Taco-tude: Lucharitos

Photo by David KorchinLucharitos en Greenport es muy fantástico. This "Little Fighter" located in a little spot on Main Street packs a punch with a tasty assortment of Burritos, Tacos, Nachos and daily specials. But this is no ordinary taco joint menu featuring BBQ Duck Nachos, Pulled Pork Tacos and Surf & Turf Burritos high on the list. The drink menu is fully stocked with a variety of Tequilas, Margaritas, Mojitos and the classic Sangria. The décor, colorful and festive with artwork lining the walls of comic like wrestlers. It’s hard not to find this place jumping along with the jukebox playing and the Margaritas pouring. 119 Main Street | Greenport

The Great Escape: East End Charters

All Photos by Joni RentzFor the ultimate North Fork experience you need to see it from a totally different perspective, you need to get out on the water. And no one on the Fork delivers a more unique experience than East End Charters, specializing in two-hour, half, full day or for however long you’d like, adventures.

Climb aboard Surprise, their 57 foot Spaulding Dunbar ketch, with Captain Pat Mundus and her friendly crew for an unforgettable North Fork Adventure. How about sailing off to your own private island oasis where you spend the day taking in the sun, relaxing and frolicking in the water. While on land a lobster and seafood feast is all being perfectly prepared and set up for you, by your crew, to enjoy on the beach. Or discover the Wine Trail by sea with a days-long tour including three select vineyards and lunch on deck. All perfectly choreographed for you to return just in time for dinner ashore. They have many adventures to choose from, but no matter your plans, you’ll always be pleasantly surprised.

Along with Surprise, Pat’s fleet can accommodate anywhere from 2 to 30 guests aboard sail or power driven vessels and can cover anything from a simple harbor tour to a 5 star customized luxury adventure.

So lace up your deck shoes, pull on your navy stripes and set off on an adventure you’ll never forget.

East End Charters |  Greenport | (631) 477-6993 | eastendcharters.com

Five Ways to Get Fit on the Fork

Your usual workout turns into the unusual here on the North Fork. With options like Yoga, SUP, Pilates and SURFSET®, all with a North Fork twist, you'll wonder how you'll ever go back to the usual again.

Photos by Joni Rentz1. Set on a grassy plain tucked within the rows of vines, Lieb Cellars offers a 60-minute yoga class led by Kripalu-certified instructor Emily Puccio. It's a total transcendental experience with the beautiful vineyard setting and the sounds of nature surrounding you. Your workout is followed by a yogi-friendly nosh, prepared by their in-house epicurean Alicia Valle, and topped off with a glass of Lieb Cellars wine. Thursdays at 4pm on Oregon Road in Cutchogue.

2. If a vineyard isn’t your thing how about Yoga on the Farm. Located at Sang Lee Farms in Peconic, know for their organic produce and now yoga. Here you’ll enjoy a 60-minute yoga session led by Carolyn Poncato, tailored for the beginner but perfect for all levels. Take in the serene surroundings, breathe in the smells of herbs and grass and after, enjoy a freshly prepared organic juice while taking an Ayurvedic walk through the herb garden. Thursdays at 7:30am.

3. This popular, Brooklyn based, Pilates instructor, Ellie Herman, brings her Cadillac and Reformer out to the North Fork for one on one training complete with views of the Long Island Sound. Give your Powerhouse a work-out. Email Ellie at ellie@elliehermanpilates.com

4. The new trendy SURFSET® workout has found its way east to JABS NY in Cutchogue. Get in your cardio, strength and balance training all while on a custom made unstable surfboard planted on stable ground within their modern gym – JABS also offers a full body workout on the beach at Nassau Point. For a list of classes and times go their website jabsny.com/schedule/

