked on a North Fork escapade, all thanks to some tantalizing posts on this very page. We boarded the Shelter Island ferry (already feeling adventurous and slightly nautical), all in pursuit of the legendary Paella Tuesday at Opties and Dinghies. If you’ve seen @Claudia Li’s photos lately, you know that paella looked so good it practically jumped off the screen yelling, “Eat me!” Now, when I mentioned to our longtime Shelter Island summer friends that we wanted to try O&D’s paella, they actually sn

The food we got here (noodles & dumplings) were AMAZING 10/10 - highly recommend. The gelato however was very disappointing. Between us we tried 4 flavors and all of them were stale/frostbite tasting and oddly flavored. They don’t make the gelato here, which is why I’m sure everything else we had was so good. I’d skip the gelato and get a pastry instead. I’d come back for the noodles & dumplings for sure!

Love what has become of Bob's fish Market. Wonderful selection of il laboratorio gelaos. We got the ginger and the dark chocolate bourbon pecan. It's pricey but so are most places on Shelter. We also grabbed a loaf of sourdough but they make on the premises as well as other pastries and bread. It didn't hold together as nicely as I would have liked it to when I cut it. It was a nice bread. They have an extensive menu of Asian dishes which we did not get to try but I've heard on the grapevine that they're quite good but $$$. The woman was very pleasant. The French gentleman was a bit rude. He seems to have an edge that not only we noticed but other friends on the island also noticed. Strange attitude to have on an island where locals and even part-time residents talk.

Found this little gem while biking through Orient and had the best salad I’ve had this year! I didn’t get a gelato or sorbet, but the black fig flavor of the day almost convinced me. Almond cake, scones, dumplings, scallion pancakes, crepes, lavender-infused lemonade! Swoon! I can’t wait to go back and try more.