Eat, Drink, Market with Ryan Barth-Dwyer, Head Chef at Southold's Little Fish
By Joe Mollica
A self-taught chef, Ryan Barth-Dwyer began his tenure at Southold’s Little Fish by launching dishes like Monk Fish Tikka Masala and Swordfish Milanese — not exactly household names on local menus.
Yet, the dishes ended up being the beachfront eatery’s runaway best-sellers, and some of the most talked about on the North Fork this past summer.
Recently, Little Fish celebrated its first anniversary after a successful opening season built on the combination of Barth-Dwyer’s thoughtful, eco-friendly menu and the sun-soaked coastal vibes more often associated with the South Fork.
The biggest draw, however, has been the eatery’s beachy but elevated fare. The menu at Little Fish is made up mostly of classic seafood favorites with a distinct twist brought to you by a chef whose bold inventiveness — or some might say rebelliousness — has even The New York Times taking notice.
“[Owner Arden Gardell] and I just committed to the concept … we were so sure of our concept that we just went with it. Some of the menu items were a leap of faith, but they proved to be very successful,” Barth-Dwyer says.
A self-styled “pirate of the kitchen,” Barth-Dwyer has been learning on the job since he was 16, when he began cooking in a family friend’s restaurant without much more than a crash-course on the food being served. After college, he worked for a start-up, but then moved into hospitality, waiting tables, tending bar, managing spaces, and getting acquainted with every aspect of the business from the inside out. For a while, he was even a large-scale event-planner.
However, he always planned a return to restaurants.
“My mother said if you’re going to be the boss of someone one day, you have to work every position in the restaurant, you need to know the position to be able to tell someone how to do their job,” he says. “I’m really proud of the fact that I’m self-taught. I’ve learned there are no boundaries, and for me it’s about breaking them and recreating the idea of how something should taste.”
Unsurprisingly, the chef is also a DJ and house music producer who curates the restaurant’s playlists to complement the mood and the vibes, but his first love has always been in the kitchen.
“I love cooking, and I love cooking for people and getting that instant feedback,” he says. “After cooking at [Greenport restaurant] Kon Tiki, I realized I absolutely love this … I’m here all day every day and I absolutely love what I’m doing.”
The Huntington native and Greenport resident is also looking forward to some free moments during the winter to enjoy some time on the town. He recently dished with Dan’s about his favorite places to eat, drink and market during winter on the North Fork.
Ryan Barth-Dwyer’s Foodie Favorites
One of the best meals I’ve ever had out here. When I need an excellent meal that’s going to satisfy my taste buds and blow me away, I go to Léon. I know that everything they do is going to be executed perfectly. They have this chicken liver mousse that is the best I’ve ever had … they tap into the resources locally. It’s knockout. You’ve got this hearth right in the middle of the resto.
29 West Neck Road, Shelter Island, leon1909.c0m
Another Very cool culinary experience that I think everyone should know about it is the PAWPAW popup that Taylor Knapp does over at the Lynn Beach House. He named his pop-up after this indigenous fruit called pawpaw. It has a full-service restaurant on weekends all year round, its like an eight-course tasting menu … and it’s as close as you’ll get to a Michelin dining experience on the North Fork that I’ve ever experienced.
Taylor Knapp … he owns Peconic Escargot … he’s hyper seasonal and local, thoughtfully curated and ever-changing … everything sourced from this region.
At the Lin Beach House, 455 NY-25 Greenport, pawpawpopup.com
I love the bar there. The chef and owner is a sake sommelier. It’s one of the most robust sake lists I’ve ever come across, North Fork or not. He’s got mushroom sake and olive oil sake, I love the experience of going there and trying things. It’s the only place you can get a good ramen around here, too.
477 Main Street, Greenport, stirlingsake.com
I love to go there and sit at the bar. The wine program they put together is robust and different … they’ve got Swiss Italian wines, New Zealand wines, they dive into a lot of things and get a bit abstract.
45 Front Street, Greenport, alpinany.com
Brix & Rye
Best cocktails in town, hands-down. That’s the beauty of it. You talk to the owner and you tell him, I’m feeling this or that, he’ll make you something and it’s the best cocktail you’ve ever had, and that’s what you’re drinking for the night. They have such an extensive knowledge and inventory of abstract liquors.
308A Main Street, Greenport, brixandrye.com
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