5. Get out on the water with a Floating Yoga or SUP class from Adventure Paddleboards, located on the beautiful Mattituck Inlet in Mattituck. Your yoga class starts with a 15 minute warm up paddle, then, while anchored, you begin a 30 minute slow Vinyasa Flow. The finale, a paddle back to a relaxing savasana, while you float and watch the clouds drift by. Get out on the water with Stand Up Paddleboards. Their SUP classes are structured with the beginner in mind. First, begin with an onshore tutorial, then grab a board and paddle yourself around the beautiful Mattituck inlet. Enjoy the scenery while being instructed and guided by your coach. Get all of the info and schedules at adventurepaddleboards.com

Surf's Up: One Love Beach

Photos by Joni RentzAt first glance it may look like a surf shop but it’s actually more than that. Owners Blake and Chris Dowling stock their newly opened shop with stuff that’ll get you moving and enjoying the outdoors. The shop is vibrant with its brightly colored, sleek paddleboards and wakeboards lining the walls, neon colored Penny skateboards, custom colored and adorned bikes, straw bags, surf wear, sunglasses, havianas and wetsuits. Blake and Chris think of it as more than a shop but rather a community, where you can get the latest marine forecast, pick up some equipment, schedule a lesson or rental or simply to hang. The shop will be opened all year where the inventory will evolve with the seasons so stay tuned for snowboards and snowsuits! 211 Main Street | Greenport

Inside the Artist's Studio: Cindy Pease Roe

VIDEO:Even before walking through the front door of artist Cindy Pease Roe’s Greenport, New York studio, you know you’ve stumbled upon something unique. An eclectic mix of mismatched potted plants, vintage signage, and colorful found-plastic wreaths populate the courtyard. Flip the latch on the oversized window-paned, door and you’re transported into a world chock-a-block with paints, brushes, easels, bins of plastic, books and paintings large and small. And once inside, you’re greeted by the artist’s house mascots—an outsized sea turtle sculpture fondly named “Herman” gliding about the rafters, watches the studio from above; on the ground, “Archie” and “Midnight,” two outgoing boxers, greet visitors with a nuzzle.

All Photos by David Korchin

Cindy Pease Roe takes inspiration from the sea, having spent time along the coast of Massachusetts, with a deep family pedigree of sailing and boat building. Salt and sea air is part of her DNA, and Greenport, with its storied nautical past, was an artistic draw. After spending time in California in a different nautical setting, Cindy returned East to set up paints and easels amongst the wooden ships of one of the town’s oldest working boatyards.

"I gravitate to these old waterfront towns. It's just who I am in this lifetime."

The locale figures prominently in the artist’s work. Amongst her many beautiful landscapes in oil, including one capturing the cloud filled sky one day before hurricane Sandy, is her Boatyard Series. Each work renders the peculiar geometry and shape of the subject matter to which she is so drawn; but beyond the painting lies a mission—to document and bring an artist’s interpretation to a seafaring ambiance that may soon disappear.

"This could disappear. If I don't capture it, it may never be captured."

Among the paints, canvas and artful clutter of her studio are rows of bins and barrels overflowing with colorful plastic of every shape and size found along the region’s beaches. These are neatly organized and labeled, and form the materia prima of Cindy Pease Rowe’s Plastic Series. That project transforms trash into art, and in so doing creates a powerful message on the vast and ongoing environmental impact such materials carry. It’s a lesson she takes to local elementary school classrooms—on one such outing, after discussing the importance of recycling, the students helped collect, sort and build a five-foot fish sculpture that proudly hangs above the doorway in her studio.

A visit to her working gallery in Hanff’s Boatyard reveals Cindy Pease Roe as an artist deeply connected to the earth, wind and sea around her.

Her work can be seen exclusively at her studio located at 190 Sterling Street in the village of Greenport.

It Takes a Village | The Square - CLOSED

All Photos by David KorchinAward winning chef, Keith Luce, brings his own unique take on farm to table to historic Stirling Square, rebranded simply The Square, located on Main Street in Greenport.

Luce’s vision for the square is a place for visitors and locals to gather and enjoy. A culinary village of sorts, celebrating all the North Fork has to offer combining food, beverage and music. The Square consists of four eateries, Main Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Prep Flatbread & Cured Meats, Nosh Caffeinery & Tasty Treats and the soon to be opened Meet Wine Tasting & Storeroom.

