The Snouder's Drug Store sign still hangs at 108 South Street. Behind it, L'Étoile serves French bistro cooking under most of the building's original woodwork. Provisions Market sells prepared foods and pantry staples from the same historic building. Behind the market is Bull Moose, a members-only cocktail lounge.
Two different hospitality groups run those three businesses. The bistro belongs to Stellina Hospitality. The market and the lounge belong to Lush Life Hospitality Group. Between them, the two groups now run most of the newer places to eat in downtown Oyster Bay, so the holiday season on South Street and Audrey Avenue follows two sets of plans. For anyone in Oyster Bay Cove who treats this hamlet as their main street, the first date to watch arrives before Thanksgiving.
A Decade From Vacant Storefronts to Waiting Lists
The Oyster Bay Guardian's August 2026 report describes how much changed. About ten years ago, the hamlet had boarded-up buildings and rising vacancy rates. In 2014, Claudia and Michael Taglich bought a historic house in Oyster Bay and moved here from Sag Harbor. Claudia saw a restaurant site in the vacant corner lot where Cafe Al Dente used to be. Lush Life, her partnership with chef Jesse Schenker, opened 2 Spring there in 2018.
The second group started from a family history in Syosset. The Milana family ran Stella's there for 64 years. After they moved to Oyster Bay during the pandemic, they partnered with chef Fabrizio Facchini and opened Stellina in February 2022. The name means "little star" and honors the original restaurant. The Milanas then bought the Snouder's building, which had been empty for almost 16 years, and opened L'Étoile there. When the Guardian's report ran in August 2026, the bistro had been open for about a year.
The Guardian quoted Jackie Cipolla, executive director of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association. She said the association's Downtown Board renovated the Roosevelt-Derby Bandstand and redid the seating near the post office, and she credited the hamlet's revived business community for that work. "This wouldn't be possible without the strong local businesses," she told the paper. Amy Reilly Hanley of the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce told the paper that the new businesses also support other local organizations.
Two Rosters, Block by Block
Laid out by address, the two groups occupy a few short blocks:
| Venue | Group | Address | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Spring | Lush Life | 2 Spring Street | Modern American, tasting and multicourse menus |
| The Chef's Counter at Four | Lush Life | 4 Spring Street | Ten-seat chef's counter |
| Gioia | Lush Life | 94 South Street | Northern Italian, handmade pasta |
| Provisions Market | Lush Life | 108 South Street | Prepared foods, pantry, catering |
| Bull Moose | Lush Life | 108 South Street, behind the market | Members-only cocktail lounge |
| Provisions Bread & Cheese | Lush Life | 17 East Main Street | Bakery producing breads and pasta |
| Gimme Burger | Lush Life | 39 East Main Street | Fast-casual burgers |
| Stellina Ristorante | Stellina | 76 South Street | Italian |
| The Bay Butcher | Stellina | 96 South Street | Butcher and fishmonger |
| L'Étoile | Stellina | 108 South Street | French bistro |
| The Audrey | Stellina | 30 Audrey Avenue | All-day kitchen and bar |
| HOSHI | Stellina | 34 Audrey Avenue | Sushi and Japanese |
Lush Life is clustered around Spring Street and East Main. Stellina holds most of South Street's middle stretch and the corner of Audrey Avenue. The two meet at 108 South Street.
2 Spring, the restaurant that started it all, reopened in 2025 after a redesign that Long Island Business News described as a more luxe, multicourse direction. The restaurant now describes itself as dedicated to tasting menus and multicourse dining.
Three Stars and a Counter on Audrey Avenue
HOSHI opened on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 34 Audrey Avenue. It took over the corner that used to be Stellina Bakery, a few doors from The Audrey. The name finishes a small joke in three languages. As Long Island Wave pointed out, hoshi is Japanese for "star," stellina is Italian for "little star," and l'étoile is French for "the star." That gives the group three restaurants named for the same thing within a short walk of each other. HOSHI is the group's first Japanese kitchen.
