During prohibition, Claudio's, now under Frank Claudio, Manuel's nephew from Portugal, became a fine French restaurant downstairs, while the upstairs became a lively place for imbibing in the illegal spirits that found their way by the boatload from the southern islands through Greenport on the way to the City. Behind the glass door at the left of the bar is a dumb waiter that let the folks downstairs join in the fun too, sipping on their "water" glasses. Throughout the east end of Long Island, bootlegging had become big business!! In the dark of the night, and preferably in the heaviest fog, they would race for port and often glide into the harbor and under Claudio's, which then sat on stilts, off-load their goods through trap doors for the later trip west. One trap door still exists behind the bar - now used to handle utility services under the building.

In the late twenties, Greenport became the mecca for our country's sailing forays in defense of "The America's Cup", which was wrested from England in 1851 by the yacht "America". Around the walls of Claudio's hang photographs and artifacts from our cup defenders including the great "J" boat racing ships. Many were outfitted by S.T. Preston's just across the street from Claudio's. Over the front porch windows of Claudio's you will find a piece of the main mast and the lower spreaders of the yacht "Enterprise", Commodore Vanderbilt's east-end crew who successfully defended the 1930 Cup Race.

This video is of our newest addition to our culinary team, Chris Coleman.  Chris was a contestant on the Food Network program "Chopped".  He came in first place and won the contest!  We are certain you will love his creations also!