Artie’s South Shore Fish Market and Grill reopening in Island Park was quite the catch

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Residents, community leaders, the Island Park Chamber of Commerce and elected officials gathered at Artie’s South Shore Fish Market and Grill in Island Park on Nov. 19 for its grand re-opening ceremony and ribbon cutting.

The business has been a staple in Island Park since 1974, and was opened by Artie Hoerning, who added a seafood restaurant to the market in 1999. The eatery was known for its fresh fish, and when Hoerning died in 2017, his daughters, Cara Lee and Christina, were left to carry on their father’s legacy.

The store closed in 2019 as Cara Lee and Christina contemplated what to do next, and earlier this year, Island Park businessman Arthur Scott Horak and his son, Arthur Jr., purchased the establishment. The elder Arthur Horak also owns R&J Construction in Island Park, which was tasked with refurbishing and modernizing the restaurant’s interior and exterior. The father-son team decided it was vital to maintain the charm and menu of Artie’s, and also hired original fishmonger Kris Mott and Chef Nohe Fuentes. Additionally, they mounted Artie’s sharks to the walls as an homage to the former owner.

Arthur Horak Sr. told the Herald in mid-November, before the restaurant reopened, that it was important to keep the spirit of Artie’s intact.

“It still has the feeling of the old Artie’s,” he said. “The first day we opened the fish market, we had people knocking on the door all day asking when the restaurant would open, so we’re looking forward to it.”

The fish market, which reopened on Nov. 5, features daily catches from Artie Jr’s fleet and fish from other top Long Island independent commercial fishermen, as well as many of the best seafood distributors in the world.

The fish market, at 4257 Austin Blvd. in Island Park, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. for lunch and from  4 to 10 p.m. for dinner, with the last seating at 8:30 p.m.. A reservation is needed for dinner, and the restaurant also offers catering, takeout and curbside pickup.

“Artie’s is a landmark in Island Park,” Chamber of Commerce President Barbra Rubin-Perry said. “The chamber welcomes the Horak family, and welcomes back Artie’s daughters. The Chamber was proud to take part in the ribbon cutting. We wish them the best of luck, and good fishing.”

 

Tony Bellissimo contributed to this story.