Casa Basso, a restaurant in West Hampton, Long Island, New York, is considered one of Long Island's landmark oddities, an East End roadside attraction of nearly as much interest as the Big Duck. Built by American Theophilus Brower in the late 1800s, this medieval fairy tale-style castle/sculpture is thought to be inspired by his travels to Spain and Italy (ironically, not Great Britain), and the structure is flanked by dueling swordsmen, a Roman lion, nude statuettes, and other random relics symbolic to the Middle Ages.

In 1928, the building was taken over by the Basso family and renamed the Casa Basso Restaurant, a change from the original sculptuary's name, "Pine Wood."

As Casso Bello, the building has been serving the people of West Hampton for almost 90 years now, passed down from generation to generation as a family-owned establishment serving fine Italian cuisine year-round. For high-end diners, a la carte selections are always available, but events such as the Hamptons Restaurant Week (coming soon! Mark your calendars for March 21-28 to sample a $25 prix fixe menu exclusive to that week) make it more affordable for visitors and locals alike. A regular prix fixe menu, served Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with limited time seating for Fridays and Saturdays, is also available for $25, with slightly altered options.

A fun taste of food and history, this is one of those funky pockets of eccentricity on Long Island that remains fully accessible to the public, and a great end to a day out in the Hamptons as the sun emerges from its winter hibernation.