Beacheria
786 Evergreen Walk, Ocean Beach, NY
631-583-0387
www.beacheriaob.com
On the east end of Ocean Beach’s downtown district, Beacheria Pizza & Pasta is open for its fifth season under the proprietorship of Thomas Sexton Jr. Members of the Sexton family have operated restaurants on Long Island for decades. When the former Michael’s Pizza became available after Michael Miller moved to Fair Harbor to purchase Le Dock Restaurant, Thomas stepped in and took over operation of the spot.
“Everyone knows us for pizza,” Thomas said. “But the catering business has really picked up.” An off-premises catering menu is available online at www.beacheriaob.com. As Ocean Beach’s only full-service Italian restaurant, Beacheria is typically full at lunchtime and in the evening with patrons enjoying both pizza and wide selection of pasta dishes.
We stopped in to sample some current offerings from the lunch and dinner menu. A signature Beacheria appetizer is the mozzarella donuts: homemade rings of melty mozzarella, breaded and pan-fried. These are as far as you can get from the frozen mozzarella sticks often found at pizzerias. Served with marinara sauce, these crave-worthy donuts have become a favorite in the community.
Next, we enjoyed four jumbo-sized homemade meatballs, served with marinara and a huge dollop of ricotta. On nights when I’m working late in the office, the meatballs have been a go-to snack. These flavorful meatballs are always cooked to perfection with just the right consistency and seasoning, and the cool ricotta is a refreshing touch.
Our entrée for the evening was Rigatoni Fiorentina, served with chicken, spinach, and fresh mozzarella in a pink sauce. The melted mozzarella infused throughout the dish paired perfectly with the creamy sauce. A very generous portion of juicy diced chicken chunks added flavor and texture.
For dessert, we tried Beacheria’s own handmade gelato, available by the pint. The mint chip was cool, creamy, and delicious — a welcome change from the ice cream we typically enjoy in town. All gelato is made on premises, with an assortment of flavors that currently includes cookie and cream, Nutella banana, and rainbow cookie. As portion sizes here are generous, we didn’t save enough room for dessert but were glad to take the rest of the pint home for later.
Over 15 entrées are available, along with a wide assortment of appetizers, salads, heroes, paninis, and stuffed rolls. Cannoli, tiramisu, and zeppoli are offered for dessert in addition to the gelato. Over 50 items are on the off-premises catering menu.
Depending on the night, the kitchen can be open as late as 10 p.m., with pizza available as late as 2 a.m. on the weekends. As hours may vary, call for availability of kitchen items and pizza.
