The Dinner Spot 

Used to be that the beach-inspired fare at The Spot on Shelburne Road was only available till 3 p.m. That changed on March 4, when the cozy restaurant, located in a funky converted gas station on Shelburne Road, started slinging dinner Thursday through Saturday.

“There are a lot of people who were interested in having us open at nighttime,” explains owner Russ Scully. “So we decided to open on the three nights we thought would be busiest.” On Thursdays, surf and ski movies keep patrons entertained.

Unlike the breakfast and lunch menus, which remain fairly consistent, the dinner menu changes regularly. “It’s something we can play around with and let the guys in the kitchen flex their creative muscles,” Scully says.

But new offerings still reflect the eatery’s surf theme. One current entrée, the Tamarindo, pairs grilled mahimahi with onions, tomatoes, raisins and “island-style basmati rice.”

Want a drink with that? The Spot just got a beer and wine license and is serving up draft Switchback, bottles of Corona and some vino. On Sunday mornings, mimosas can accompany the eggs Benedict. Scully says he has no ambition “to offer full bar service ... We’re just trying to make sure that if someone wants a beer or a glass of wine, we can accommodate them.”

With chef Tommy Winrock — former owner of Tommy’s City Grill — on board, Scully says the eatery is also moving closer to its ideal of using local foods. Both the new Philly cheesesteak and the hamburger are made with LaPlatte River Angus beef.

But, given The Spot’s sunny theme, some things just can’t be sourced in the Green Mountains. “Until someone starts growing mangoes in a sunroom in Vermont,” says Scully, “we have to go elsewhere.”