Andrea Tese is the owner of the waterfront restaurants Minnow at the Galley Ho and Legends in New Suffolk. Her goal for each location, along with a deep appreciation for the region, is to provide diners with fresh, locally sourced, and sustainably caught seafood. We spoke with Tese to learn more about her mission and her restaurants.
Can you tell us about your background in New Suffolk? What inspired you to go into the restaurant business on the North Fork?
I live in New Suffolk full-time now, but I’ve been spending summers here my entire life. I learned to swim here. I learned to fish here. And spending so much time in and on the bay is what inspired me to go into the restaurant business. I wanted to create a place where people could go for truly fresh, local, and sustainably caught seafood.
It’s been about a year since you took over ownership of Legends Restaurant. What has the experience been like?
Taking over such an established business has been more challenging than I thought it would be! I hoped it would be a seamless transition, but instead, it was a little bumpy. Thankfully, we’ve come out on the other side, and hopefully, I’ve learned a lot in the process.
Can you also describe your concept for Minnow at the Galley Ho and how the two spaces complement each other?
I like to say that Minnow is a little restaurant with big ideas. It was founded on the idealistic concepts of sustainably caught seafood and organic, locally sourced produce. It’s everything I always wanted in a restaurant as a customer, and I could never quite find.
Minnow is seasonal and has a little bit of a higher price point. It’s Mediterranean-inspired and mostly fish and vegetable-based, with a couple of poultry dishes. The seating is all focused on the outside deck and view of the Bay.
Legends, on the other hand, is a year-round local hang-out, sports bar, and American bistro with an Asian bent. You can go there for a great burger and sushi, among other things. It’s cozy, can get rowdy, and is a lot of fun.
I see the two restaurants as being great compliments to one another as they are so different.
Can you discuss your commitment to sustainable seafood and marin conservation?
Last year, I acquired commercial fishing licenses and pound trap permits. I am now able to catch fish for both restaurants in an extremely sustainable way, with no bykill.
Eating sustainable seafood is not just about the species; it is also about the fishing method. Each year in America, an estimated one to two billion pounds of fish are thrown overboard, dead or dying due to mainstream commercial fishing practices using nets and dredges. This is called bycatch, or more accurately, bykill. For every pound of seafood that makes it to a dinner plate, so many pounds are wasted.
The mission of Minnow and my dream for Legends is to serve seafood caught only by line, trap, spear, or hand. No nets. No bykill. At both restaurants, we are dedicated to transparency and traceability and encourage questions about our seafood sources and choices.
What are a few of your favorite dishes for winter?
Choosing from the Legends menu, I gravitate towards warming, heartier dishes in the winter. More often than not, I order things with rich sauces and cheese. A few of my winter favorites: French onion soup, oysters Miguel, rigatoni vodka, roasted poblano mac & cheese, local fish and chips (this time of the year, we often use golden tilefish), and the Creekside roll (sustainably farmed American eel from Maine, avocado, cucumber, and homemade eel sauce).
What do you love most about the North Fork community?
The North Fork community is filled with people who are committed to preserving the area and its resources. North Forkers know that they live somewhere very special, and are intent on protecting it. There are many in the community who are active stewards of the bay and our open spaces.