The seat to plan around is the counter. The Chef's Omakase is a sushi tasting chosen by the chef, served only at the sushi bar for parties of two to four. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance through HOSHI's omakase page. HOSHI's reservation listing shows noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Those hours are an hour shorter than the ones announced for opening week, so check HOSHI's own site before planning a late dinner.
Down at 108 South Street, Bull Moose follows its own rules. It was open by late March 2026, and its name refers to Theodore Roosevelt, whose Sagamore Hill home served as the Summer White House, and to the Bull Moose Party that nominated him. Membership for one person and a spouse costs $1,200, plus a one-time $5,000 initiation fee, according to Long Island Business News. Members get priority reservations across Lush Life's restaurants, including 2 Spring, The Chef's Counter at Four and Gioia, along with house accounts at every location. For holiday dinners on that side of the street, members are first in line for tables.
The Calendar, Deadline First
The first holiday deadline downtown comes from the butcher counter. The Bay Butcher at 96 South Street is taking preorders for Murray's turkeys, and the cutoff is Friday, November 13. Here are the dates in order:
- Friday, November 13. Turkey preorders close at The Bay Butcher. Whole Murray's birds come in 18 to 20 pound and 20 to 22 pound sizes at $6.50 per pound, and boneless breast is $13.99 per pound. The shop confirms each order and takes a deposit, then weighs the turkey at pickup and collects the balance. Call (516) 273-6733 to confirm a bird is still available.
- 24 hours before any HOSHI omakase. Book at least a day ahead for every counter seating, including those during the holidays.
- Thursday, November 26. Thanksgiving. 2 Spring and Gioia have posted afternoon seatings, and Provisions Market is open in the morning and early afternoon.
- December 24 through January 1. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day each come with their own hours on the Lush Life side.
What Lush Life Has Posted, Thanksgiving to New Year's Day
| 2 Spring | Gioia | Gimme Burger | Provisions Market | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving, Nov 26 | 2 to 8 p.m., $110 prix fixe plus à la carte | 2 to 7 p.m., $68 three courses | Closed | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Christmas Eve | 5 to 9 p.m., regular menu plus holiday specials | 5 to 9 p.m., $75 | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Christmas Day | Closed | Closed | Closed | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| New Year's Eve | 5 to 11 p.m., regular menu or $195 tasting | 5 to 11 p.m., $98 | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| New Year's Day | 5 to 10 p.m. | 5 to 9:30 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
On Thanksgiving, Gioia's three courses cost $42 less than 2 Spring's prix fixe, and the two restaurants are owned by the same group. 2 Spring also keeps its à la carte menu available alongside the holiday menu. On New Year's Eve, the gap grows to $97, with $195 for 2 Spring's tasting against $98 at Gioia.
On Christmas Day, of the four places in the table, only Provisions Market has posted hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Snouder's building. On Thanksgiving, it is again open in the morning, before 2 Spring and Gioia start serving at 2 p.m. Provisions' breads and baked goods come from Provisions Bread & Cheese on East Main Street.
On the Stellina side, the holiday offering is the turkey from The Bay Butcher, and dinner plans are made with each restaurant. For Stellina at 76 South Street, L'Étoile, The Audrey and HOSHI, book holiday tables directly through Stellina Hospitality, which links to each restaurant.
Some of the holiday season's work happens off the menu, too. The Guardian reported that both groups take part in Main Street Association events and the October Oyster Fest. The same report described a Saturday-night promotion at The Audrey, with a percentage of proceeds going to the Oyster Bay Boys & Girls Club.
Downtown Oyster Bay's restaurants have a lot to do with how life feels in the villages around it. If you're thinking about a home within an easy drive of South Street, or about what a revived downtown means for a house you already own in Oyster Bay Cove, Cottie Maxwell would be glad to talk it over. Schedule a private consultation with Cottie.
