Bites Nearby: Costa de Espana Serves Seafood the Way Seafood Should be Done

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Port Jefferson Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. This week's choice is

Overview: Fresh fish served in clay pots still boiling in zesty tomato or garlic sauce. Paella the way your friend's grandmother used to make it. Garlic sauteed by chefs that grew up on garlic. Mussels so they leave not a doubt about their proximity to the body of water in which they were caught. These are among the treats the patron is bound to enjoy should he or she frequent Costa de Espana.

A short walking distance from the Port Jefferson Ferry, Costa de Espana caters to Port Jefferson's high volume of seasonal tourists, but unlike much of its nearby competition, still has that ineffable "Cheers" quality in which the lion's share of its patrons know one another. If it is summer, don't be surprised to happen upon a classic Long Island debate occurring on the patio about what the Mets or Yankees must do with their pitching rotations. If winter, that conversation is likely to be taking place around the classic bistro bar. This is the restaurant you want to visit after you've had a stressful day.

Decor: Outside and inside, Costa de Espana has a welcoming, boisterous, energetic feel when it's busy, and the Dickensian flavor of the quaint town in which it resides when it's not. The brick bar is rustic and the bartenders have a fun time making the drinks. The patio, on which sit the most comfortable chairs in a Long Island restaurant, is practically an advertisement for big cigars. The inside feels like Spain: spacious and traditional, with plenty of red touches. The artwork fits, and might get you thinking about running with the bulls the following summer. One would have hoped, however, that the music weren't quite as dated; perhaps they didn't get the memo that Gypsy Kings went out with phones that have antennas. The selections, predominantly featuring classical guitar, vary from vivacious to stale.

Drinks: Somehow, Costa de Espana is one of those restaurants to which you may wish to have someone else do the driving. The wine list is sufficiently extensive and international that you will be brought over an iPad to make browsing through the drink menu easy. The wines are generally both inexpensive and interesting. If you like wines on the less dry side, you will be especially pleased. The Sangria is solid.

Appetizers and Entrees: You have a lot of options on the menu, but most of the recipes feature scrumptious tomato and garlic sauces, particularly in the case of the zesty seafood dishes. The mussels with devil’s sauce are a house speciality: warning, they are addictive. The fish is fresh, high quality, with huge portions served partially on your plate and partially in a clay pot still cooking in its sauce. The papas fritas represent the best of Spanish "comfort food." The paella is a festival of culinary treasures, both meaty and filling. Almost all of the menu items are healthy and full of flavor.

Desserts: Unless you come with a massive appetite, or don't eat dinner, it is highly unlikely you'll be hungry for dessert. But if you are, there are many treats from which to choose, including a specialty of rice pudding topped with cinnamon. The desserts seem to err on the sweet side–nothing too fancy but all very good. Again, very big portions.

Service: These waiters and waitresses are charming. They all smile and accommodate all comers with their "variation on the theme" requests. Owner Lenny has had the same staff for quite some time, and the result is everyone seems to know exactly what they are doing. The service was, in a word, wonderful.

Address: 9 Traders Cove, Port Jefferson, NY 11777-1822