New Seafood Eatery Opens for Business

The newest addition to Babylon Village's expanding restaurant row of eateries on Deer Park Avenue is Blue Chill, a casual family-friendly seafood establishment.

Owners Frank Larocca, a West Babylon native, and Michael Gadaleta, of Middle Island, describe the restaurant as a fish house, offering lots of seafood cuisine as well as landlubber entrees including chicken and salads. There are 63 lunch and dinner items on the menu.

"We're excited to be in the village as it's great to stay local," says Larocca, who has been working in restaurants and kitchens for most of his adult life.

"Our goal is to offer up the freshest seafood, just like the dock fish houses used to do when they cooked up the catch as soon as they got it off the boats," says Larocca.

The biggest challenge in launching a restaurant, says the co-owner, is the financial investment. It's been a bit more expensive than the two partners initially expected but it hasn't dampened their enthusiasm and excitement.

"I've always dreamed of opening my own place, ever since I was a kid and started cooking at the age of 13," Larocca says.

The owners describe their new restaurant as a friendly, "flip-flop" wearing kind of  place to enjoy either lunch or dinner. Right now they're still awaiting their liquor license.

Blue Chill is open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Hours for Friday are 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday. Hours for Sunday are 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.