Euclid

Anyone who has ever been to a roadside seafood restaurant in Cape Cod may find a few similarities in the Euclid Restaurant, on the corner of Route 31 and Morgan Road in Clay. Everything from the home-cooked fare, gleaming wood of the polished restaurant floor to the squishy, white-bread sandwich rolls is truly reminiscent of the Cape’s breezy ambiance, resulting in a dining experience that is relaxed and comfortable. And while there's (sadly) no beach in sight, there is plenty of tasty seafood to sink your teeth into, along with a whole boatload of other homemade entrees worthy of a try.

The barn-red building that comprises the Euclid Restaurant—in what was a former century’s Old Euclid Hotel—can be found a small ways removed from the cluster of fast food joints and chain stores one encounters just off route 481. A highway sign before the Cicero/Clay exit advertises the Euclid alongside a host of other quick-bite stops. For owner Francis Fiorito, here lies the rub. With more than more illuminated fast food signs towering over the Clay horizon—15, at least—the Euclid is, in some ways, in a class all its own.
“It’s tough to compete with fast food dinner restaurants today,” says Fiorito. “We don’t have the dining power that those places have, or the ability to make a national ad that everyone sees.”
Fortunately for Fiorito, the Euclid has, in its 27 years in operation, amassed a loyal group of regulars who seem to have adopted the Euclid’s simple, 25-table dining room as their own. Restaurant patrons stroll in laughing, trade friendly barbs with staff, and spend very little time looking at the menu. According to Fiorito, a good number of their regulars eat

at the Euclid two to four times a week.
It’s easy to see why. For one thing, even mom would be hard–pressed to come up with the kind of protein-laden dinner repertoire displayed on The Euclid’s prodigious menu.
“Basically, my menu consists of everything you can think of,” says Firito.The range of meat options are written in bold print on the illuminated pink and white sign wrapping around the Euclid’s exterior: fresh seafood, steak, chicken, ribs, and pork chops. Most of these dinner entrees range between $10-$15, with some typical exceptions for a full rack of ribs or steak. The large prime rib selection, as well, runs between $13-$20, depending on the cut. The beef is well marinated and tender, and even the queen’s cut (third from the largest) with its two choices of sides is hefty enough to satisfy a small, carnivorous army.
There’s also an entire section of menu devoted to Italian favorites like veal, eggplant, and chicken parmigiana; ziti and alfredo; and a full selection of broiled sea food. Additionally, the Euclid offers a host of pub-food options like subs, burgers, and sandwiches. While the signature broiled chicken breast sandwich, for example, is far from diet-friendly, it is certainly worthy of a calorie-splurge. The juicy chicken breast is topped with mayonnaise, fresh lettuce and bacon, and covered with a creamy, melted blanket of Swiss cheese.
Good food, alone, should be enough to separate The Euclid from its less-deserving, down-the-road competitors. But Francis Fiorito has taken steps to make sure that The Euclid remains the undisputed local hotspot with its constant cliental. The restaurant bar is fully stocked, and features five, Lotto Quick Draw monitors, eight televisions, jukebox, and dart machine. Fiorito says The Euclid has paid out over $5.5 million dollars from its Quick Draw machines since 1985.
Whether you’re coming for lotto, brews, or grub, there’s plenty of reasons to stick with The Euclid Restaurant in Clay. “Basically, we want to keep that old-time feeling of you’re not really going out dinner,” says Fiorito. “We want it to feel like you’re having a family get together—like you’re at home.”

The Euclid Restaurant
4281 Route 31
Clay, NY 13041
(315) 622-2750
Restaurant Hours:
Mon. 11 a.m.- 9p.m.
Tues.- Sat. 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Sun. noon- 9 p.m.

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