Let it Snow?

Photo by Joni RentzWith temperatures in the upper 40’s and 50’s it’s hard to imagine ice and snow but if and when it should appear here are our top picks for skating and sledding on the North Fork.

Marratooka Lake located on the Main Rd in Mattituck

Wolf Pit Lake on Wickham Ave in Mattituck with lights for night time skating

Laurel Lake Preserve for both ice skating and cross country skiing

Green Hill Cemetery on Webb Street in Greenport. Most popular for sledding

Orient Point Park at Orient Point has great trails for cross country skiing

On Shelter Island the best place for sledding is Goat Hill in Shelter Island Heights

A Contemporary Collection

Photos by David Korchin. Historical image via Phoebe and BellOnce again, something notable has occurred on the corner of Skunk Lane and the Main Road in Cutchogue with the opening of Phoebe and Bell, a well curated home décor and lifestyle shop owned and run by Kathy Perratta. Housed in the 19th century Post Office where the infamous letter from Einstein to Roosevelt was mailed, Perratta is making a kind of history of her own with one of the only shops on the North Fork selling contemporary furniture, textiles and objects for the home and garden. If you're looking for something unique for the holidays this is the stop and for more inpiration be sure to check out Kathy's upcoming designer room at the North Fork Designer Showhouse running from the end of November through mid December.

Photos by David Korchin

Buon Appetito

Italian foodie fever has reached an all time high on the North Fork this season with the opening of two notable Italian eateries, Lombardi’s Love Lane Market and Caci North Fork Restaurant.

Photos by David KorchinReining from Naples, Lombardie’s Market is a foodie’s dream with their oversized cheeses and salamis hanging from the ceiling, bowls brimming with imported olives, sardines and peppers, bottles of imported olive oil, fresh pastas topped with Lombardi’s signature sauces. If it’s Italian and food related, you’ll joyfully find it here.

Photos by Joni RentzFurther north in Umbria, chef Marco Pellegrini was biding his time for the right opportunity to move to the states to open a restaurant on the North Fork. A chance encounter with vacationers, Anthony and Daniele Cacioppo from Long Island made that dream a reality. Caci, located in a beautifully restored farmstead building in Southold is simply and thoughtfully decorated on two levels. The menu and preparation follow that same theme, simple and elegant with the menu changing every 6 weeks to take advantage of seasonal produce, seafood and meat. The code word in the kitchen is fresh right down to their pastas where they roll out their delectable varieties daily. Portions are generous so be sure to save room for dessert.