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When Eddie’s Bistro & Bar opened in Oyster Bay last September, owner Elizabeth Reilly (pictured, left) and her mother weren’t just opening another restaurant.
They were honoring a man many in the community already knew by name.
Located at 80 South St., the restaurant serves as a tribute to Reilly’s late father, Eddie — a Scotland-born Oyster Bay resident remembered throughout town for coaching local soccer and bringing people together.
Now, as warmer weather arrives, the restaurant is unveiling outdoor dining for the first time.
“For the past few years, I feel like everyone wants to sit outside,” Reilly told Greater Long Island. “We had a spot, so we added some flowers and couches and it’s the perfect place to enjoy a meal outside.”
The cozy outdoor setup offers diners another way to experience the restaurant’s elevated American fare, seasonal cocktails and deeply personal touches woven throughout the space.
According to Reilly, nearly every detail inside the restaurant carries a connection to her father.
“The entire design, all the fixtures, the pictures and maps on the wall, the books on the shelves, the cows in the bathroom — they all had special meaning to him, things he always spoke about and enjoyed,” Reilly said. “Even the paint on the bar, it was hand-painted special for us in Portugal. It was the same exact color as his kilt.”
The menu itself also serves as part tribute, part family legacy.
“The food and drinks are a tribute to dad too,” Reilly said. “Chef Mo curated everything. It’s all his recipes. I gave him ideas, but he ran with it.”
Head chef Girolamo Maniscalchi describes the menu as “contemporary American with a European influence and Italian flair.”
“Eddie loved fish and chips, which is one of our more popular dishes,” Maniscalchi added. “We also have incredible pizzas and burgers.”
The restaurant also offers gluten-free options and rotates portions of the menu seasonally.
“We make slight changes to the menu monthly to keep things fresh so guests don’t get tired of the same thing every time they come here,” Maniscalchi said.
Since opening, Reilly said the response from the Oyster Bay community has been emotional.
“The whole community knows him. He used to coach soccer,” she said. “People come in here all the time and say, ‘You did great, your dad is definitely smiling down.’ I sure hope so.”
Top: Elizabeth Reilly, the daughter of Eddie’s Bistro & Bar‘s namesake, Eddie, and the restaurant’s manager, Jen LaMonte. (Credit: GLI/Andrew Rappaport)
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