Boulder Creek Steakhouse Closes, Remnants Auctioned Off

on Route 58 closed and auctioned off its equipment and decor Monday evening.

About two dozen people stood inside the restaurant to bid on utensils, pots and pans, tables, signs and paintings for sale. Michael Amodeo of Michael Amodeo Auctioneers and Liquidators said he was first contacted by the restaurant's owner several weeks ago but did not know when the restaurant closed.

Boulder Creek Steakhouse is the second business to close in the Riverhead Center. when the company went bankrupt. The 7,000-square-foot property was listed on a real estate website in August. Real estate agent Jeremy Isaacs, who was handling the Boulder Creek property, could not be reached for comment.

"Time's are kinda rough," Amodeo said at the auction, "Restaurant people are going out, restaurant people are coming in, so they're coming to auctions to save some money."

Gregg Lewis, who runs 1-800-BARTEND, a series of bartending schools across Long Island, said he was at the auction to pick up bar equipment so he could open another location, adding that he's seen his business pick up in the poor economy.

"With the economy changing, people are having to get into different fields," Lewis said. Lewis said he thinks the Boulder Creek property could be used as another restaurant that takes advantage of changing tastes.

"This was a "Colorado" kind of style," he said. "Someone might come in with a "Manhattan" style [of restaurant] and catch the next wave."

The steakhouse, however, was not the only Riverhead business to close down Monday. OMG! How Cute, a boutique on Main Street, posted signs they would be  on the same day.