Main Restaurant and Oyster Bar features a “modern American menu with a twist” consisting of fresh seafood, freshly made pastas, small plates and an oyster bar with about a dozen varieties honoring both coasts and including some from our European neighbors. Oysters are a must but other not to be missed items on the menu are: General Luce’s Pork Wraps, Oyster and Corn Chowder, Crab Cakes, Crescent Duck Breast and any of the daily specials.

Prep Flatbread & Cured Meats is the staging ground for Luce’s culinary wizardry. Through the large paned widows you can witness the chefs at work and where you can order flatbreads, cured meats or whatever else the kitchen has dreamed up for the day from the handy take-out window.

Nosh Caffeinery & Tasty Treats is the perfect spot to grab just a little something, whether it’s a cup of freshly roasted coffee and croissant, or an assortment of panini’s perfect for a vineyard picnic. Got a sweet tooth? They have you covered with homemade baked goods and an eye candy assortment of gelato.

Meet Wine Tasting & Storeroom, which to date is still in development, will be the gathering place to experience local wines and beers, shop for house prepared items and kitchen ware or participate in a cooking demo or event.

Overall a truly unique experience and still a work in progress, we look forward to the evolution of Keith Luce’s dream. 300 Main Street (Stirling Square) | Greenport |  (631) 477-6840

Summer 2013 | NORTHFRKD’S BEST OF the North Fork

BEST LOBSTER ROLL LOVE LANE KITCHEN
BEST SUNSET VIEW 67 STEPS BEACH
BEST CLAM CHOWDER BLUE CANOE OYSTER BAR

BEST OUTDOOR DINING VIEW SCRIMSHAW
BEST WINE/FOOD PAIRINGS LIEB CELLARS (CUTCHOGUE)
BEST VINEYARD AMBIANCE CROTEAUX VINEYARDS

BEST TAKEOUT THE LUNCH TRUCK
BEST COFFEE ALDO’S
BEST MASSAGE FIVE BRANCHES WELLNESS

BEST FISH TACO LOVE LANE KITCHEN
BEST FINDS BEALL & BELL
BEST FRIED CHICKEN SALAMANDER’S GENERAL STORE

BEST VIBE THE RIVERHEAD PROJECT
BEST GALLERY SOUTH STREET GALLERY
BEST NEWCOMER THE SQUARE

One to Call Our Own | Cavaniola's - CLOSED

Photo by David KorchinGone are the days when we'd pack up the car to make the sojourn to the South Fork’s holy grail of cheese known as CAVANIOLA’S. This spring Cavaniola’s Gourmet has crossed the bay to team up with Vines and Branches on Main Street in Greenport bringing with them their 80 + cheeses, breads, freshly made sandwiches, breakfast goodies and more. Grab a bite while enjoying the view from their large shaded front patio. Our top picks from the menu: Fresh Chevre with Muffuletta Panini and the Sloppy L.I. Duck sandwich. 477 Main St | Greenport | (631) 477-6561

World's Away | Lido

Photo by Joni RentzA bit of Mediterranean panache comes to Greenport via Lido, Heidi Kelso and Fran Lombardi-Reilly’s lifestyle boutique, formerly known at Eureka Beach. The shop, with its well curated selection of beachwear, jewelry, accessories and home design, all sourced from their travels to Turkey, India, Thailand and Spain, makes you feel as if you were there! We love their cotton prints, striped espadrilles, cotton throws and beaded necklaces.

Photo by Joni Rentz

Looking for the ultimate Mediterranean experience? 1. Grab a summery printed cotton dress + striped espadrilles at Lido 2. Pick up souvlaki to go at the Hellenic in East Marion 3. Head to the beach located on Narrow River Road in Orient. Then sit back and soak it in. If it weren’t for everyone speaking English you’d think you were on the Greek island of Paros instead of Long Island.

