Business

Blue Canoe seafood restaurant coming to Greenport Village

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | Shelter Island chef Terry Harwood is planning to open a new seafood restaurant called Blue Canoe Oyster Bar and Grill in Greenport Village later this month.

A new seafood restaurant called Blue Canoe Oyster Bar and Grill is slated to open later this month at the former Chowder Pot Pub along the Greenport harborfront.

This will be the second restaurant Shelter Island chef Terry Harwood and his wife, Lisa, have opened. The couple also owns Vine Street Cafe, an upscale restaurant on Shelter Island.

Since purchasing the restaurant about 10 weeks ago, Mr. Harwood said he and his crew have been working hard to get it up and running.

“It’s been all hands on deck to get it done,” he said.

Blue Canoe’s decor has a nautical theme. Existing reclaimed barnwood throughout the restaurant has been restored and the ceiling has been opened up and whitewashed. A new kitchen, keg cooler and other equipment have been added and beer from local producers, including the Greenport Brewing Company, will be on tap.

There are three bars, a gazebo and lots of outdoor seating on the waterfront. At night, Mr. Harwood hopes to have a roaring fire pit and live musical performances.

Mr. Harwood stressed that Blue Canoe won’t be a “fry house” because the extent of its fried food options will be limited.

“Vine Street is all about high-quality food and we’re carrying it over here,” he said.
The Harwoods have two boys, ages 6 and 8, and have lived on Shelter Island for the past 14 years. Mr. Harwood is originally from Tennessee.

He said the name Blue Canoe comes straight his childhood. Mr. Harwood grew up near a river where a man named Blue spent his days fishing, renting out canoes and barbecuing for the nearby resort.

“My mother worked as a waitress at the resort, so he would baby-sit us,” Mr. Harwood said. He described the man as his father figure.

Mr. Harwood said his love of the water is the reason he settled on Shelter Island and has branched out to Greenport.

Eventually, he said, he’d like to host bridal and baby showers and other private events at Blue Canoe. And if his newest venture is successful, he said he would consider opening another restaurant.

“The world is our oyster,” he said.

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