We left Port Jefferson around 9:30 Saturday morning.
As mentioned before, our slip was too small for Amazing Grace. Fortunately, there was only a light wind because I only had 18” between the bow and the stern to make a 90° turn leaving the slip.
As we left the outer harbor we saw fifty boats spread out from the southern shore to five miles out.
This was the Swim Across The Sound entourage, but we needed to get past them to get to Port Washington.
The first thing I did was hail “Anyone with knowledge of the swim race” on Channel 16 – no response.
I kept trying and eventually, the Port Jefferson Harbormaster responded and told us to approach a police boat and they would escort us through the entourage.
That worked and around 10:00 we powered up to 28 MPH and set course for Port Washington.
Safe Harbor Capri
Unlike Danfords, everything about Safe Harbor Capri went smoothly. We got a T-dock and the dock crew tied us up in record time.
There was a lot of chop leaving Port Jefferson and took a few waves on the windows and deck, so we did a quick cleaning before lunch.
Safe Harbor Capri gave us a very nice pamphlet with lots of useful local information.
As we left for lunch we couldn’t help but notice the stark difference between this Safe Harbor Marina and the decrepit docks at Danfords.
There are actually two Safe Harbor Marinas in Port Washington. The Capri – where we are docked, and Capri East, which is a little closer to town.
The on-site restaurant at Capri is Butlers Flat, which is more of a Clam Shack than a restaurant. We selected the more proper restaurant at Capri East for lunch.
Nino’s Beach At Capri East
As you may have noticed, we eat at a lot of seaside eateries and Nino’s site is as good as any we’ve seen.
They have dozens of waterfront tables and a dining deck on the water.
The bar seating looked inviting so we grabbed three stools on the corner.
They serve up an eclectic menu with a few classics.
House Ground Blend, Crispy Prosciutto, Fontina, Tomato Aioli Pickled Red Onion, Bread & Butter Pickles
peaches, grapefruit, whipped ricotta
Vodka Sauce, Meatball, Cherry Peppers,
Smoked Mozzarella, Basil Pesto
The pizza was an incredible flavor bomb; particularly the Basil Pesto.
The Three Amigos left quite content.
Peter and I retreated to the Skydeck for an afternoon of reading and people watching.
Mrs. Horne has taken her new role as The Amazing Grace Teak Whisperer very seriously and she decided the lower cockpit needed another coat of sealer.
Port Washington offers a completely different vibe than the other spots we’ve visited on this trip.
Cuttyhunk offers a pure Island feel, both Mystic and Essex felt like we were on a river (which we were). Port Jefferson was a typical ocean seaside venue, but Port Washington feels like we’re on a lake.
Unlike Essex or Port Jefferson, Port Washington does not offer a seaside village. There is no downtown and everyhing is between a mile and two miles away.
Our choice for dinner was 1.3 miles from Capri, so we took Uber ($14 each way).
As I’ve mentioned before, most seaside eateries have the same menu and when you’re cruising for a couple weeks, you need a break from Burgers, Wings, and Fish & Chips.
La Petit Framboise
My research revealed that there was a 100% legit French restaurant in Port Washington.
As soon as we walked into the 8-year-old establishment we got the whole French Vibe.
Within minutes of sitting down the “bread man” appeared with French bread, Butter, and Paté.
The butter was clearly authentic European style, but it was cold and tough to spread. On the other hand, the Paté was unbelievable.
Romaine hearts, croutons, parmesan dressing.
White wine, garlic, fresh herbs
It’s almost impossible for me to pass up Escargot.
Baked snails, garlic herb butter.
The Escargot was a tad unusual in that they were served in Burnt Butter – rather than traditional ghee or clarified butter. I think the puff pastry “hat” was unique.
I knew I’d be dunking French bread in the burnt butter, but I suspect I might still be hungry, so I also ordered a crew favorite for sharing.
Elbow pasta, smoked bacon, green peas, parmesan cheese,
Gruyère, light cream sauce
TAGLIATELLE AU BOEUF BOURGUIGNON – $36
Tender braised beef, root vegetables, bacon, tagliatelle pasta in a rich red wine reduction
All the food was perfectly executed and authentically French.
We returned to Amazing Grace just as the sun was setting.
A Full Sunday
I woke up Sunday morning and immediately fell in love with the view from the salon.
The plan was for a leisurely morning followed by a bike ride to check out the area. Then lunch, a little shopping, and an afternoon reading on the Skydeck before dinner.
