Former Antique Deli Turns to Seafood at the Crazy Fork in Mattituck

Mattituck is now home to a place where you can get fish tacos — and a whole lot more in the realm of seafood — for lunch and dinner.

The Crazy Fork opened up last Friday in the space occupied for seven years by the , which closed three months ago. Deli owner Danielle Grzegorczyk brought in chef Dave Distenfeld to help transform the place from outdated deli to a casual and affordable family friendly spot for fresh and fried seafood – something that Distenfeld saw as a missing niche in Mattituck.

"You've got , and but no where to go for good seafood here after a movie," he said. "We just think people in Mattituck shouldn't have to travel to Southold, Riverhead or Greenport to have a nice sit-down place for a meal of this sort."

The Crazy Fork offers traditional appetizers like oysters on the half shell, clams casino, and — yes — fish tacos; salads, soups and fried baskets; and sandwiches in the $9 to $15 dollar range. Entrees include stuffed flounder, seafood and chicken gumbo and a five-spiced rubbed tuna all for under $20.

Distenfeld said that crowds have been good since opening and that a few still ask for a pound of sliced meat.

“I want to make it clear — we are no longer a deli,” he said. “But I can serve you a nice roast beef sandwich if you like.”

The restaurant also offers take-out and catering. Distenfeld, a Hampton Bays resident who was trained at the Culinary Institute of America and has worked in all sorts of restaurants, hotels and private chef situations in New York City, Boston and Long Island, said that the goal at the Crazy Fork is to give people a positive and affordable seafood experience in their hometown.

“If you have to get fresh seafood 20 minutes away, by the time you get home it’s not so fresh anymore,” he said. “We’re really catering to the local clientele, and everything seemed to just fall into place here.”

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