Sag Harbor's Dockside To Give Way to Bay Street Tavern

The Dockside restaurant, which long leased space from the Sag Harbor American Legion, closed last weekend and will be replaced next summer by the Bay Street Tavern, which will be run by restaurateur Eric Miller, his son and partner, Adam Miller, and developer Adam Potter.

Potter has become a prominent, if controversial, figure in the village, first as the chairman of Friends of Bay Street, which plans to build a new theater for Bay Street Theater, and most recently as the face behind an effort to develop 79 affordable apartments and 33,000 square feet of commercial space on a 1.4-acre site off Bridge and Rose streets. That he was eying the Dockside lease was the subject of open rumors in the village for months.

The Millers run Rita Cantina in Springs and formerly ran Bay Kitchen & Bar in the space now occupied by Bostwick’s on Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton

Stacy Sheehan and Elizabeth Barnes, the owners of the Dockside, will be retiring after 27 years in business. The restaurant was closed on Veterans Day so the restaurant could hold its annual dinner for Sag Harbor veterans. It officially closed its doors on Sunday.

Neither Sheehan nor Barnes could be reached for comment.

According to a press release, Eric Miller, who will be the executive chef, has more than three decades of experience and was a pioneer in the slow food, dock-to-dish and farm-to-table movements. He will oversee a seafood-dominated menu, while Adam Miller will serve as the operational general manager and beverage director.

“We are grateful for the encouraging support we received from the wonderful Dockside Bar & Grill owners, Stacy Sheehan and Elizabeth Barnes, and are honored to have their blessing as we develop our new concept, Bay Street Tavern,” said Eric Miller in the release. “We wish the best for Stacy and Elizabeth as they retire from the day-to-day restaurant business, and we look forward to welcoming back their longtime Sag Harbor customers and offering something exciting and new.”

In an interview on Friday, Eric Miller said he had worked many years ago at a restaurant in Sag Harbor and was excited to have the opportunity to open his own restaurant in the village. “I think Sag Harbor is an incredible place,” he said. “I think we are lucky to be able to get a location like this, and we are going to bring our ‘A’ game.”

Miller said that the Bay Kitchen “was the highest-rated seafood restaurant on Long Island for 10 years,” and that he planned to offer a menu with a wide variety of seafood options.

“We are going to have every kind of oyster, every kind of clam, steamers, fish that came out of the water that morning,” he said. He also promised to offer everything from hamburgers to top-of-the line steak selections.

He said he expected to hold a soft opening in mid-April before expanding to a full schedule as the summer season begins.

“We’re going to have something for everyone,” he promised, adding that with his son in charge, “We’re going to have the best bar in Sag Harbor.”

Miller noted that the transfer of the lease required the approval of the American Legion and said that Potter had been “giving us all the support we need. He has been very forthcoming and transparent.”

Potter said he had enjoyed eating at the Dockside for many years and was friendly with its owners, Sheehan and Barnes, and had been impressed with the way they operated their business and supported the community.

“As Stacy and Elizabeth looked to retire, and Chef Eric sought to bring his extraordinary skills to Sag Harbor, I wanted to provide the best opportunity to do so,” he said. “Ensuring that the eatery remains locally driven, I am honored to assist Chef Eric Miller and Adam Miller as they carry the baton to the next phase of this cherished Sag Harbor destination.”​​​​​​