Unlike Port Jefferson, there are no bike trails in Port Washington. Peter created a route and we took off around 10:30.
Peter had identified several spots where we could bike to the water’s edge. But to get there, we had to travel a few miles on local roads.
Most local roads are posted 30 MPH, but it was Sunday morning and there was very little traffic.
Most of the waterfront spots were in the Village of Sand Point. Unfortunately, none of these neighborhoods were very inviting.
Sand Point confirms my theory of oceanfront property.
In lower-income towns, you find all sorts of properties along the water – restaurants, shops, marinas, and homes. Other than homes, everything is a business of some sort. When a business falls on hard times, the property gets sold and a new operator takes over the business.
Over time, all oceanfront towns become more affluent. The owner of the waterfront businesses discovers their land is worth more than their business and the property is sold to a rich dude who builds a big house on it.
After a few decades of this cycle, the wealthy homeowners form neighborhood associations, build gates, and the oceanfront is no longer accessible to the public.
After riding bikes through 20 miles of Port Washington neighborhoods, it would appear that that’s what has happened here.
We eventually made it to Beach Plum Road and at least folks welcomed bikers ❤️
We stopped at the water’s edge and I looked across the cove to see Amazing Grace at the marina.
It was after noon, so we headed back to town to find a spot for lunch.
I had scoped out Sullivan’s Quay thinking we’d end our bike trip at that end of town, but we didn’t. Beach Plum Road was four miles from town and we decided to try Louie’s instead.
It’s a high-end steakhouse right on the water. I asked Mrs. Horne to see if we could get in as I was locking up the bikes (we saw people entering in sports coats and we were in tee shirts).
There was a huge horseshoe bar that was completely empty, so we sat right down.
The interior is new, clean, and loaded with harbor views.
Although they did not offer brunch, it was Sunday, so I ordered a Bloody Mary.
I ordered The Chopped BLT Salad (21.50), but somehow the photo got corrupted.
It was a delicious salad made up of applewood bacon, blue cheese, egg, mushrooms, scallions, olives, crispy onion straws, tossed with a basil dressing.
Both Peter and Mrs. Horne ordered Sushi.
spicy salmon, yellowtail, tuna, salmon, crunch, avocado, spicy mayo, eel sauce, wasabi
Peter added an order of Truffle Fries…
They were probably the best truffle fries I’ve ever eaten!
We enjoyed conversation with our bartender Nate.
We asked if Louie was around and he guessed he may have been a mythical figure. Nate pointed to a couple of old photos on the wall and said “He was the original owner.”
Original Owner of Louie’s
DIANE ZWIRLEIN – ORIGINAL OWNER OF LOUIES
I mentioned to Nate that these guys looked a little “blue collar” for this place and he said, “There was a total renovation done a few years ago.”
The next time we visit I‘d like to try Louie’s for dinner.
Sunday was our 10th day at sea and were running low on a few staples – well, cookies 😂
Port Washington has a lot of major stores including a full-sized Stop and Shop.
We got back to the boat around 2:00 and hung out on the Skydeck reading.
The cove east of Beach Plum Road was packed with gunkholers swimming and picnicking.
Mrs. Horne commented that it looked a lot like the east side of Bassetts Island on a summer Sunday.
By the way, the weather was perfect – 80°, dry, and a ten MPH northern breeze.
The Wild Goose
Our final dinner in Port Washington was about two miles away. There is no “downtown” here, but everything is located within a two-mile stretch.
This is a small restaurant with a long bar and a very modern vibe.
I had never heard of hazy IPA on tap, so I asked for a taste. It was good, but warmer than I like, so I ordered an Oregon Pinot.
As is typically the case, I order things that I don’t find elsewhere. I went with The Wild Goose Pigs-In-A-Blanket and a side of The Wild Goose Truffle Gnocchi.
spinach, parmesean and truffle cream sauce.
The gnocchi is also available as a main ($30) and it includes ham.
Plum tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh parsley, side of linguine
After dinner, we enjoyed a balmy night back at the marina…
We will definitely return to Port Washington and Safe Harbor. We will offload the bikes, but use them for going to town during the day, and take Uber to town for dinner.
We left Port Washington around 9:45 headed for Manhattan.
Next Up: New York, New York
You can also take a water taxi right from your boat over to Louie’s and it runs late! Makes for a fun dinner.
Another exceptional issue! The photos and the wealth of helpful information is priceless.