Thursday, October 1, 2026
Sea Cliff is bringing back outdoor dining on a series of Wednesdays throughout the summer. The first night, May 20, was interrupted by rain, but business owners are looking ahead to the remaining dates.
The event, “Sea Cliff Summer Nights,” started last summer to bolster local businesses. The inspiration came from the Covid-19 shutdown, when restaurents were allowed to set up outdoors to maintain business.
Restaurants on the avenue set up tables outside their storefronts. The street is closed for the duration of the event and other businesses stay open past their typical closing time. Live music was included in the first night of the series.
Raquel Wolf-Jadeja, owner of The Onion Tree, said that last year the restaurant saw many diners from Sea Cliff and elsewhere.
“It was a wonderful experience,” she said, “for us and for our guests.”
Wolf-Jadeja said that she does not plan to do anything differently from last year and that her restaurant will offer its regular menu. The Onion Tree, along with Sea Cliff Daily Grind and Foster Restaurant, is waiving the corkage fee on outdoor dining nights when customers buy wine from the Village Wine Merchant.
Though it rained on the first night, Wolf-Jadeja said The Onion Tree had a good turnout.
“With a little bit of effort,” she said, “we were able to get (customers) switched from outside to inside.”
Joe and Julia Grassa, owners of the Village Wine Merchant, said their goal is to bring in new customers, which is something they got out of the event last year. They also said they plan to have t-shirts made that they typically give out to customers who spend $35 or more.
The Village Wine Merchant can apply for a permit to sell wine by the glass, but this can only be done four times a year. Joe explained that if they did apply for the permit, it would only be on one or two of the nights the event is held, and they would have to hope for clear weather to bring in more customers.
“I think (the permit is) worth it to give it a shot,” Joe said, “just so we can see what it’s like.”
Other retail businesses on Sea Cliff Avenue are also open during outdoor dining. Glowinskin Esthetics is open late for customers to browse and shop. Owner Jamie Glowinski wrote in response to written questions that the outdoor dining event creates exposure for her business’s services and offerings as well as strengthens a sense of community in the village.
“This summer,” Glowinski wrote, “I hope Sea Cliff Summer Nights continue to grow and bring consistent foot traffic to all of the businesses in town.”