119 Main St. | Greenport | (631) 477-2350

Provisions + Ingredients | Says it All

Photo by Joni RentzTucked in the little hamlet of Peconic on Peconic Lane is a store worthy of its name. Drop in to Provisions + Ingredients and you’ll be able to stock up on enough delectable goodies to prepare an artful dinner or grab some sandwiches and prepared foods to go. Artisanal and local are the two key ingredients to what stock the shelves at this tasty market, from local sausages and breads to imported pastas and olive oils. Paired with a nice bottle from their neighboring tasting room, The Winemaker Studio, and now you got something special!
2885 Peconic Lane | Peconic | (774) 641-7488

Changing of the Guard | The Orient Country Store and Fork + Anchor

Photos by Joni Rentz2011 saw a turning of tides, so to speak, of two general stores long rooted in the history and routines of their respective villages. Both were challenged with the delicate balance between maintaining the traditional while making a statement of their own.

The Orient Country Store now owned by Miriam Foster and Grayson Murphy, both from New England, embraced the already built in charm of the existing store leaving much as it was. Though the shelves are stocked a bit fuller these days it’s still the place where you can run in to get a simple can of soup, a seed packet for your garden, a six-pack of beer or to catch up on the local gossip. But the couple have added their own signature introducing hand crafted pieces from local artists along with their fantastic home baked goodies plus array of tasty sandwiches. In the morning, order up the Breakfast Sandwich and grab a slice or two of Miriam’s delicious Banana or Zucchini Bread. Happily for all there’s a new found energy at the Orient Country Store all carefully wrapped in familiarity.

Angels Country Store now owned by Erin Fitzpatrick and Lucy Meullner, both transplanted New Yorkers, have rebranded their store, Fork & Anchor, creating a whole new vibe while remaining true to its origins. It’s still where locals arrive at 6am to grab their morning coffee, town bags, a pack of cigarettes or local newspaper. But the local news now shares the shelf with glossy magazines, t-shirts and bags are strung on a line for display and the new industrial shelves and refrigerators are now filled with local and imported food products along with a delicious line up of sandwiches and salads that can be boxed up for a vineyard or beach picnic. A refreshing facelift to a neighborhood favorite.

The Orient Country Store | Village Lane | Orient
Fork & Anchor | 8955 Main Rd. | East Marion | (631) 477-3277

Ready for the Beach? Our 10 Beach Essentials

Photos by David Korchin + Joni Rentz1.  Lavender Essential Oil from Lavender by the Bay
2.  Cotton Turkish Towel from Lido
3.  Beach Umbrella from Arcade
4.  A Great Read from Book Hampton
5.  Beach Toys from Goldsmiths
6.  A Bottle of Rosé from Croteaux Vineyards
7.  Bike from Dan’s Bike Rental
8.  Picnic Lunch from Fork and Anchor
9.  A Bag of North Fork Chips from Taste of the North Fork
10. Canvas Tote from Wm J Mills

The New Kid on the Block - Kontokosta Winery

All photos by David KorchinThe North Fork Wine Trail just added a new marker to its map and it’s a worthy addition. Kontokosta Winery located right outside the village of Greenport is located on 62 acres that include a vineyard, garden and bluff overlooking the majestic Long Island Sound.

Set far back off the main road, the stone drive leads the way through the 24 acre vineyard to the massive tasting room. The two-story barn like structure with its floor to ceiling windows allows the beauty of the outside in. Neatly furnished with contemporary seating and tables, the tasting room, bar, loft space and outdoor patio offer enough variety of space to relax, enjoy the wine and soak in the surroundings. Grab a bottle and a few glasses and stroll down the wide, mowed path leading out to the bluff overlooking the Long Island Sound.

Harvesting began in 2006 and their tasting menu includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Riesling varietals. Our favorites: the 2007 Merlot, 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2010 Viognier.

Good to Know: Limousines or any groups of 7 or more are by appointment only. -Yay!  825 North Road | Greenport