Johnny's Reef Restaurant - a Seafood Experience in City Island

City Island is a lovely seafaring town situated in Long Island Sound and integrated into the borough of the Bronx. After driving past Pelham Bay Park and navigating the roundabout that either spits you out to Orchard Beach or City Island, you'll immediately notice the latter's small town charm. Even with pubs and numerous restaurants all teeming along the main strip wrestling for your attention, City Island still emanates a vibe of the small fishing seaport it once was. City Island Avenue is the main street that cuts down the island's center, and it's strewn with various seafood restaurants of ranging caliber. A seafood restaurant in the lower price range on City Island still surpasses that of a certain Red Lobster chain, which is why you won't find anything like that around here.

Nestled at the very tip of the island, lies Johnny's Reef restaurant. There are no great pretensions to this place. Built in the 1950's, not much has changed at Johnny's Reef, not even the faded blue signage or the inverted L-shaped cafeteria set up. If you ask me, it's disorganized and tattered, but I guess that's also part of its charm. The yellow signs with black lettering above each counter are your menu. And with the exception of the prices, I truly think those signs haven't changed in all the times I visited from way back as a teenager, to collegian, to middle-aged drone. There's a certain sense of continuity in this that I find satisfying and safe; it's not as depressing as one would think.

You go to one counter to order non-alcoholic drinks, burgers, fries and ice cream, another counter to get your fried seafood, along with raw clams and oysters, and another section to order mixed drinks - anything from white wine procured from a gallon jug to frothy piña coladas, all served in a nondescript plastic cup. You pay separately at each counter and be sure to bring cash as no credit cards are accepted.

How's the Seafood?
The food at Johnny's Reef is just as unpretentious and old-fashioned as its surroundings. Trapped in a time bubble, Johnny's Reef predates the health conscious fad, so don't even bother uttering the words organic, light, or healthy; although I believe you can get the shrimp and scallops steamed if you like, but what's the fun in that? The food is predominantly greasy and deep fried and if you asked them to deep fry the paper basket on which your order is so lovingly served, I'm sure they'd oblige without batting an eye. Most important of all, the food is really good. Take your pick of fried shrimp, calamari, flounder fillet, red snapper or whiting, all resting on a thickly tangled bed of french fries. At the condiment counter, load up on the lemon wedges and creamy, tangy tartar sauce that go so well with the chunks of fried shrimp. You can also get deep fried lobster tails, scallops, shrimp cocktail, not to mention briny fresh cherrystone and littleneck clams.

Other items on the menu include watermelon wedges, corn on the cob and Manhattan Clam Chowder. There is of course salad, shrimp salad, and burgers and some subs for the landlubbers, but ordering any of this would be tantamount to ordering tofu at a steakhouse. There's also the seasonal items like frog legs, chicken and chicken livers. My favorite has always been the fried calamari and shrimp, but the thin crispy sheets of batter-fried flounder or Whiting are also amazing.

The prices at Johnny's Reef don't break the bank, with a fried shrimp basket at $12; fried calamari, $10; and little neck clams on the half shell, $10 - just to give you an idea. And if you still have the stomach for it, get yourself a soft serve ice cream cone. They only serve chocolate or vanilla, but they're creamy and tasty. During the warmer months, forgo the indoor cafeteria seating and treat yourself to the blue picnic style tables just outside. The cement pier overlooks the Long Island Sound and you can watch the boats go by or just contemplate the Throgs Neck and Whitestone Bridges in the distance. Find a table that isn't adorned with gull poop and enjoy the view and the loudly nattering sea gulls. All in all, Johnny's Reef is a no frills seafood eatery that's aged well precisely because it hasn't changed anything about itself. It doesn't need to when the food is this satisfying and sinfully good.