'Needed To Give It A Change': How Restaurant Is Love Letter To Islip

ISLIP, NY — When Lessings Hospitality group closed the doors of Maxwell's restaurant in August 2022, they already knew their next big move.

After a successful 16-year run at 501 Main Street, the Islip-based family envisioned a lighter, more nautical love letter to their hometown.

And so Bayberry, a new American bistro, named after the native Islip plant, held its grand opening on June 22.

"It checks a lot of boxes to the community," said Michael Lessing Jr., Area Operations Manager for Lessing’s Hospitality Group.

Lessing, who started out as a busboy at Maxwell's, described as a "grand casual menu" he said there's something for everyone.

"If you want to do something more celebratory, like an anniversary or a date night, you can go and get a great seafood entrée or a really special bottle of wine," said Lessing.

At the same time, you can come for a weeknight meal and get a burger or some oysters — or have a drink at its 40-seat bar.

"We wanted that to be a place where people could get together, have some fun snacks, have some raw bar and a couple of cocktails," Lessing said. "There are a lot of things on the menu that work well with each other."

The "elevation of the cuisine" is thanks to the chef driven menu, with executive chef, Billy Muzio and chef Emeritus Guy Ruege.

"We all worked really closely on the menu," Lessing said. "It's something that we're really proud of."

The menu, the wine list, and the cocktail is "really what differentiates itself"from Maxwell's, he said.

Lessing said his favorite entree on the menu is the Local Fluke “En Croute,” entrée. One of his go-to drinks include the Pomelo De Fumar, which consists of familia camarena reposado, casamigos mezcal, grapefruit juice, lime juice, grapefruit bitters, agave nectar and a smoked salt half rim.

Also, a popular favorite, The Bayberry, which consists of ford’s London dry gin, fresh blueberries, lemon juice, simple syrup and an egg white.

"We just wanted it to be fun. There's really fun music there. There's really fun people working there," said Lessing. "We hired a bunch of really great people that you really want the ambiance to be welcoming and exciting."

While Maxwell's had more of a darker color scheme to reflect its nightlife, Bayberry's lighter blue hues complement its menu.

"I wouldn't call the design coastal by any stretch, but the light areas definitely reflect some of the Great South Bay, and the stuff that people resonate with," Lessing said.

New, "fun" pictures and art also drape the walls, giving the atmosphere a new flair.

"It just kind of feels more new than anything else," said Lessing.

After the pandemic, the group decided the space at Maxwell's needed an upgrade to raise the community's spirits.

"We feel like we needed to give it a change," said Lessing.

Founded by Maxwell Lessing in 1890, Lessing's Hospitality Group, operates 20 high-end wedding and catering venues, 12 restaurants and four country clubs on Long Island, two in New York City including Ellen's Stardust Diner, four restaurants in Florida, four Blaze Pizza locations, popup kitchen Lucky Clucker, and the historic Mirabelle Inn in Stony Brook.

But Islip will always hold a special place in the family's hearts, as most of its members grew up there and have deep roots.

"The majority of my family lives in Islip, or has at least has been raised in Islip," said Lessing. "So we have a lot of people still there, so we really wanted to make some improvements."

The feedback from the Islip community has been "really positive" so far, Lessing said, and Bayberry was able to welcome all of the same people who patronized Maxwell's.

"I think people were really excited that we made the commitment to the town," he said. "That was the big thing, more so than anything, is that we wanted to do this in Islip, which is important to all of us."

To learn more about Bayberry, visit its website here.

To learn more about Lessing's Hospitality group, visit its website here.