Long Island Port Towns - Port Jefferson

I've always been a huge fan of port towns. The quaint atmosphere, a row of shops - antiques, used book stores, coffeehouses, small bars. That's what I think of when I think port towns. Long Island usually delivers. I recently made a trip to Port Jefferson. Getting lost along the way gave me a chance to see the old homes in Stony Brook and East Setauket. Once arriving in Port Jefferson my boyfriend and I took a stroll to the dock's to snack on bagels and a cheese danish we brought with us.

We attempted to feed a pair of ducks floating in the waters but the seagulls were quick and much more aggressive. We soon found ourselves surrounded by both seagulls and crows. We moved on from there, exploring the town, mostly window shopping. We did stop into Home Again Treasures on Consignment. They sell indoor and outdoor furniture, and home decor pieces. A good deal of the pieces are made my local artisans and crafters. I really admired some of the pieces but I had no where near the amount of money I'd need to purchase anything. Which is not to say anything was over-priced.

Our next stop was Best Bargain Books. They had an overall great selection at unbeatable prices! I bought Stephanie Kuehnert's "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone." Had I bought the book anywhere else it would have been a sold $15. I got it for $5. Plus another book for $3 and I snagged a book for their $1 cart outside of the store. Like I said, unbeatable.

Next was Port Jefferson Frigate, a candy store that has been their since I can remember. If I wasn't on a diet I would have had a sampling of the ample amount of chocolates and candies they had to offer. We settled for a Buckeye each. A Buckeye is a ball of peanut butter covered in chocolate (as such). The also had a large selection of Itanlian ices and gelato but it was far too cold that day for something like that.

After resting for a bit at the tables located within the Frigate we decided we were quite parched and got smoothies from Rogers Island Juice Bar on the otherside of the candy shop. I got the Cranberry Fruit craze which was out of this world and worth the red stained mouth. My boyfriend got the Peanut Butter and Jelly smoothie which, much to our surprise, was disgusting. He had to throw it out. Perhaps it was our own mistake in thinking that a delicious sandwich would translate well into a smoothie.

In hopes of finding a pet store in place of Yuppy Puppy which closed a few years ago. I thought I had read somewhere that a new place had opened up in Port Jeff. We stumbled across a pet supplies store that had 2 cats for sale. Not quite what I was expecting for as cat lovers we were still pleased. We then made our way through the small mall located on Main Street. Many of the store I remember from when I was younger, particularly the toy/magic store at the back, are gone. The hot sauce store is one of the last remainders. We did find a store selling Retro/Jazz Era inspired clothing and accessories. I was in heaven. Again, if only money wasn't an issue!

After a bit of browsing the merchandise we went to the Port Jefferson brewery and sample selections of their beers which was quite impressive, particularly the Dead Ryes Ryes-n-Bock and Runaway Ferry Imperial IPA. We purchased a growler full of each to bring to a friends house the next night. They all enjoyed the beers as much as we did. The tasting room was so interesting! The bar was actually made from the hull of a boat. And the bartender, Andrea, was very friendly and helpful even though she was getting over a cold. We made friends with some of the other tasters and it was overall a terrific experience and an amazing day.

We're planning a weekend in Patchogue. A visit to the brewery and maybe some of the cafes in the area. What does everyone else think of Port Jefferson and Long Island's port towns. Does anyone have suggestions for the next town/port town we should visit?

I grew up near Port Jeff... there are some great little stores up on East Main Street.

My favorite Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch place named "Toast" is awesome :) They used to do a wine bar/tapas menu at night which was incredible, but I'm not sure if they still do?... I did drive by one evening and didn't see them open that particular night.

Also, Salsa Salsa is awesome... (I still drive there for their spicy grilled shrimp salad and their super chicken burrito, ...and now I live in Islip!) Love that place! YUM!
Ok, all I can think about are the great food spots right now... I must be hungry! :)

Port Jeff is one of my favorite places in the world! I grew up in East Setauket so it was pretty easy to get to. Salsa Salsa is BY FAR my favorite Mexican place in the world their burritos are phenomenal! I work at the Pindar store down there it's such a great atmosphere to work in!

I hope the Salsa Salsa in Smithtown is just as good as the one in Port Jeff since you all like it so much. I'm going there later tonight. :D