A fish counter rarely announces a retirement. The owner simply stops being behind the glass one day, and the regulars have to learn a new face. In June 2024, the Village Times Herald reported that this had happened at Setauket Seafood, 230 Main Street in East Setauket, after 42 years of operation. Next door, at 232 Main Street, a butcher shop with its own long history was about to go through the same handoff, and then a second, more dramatic one.
Two neighboring food shops, each reported to have operated for more than 40 years, now share one owner: a chef whose restaurant had long bought fish from the fish counter.
The Fish Counter That Kept Its Reputation
Setauket Seafood sold after 42 years, according to the Village Times Herald, with a founding year that the coverage never pins down. What the paper did report is the transaction itself. The previous owner, Eddie, was planning to retire, and Blanco said Eddie asked him earlier in 2024 whether he was interested in buying the store. The paper spells the surname Lee in one article and Lin in another, so this post sticks with the first name.
Blanco was no stranger to the product. He was a chef at Savino’s Hideaway in Mount Sinai, with 12 years of culinary experience, and the restaurant had long bought its fish from Setauket Seafood. The shop was his first business venture. His stated reason was simple: “I used to come to Setauket and always loved this town.”
A Chef’s Customer Becomes the Owner
A restaurant kitchen is a demanding judge of a fish supplier. Delivery windows, freshness, and consistency decide whether a dish works on a Saturday night, and Savino’s bought its fish from this shop for years. A track record like that is hard to manufacture. Repeat orders from a working kitchen say more than any sign over the door.
Eddie did not vanish after the sale. The Herald reported that he stayed on to help with the transition, and Blanco confirmed in September 2024 that he was still helping out. For a shop where customers buy by trust, that overlap matters, since the new owner inherits a counter and the former owner lends his reputation until the regulars are comfortable.
Two Shops, One Chef, and a Butcher Counter at 232 Main
By September 2024 the Village Times Herald reported that Blanco owned both. The butcher shop next door, then known as The Butchers Market and formerly Setauket Quality Meats, had been owned most recently by Brittany McClung. According to the paper, both stores had existed for more than 40 years. Blanco had held the fish store for about six months and the butcher shop for about two.
His first change was practical: prepared food. The paper listed sausage and peppers, chicken francese, Italian-style meatballs, cooked fish, and eggplant parmesan for customers who want dinner without a recipe. His priority, in his words: “We want to keep the stores’ reputations high.”
For readers who cook at home, the butcher side of this story connects to two earlier pieces here, a roundup of hidden-gem butcher shops on Long Island and a field guide to ordering a custom cut at the butcher case.
July 2026: The Butcher Shop Gets a Second Opening
Then came this summer’s news. On July 14, 2026, Greater Long Island reported that the neighborhood butcher shop at 232 Main Street had been revived as Italy’s Village Market of Setauket. The article describes a place that once had customers lined up and later lost ground as it changed hands several times. A full renovation followed, after several months of work. Only one thing from the old shop survived the gut job, the front display case.
The new team pairs Blanco with Rob Damato, a local butcher who spent years at Butcher Boy in Mount Sinai, which has since closed. Damato described the old days at 232 Main plainly: “There used to be lines out the door here.” At the time of the report the market had been open for less than three weeks.
One note on the record. The September 2024 coverage calls the 232 Main shop The Butchers Market, and the July 2026 article describes Blanco as owner of The Butchers Market while introducing Italy’s Village Market of Setauket at that address. Neither report explains how the two names relate, and this post does not guess. Anyone planning a trip should confirm the current name and hours with the shop.
What the Case Holds Today
According to the July report, the counter carries USDA Prime and Top Choice meats and hand-cut steaks. Blanco makes the Italian prepared foods in-house, including Bolognese sauce, lasagna, and fresh mozzarella made on site daily. Penne alla vodka was an early favorite. For the coming months the owners planned imported Italian specialties, cured meats, and made-to-order sandwiches.
For anyone planning a cookout around a hand-cut steak, this blog’s guide to the best cuts of meat for keto is a useful companion read.
Why a Block Like This Matters
Shops like these can fade without much notice when an owner retires and no buyer appears. The East Setauket story runs the other way. One owner stepped aside and a customer stepped in. A shop that had slid into decline got a rebuild and a second chance. The common thread, in every article, is a person who wanted the place to stay.
If you are in the Three Village area, the block is at 230 and 232 Main Street in East Setauket. Setauket Seafood lists a phone number of (631) 751-2809 in the Long Island business directory, though that listing has no update date, so call ahead to confirm hours and the shop’s current status.
Sources
- Setauket Seafood sold after 42 years — Village Times Herald, June 14, 2024
- New owner of Setauket Quality Meats and Setauket Seafood combines fresh flairs with time-honored tradition — Village Times Herald, September 19, 2024
- Italy’s Village Market owners revive longtime East Setauket butcher shop — Greater Long Island, July 14, 2026
- Setauket Seafood business listing — LongIsland.com
