SOMETHING’S COOKING: D’Amato’s Seafood

NEW HAVEN, CT (WFSB) - It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow, and there’s nothing more exciting than looking forward to a feast.

Channel 3 celebrated “The Feast of the Seven Fishes” at an iconic New Haven seafood restaurant.

If you want to enjoy a half fish and half shrimp platter, D’Amato’s Seafood is the place to be.

The restaurant is located at 423 Whalley Avenue in New Haven.

Luckily for the entire D’Amato team, loyal customers kept the seafood restaurant going strong in the New Haven area since 1933!

Toma D’Amato along with his brother Recco D’Amato are fourth generation owners.

They keep everything in the family by running the business with Toma’s wife Jennifer D’Amato.

“I met my husband when I was 16, and I wanted to be with him so badly that I was willing to scrape in a kitchen just to be next to him,” said Jennifer. “And here I am 27 years later.”

With fresh ingredients every day, it’s hard to go anywhere else. Everything is chilled over ice so everything is made to order.

Toma said, “we try to keep it old school like how they did it 90 years ago. "

One tradition is the phrase “hook it up” that started because Toma’s dad Anthony used to yell those words whenever he took an order.

“That term kind of became our logo,” Toma said. “It’s on our shirts and menus, so we continue to say it today.”

D’Amato’s is hooking up lots of families for the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Their five pound platter with flounder, shrimp, calamari, scallops, and clam strips is a great start!

“We have the same customers that come back once a year, and they get the same stuff every time,” Toma said.

Jennifer added, “now, their grandchildren come for Christmas Eve and during the year which is very cool.”

No matter the time of year D’Amato’s seafood is a great place to relax, have a good time with friends and family, and eat a classic fish sandwich.

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