Comestiblog

A Late Taste of the Season at Johnny's Reef

It's gritty, it's simple, it's unpretentious—and it's a relic.  Most of all, however, it's good.  After 64 years (although the sign proclaims 65) of dishing up tasty fried grub, Johnny's Reef, continues to draw hungry seafarers as well as landlubbers to the southern tip of City Island.

With sweeping views across the Sound to Long Island and a distant Manhattan skyline, this seaside cafeteria offers a great escape amid a hot, sunny afternoon.  While the weather may have turned colder, summer doesn't seem all that distant here.

To reach Johnny's Reef, one must travel the length of City Island past countless seafood places that range from grungy shacks to tony restaurants.  A glimpse of Johnny's exterior back wall—a first impression for many—reveals this eatery's place on the foregoing continuum: empty five-gallon coleslaw buckets and other service discards share their space with employees on a cigarette break.  Finding a parking spot can seem like a bumper car ride, especially when other drivers disregard the arrows on the pavement.  New visitors should not be discouraged by outward appearances, however; exceptional seafood awaits within.

The amusement park-like ambiance plays out further inside.  Resembling a midway, the restaurant's interior comprises a vast array of food, beverage, and service stations along an L-shaped counter that extends the length of two walls.  Tables and chairs are arranged to take advantage of the pleasant waterside views afforded by a wall of windows.

The noisy hustle and bustle, without directions for how to proceed, could conceivably overwhelm the novice.  Thus, a few guidelines here might not be amiss.  First, it's important to note that disparate foods and beverages are ordered and paid for separately.  Seek out the desired overhead menu, decide what to eat, and step up to a numbered station at the counter, where a helpful cashier will take your order as well as your payment (cash only).  When your order is ready, proceed to the service area, and help yourself to plastic utensils, condiments, and lots of napkins.  (The diner-style napkins are flimsy, wholly inadequate to the task, and will fly off the tray with every attempt to reach for one.)

Stop at the beverage station or at Johnny's Bar.  Don't be discouraged by the limited list of beers posted overhead; the bartender will offer additional (and more appealing) selections upon request.

If weather permits, carry your tray to a picnic table on the arena-sized terrace, where you can catch all the action that happens outside.  On a recent visit we were entertained by such divertissements as children feeding the Hitchcockian mob of gulls and hotdogging jet skiers determined to drown one another—all amid a spectacular sunset.  There seems to be a wind-tunnel effect in the vicinity:  if it is at all breezy, be prepared to batten down everything, including your plate and cup.  If it's cool or breezy, consider staying inside; the food cools quickly in the wind.

On my visits, I usually head straight to station 4 in the fry section.  Though the shrimp ($13) are rather good, I almost always order the fillet ($13), a superb fried sole that is without peer.  Moments after the cashier turns and calls out, "filete," an overflowing basket (large enough to share) of fish atop a mound of fries arrives on my tray, together with a paper plate.  Although a single wedge of lemon is included, I always ask for more.  (This is where to make that request.)  Tartar sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, and salt also complement the fish and chips well.  To wash it all down, I much prefer beer to Johnny's overly sweet cocktails.

Golden-brown perfection: Johnny's fillet atop a mound of fries

While the fried shrimp is good, the fillet is better

Where's the slaw? It's hidden somewhere among the fries

To put it simply, Johnny's fillet represents some of the best fried fish one might hope to encounter anywhere.  Fresh, and fried perfectly to a delicious golden brown, the fillet is sweet and has a nearly silken texture; its breading and spicing complement the mild fish without overwhelming it.  For some, it could be the sole reason to come here.  The french fries are fairly thin, and quite delicious.  Buried within this fresh, hot, not-too-greasy treasure, is a tiny container of coleslaw, which, especially after being heated by the fries, tastes every bit as industrial as its five-gallon container would suggest.  Fortunately, the slaw is the only weak element of the meal.

As the season winds down, we've gone the long way around the island to come to a conclusion that is short and sweet: For a huge portion of super fresh, perfectly prepared fish fry at a reasonable price with a great view of the water, it's hard to imagine any place better than Johnny's Reef.

Johnny's Reef Restaurant

2 City Island Ave
Bronx, N.Y.  10464-1607  (map)

(718) 885-2086

https://www.johnnysreefrestaurant.com/

By bus:  Bx29

Red Barn Farm Goat Cheese

The aptly named Red Barn Farm in Stonington, Maine is nestled unassumingly at the end of a residential driveway.  Its doors are a gateway to one of the most delightful experiences one might have Down East.  Donna Brewer is a woman of many talents; her primary skill had been upholstering, as advertised on the roadside sign.  Her husband, Marsden, is a lobsterman.  But how did an upholsterer and a fisherman become consummate cheesemakers?

For 20 years Donna and Marsden kept goats on their farm as pets.  The Brewers hadn't discovered their taste for chèvre until they bought some from a friend who is also a goat farmer.  Not long thereafter, the couple decided to take advantage of their natural resources by using the milk of their own goats to make cheese.  They made chèvre for themselves and their friends the first few years, but after Donna and Marsden received their state certification in 2012, their avocation officially became a business.

Red Barn Goat Cheese sells some of the finest fresh chèvre it has been our pleasure to sample.  Made with milk from Anglo-Nubian goats, it hits all the marks: a tangy sweetness embodied in a texture that is neither too dry nor too moist.  And it's available with a wide variety of harmonious seasonings.  For example, a taste of the seemingly unusual combination of peperoncini and goat cheese reveals a match made in chèvre heaven: the sourness, heat, and tang of the peperoncini comprise the perfect foil to the creamy richness of the mild cheese—which, of course, has a tang of its own.  The garlic-and-herb remains my favorite, however; its bold flavors—similar to those of Boursin—satisfy all that may ail my palate.

We loaded up with five pounds of Red Barn's cheese, which we hope will tide us over until we visit again next year.  (We order a few days ahead, and, by having the chèvre wrapped in bulk, we receive a discount.)  Once home, we rewrap the cheese into smaller portions; not only does this chèvre freeze well, it freezes beautifully.  Eleven-and-a-half-month-old specimens are virtually as tasty as fresh ones.

Donna has expanded her ever-increasing variety of goat milk offerings to include yogurt, feta, and even soap.  The soap comes in a wide variety of scents, is creamy smooth, and feels quite nourishing on the skin.  Reasonably priced and packaged aesthetically in fabric and ribbon, it makes a lovely gift.

Of course, what cheese-and-upholstery operation in Maine would be complete with a lobster tank?  Yes, Red Barn sells live lobsters, too.  (Donna is happy to steam them for those wishing to save a little time.)  Some say that the Brewers sell some of the best lobsters on the island—quite an achievement considering they belong to the largest lobstering fleet in the United States!

Donna Brewer

Despite the level of accomplishment on offer at the Red Barn, the true reward of a visit here is Donna Brewer herself.  Unassuming and exuberant, knowledgeable and compassionate, she is one of the most delightful people we've met in these parts.

Alas, having been in somewhat of a hurry, we did not sample Donna's two newer wares: yogurt and feta.  We'll certainly try them next year.  And since guests are welcome to visit the goat herd, we'll be sure to head out back and thank the ladies for their role in the production of such a delectable cheese.

Red Barn Farm

88 N Stonington Rd
Stonington, ME   04681-3531  (map)

(207) 367-5100