Business of the Week: The Seafood Grill, Armonk

Michael Mazzella credits his 20 years in the restaurant and catering business, his personal culinary tastes, and most of all, his wife for inspiring him to take the chance to follow his dream.

On Feb. 11, Mazzella opened The Seafood Grill in Armonk in the space that was once occupied by Opus 465 on Main Street. The restaurant, however, isn’t typical seafood fare but is Japanese influenced. Mazzella fell in love with the culture from his days trading Japanese yen on Wall Street before having that passion rekindled when meeting his wife, Taeko, who he married last year.

“I always had a dream to do this,” said Mazzella. “I was going to do Latin seafood, then after I met my wife, the Japanese ingredients are just such amazing ingredients.”

Under the direction of Executive Chef Tom McAliney, Mazzella has coined the term “dock to dish” for his restaurant. Every day he has three vendors head down to the Fulton Fish Market to bring back the freshest fish from that morning’s catch.

The Seafood Grill’s standout dishes are the 10-ounce, bone-in miso-glazed halibut, 125-degree Scottish salmon with cauliflower fried rice and wild hake with spinach and ginger and oil.

Diners can find colossal crab cakes, a plate of four five-ounce shrimp, uni deviled eggs and Alaskan king crab legs. Patrons are greeted by an impressive raw fish bar when they walk in the door with fresh oysters, littleneck clams and other favorites.

As a nod to his original idea, there are a couple of Latin seafood dishes on the menu as well as several beef and chicken selections.

For someone whose love for seafood was ignited when waiting tables at a City Island restaurant after leaving Wall Street in 1996, it’s the fish dishes that stand out.

“I just fell in love with the seafood. Seafood is my passion and I just wanted to do something totally different and unique,” said Mazzella, who for the past two years was the general manager at The Kittle House in Chappaqua and had also opened the short-lived Bistro 146 in Pleasantville.

Mazzella is hoping to balance giving his customers a different experience but is adamant about keeping the prices as affordable as possible. He wants to have local seafood lovers to return again and again.

“I want to be different,” he said. “If you go out and spend $50 a head, $60 a head, $80 a head and you just get a fish that’s baked or broiled, you’ll go home, and after a while (you’ll say) I can do that at home. This concept is so unique.”

The completely refurbished interior at The Seafood Grill is an inviting place for lunch or dinner. There are about 40 seats in the bustling downstairs, which also features a bar with eight craft beers on tap and a variety of wines. Upstairs there is a quieter ambiance, but Mazzella can also cater for parties with up to 80 guests while keeping the downstairs open.

Come springtime, there will be outdoor seating with 65 to 70 seats and two fire pits that will help extend the season on chillier evenings.

“It’s such a cute little place,” Mazzella said. “It’s got such great potential.”

In the weeks ahead, he’ll be adding live entertainment on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, various specials during the week, a $19 lunch menu and a Sunday brunch.

The Seafood Grill is located at 465 Main St. in Armonk and has free parking. It is open every day except Tuesday. Lunch is served starting at 11:30 a.m. The restaurant is open until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, call 914-730-1122 or visit The Seafood Grill on Facebook. Its website is www.seafoodgrillarmonk.com.