Louie Signorelli started Louie’s Backyard in 1971 in his ocean front Victorian home that seated just 12 people.  In 1983 Phil and Pat Tenney renovated the place and transformed it into what is there today.   The chef of 30 years prepares each dish to order using locally caught seafood and produce specifically grown for them from Island Farms.  That commitment to quality makes them quite popular but there are many tables in the house and a huge patio overlooking the water to accommodate guests. The back of the house is where the dining rooms are and the back is a wall of windowed doors that allow everyone to enjoy the view and fresh air.  Even so, the tables are set with white tablecloths and napkins.  Service was very friendly, helpful and efficient. One small room in the front serves as an interior bar.  The lunch menu is slightly smaller than the dinner menu but also less expensive.  There was one special and it’s a place I would happily go back to.

While waiting to place our order they brought out a basket of sliced bread and a nicely softened slab of butter.  It was a white bread with a good chewy interior and a moderately crispy crust dusted with cornmeal.  They were both quite good.

We got one of the day’s special catch – sautéed Yellowtail snapper with an artichoke relish beside fusilli pasta and haricot vert all on a roasted red pepper cream sauce.  The artichoke relish was a Mediterranean inspired combination of green olives, tomatoes, artichokes, red onions, capers and cucumbers.  It went quite well with the fish, cream sauce and the generous portion of pasta.  The fish and pasta were cooked nicely but the beans were a tad undercooked.  Overall it was a very good plate of food.

Cajun Barbeque Shrimp with fried grits was highly recommended by our server.  It had 8 good sized shrimp in a really tasty sauce that was more zesty than spicy.  With the shrimp were the same haricot vert that could have used more cooking but were edible with good flavor.  Alongside were grits that had been congealed and sliced and then browned.  It was a fun way to present them with a crisp exterior and soft creamy interior.  They also were good to mix with the sauce.  Another very good plate of food.

We didn’t have room for dessert but I snapped a photo of the menu.