Blog Updates April, 2019
Change is the one constant, and the North Fork is no exception. If you rely on my old entries for recommendations, you may arrive at a winery or restaurant and find it no longer exists, or has changed. So, in no particular order, here are some changes:
Peconic Winery has closed, and the property is for sale. (Not to be confused with Peconic Cellar Door, on Peconic Lane, which is lovely.)
Vineyard 48 is also permanently closed, but if you read my last entry on them you wouldn’t be going there anyway.
Southold Farm + Cellar closed, alas, due to issues with the town of Southold. The owners have moved to Texas.
Comtesse Thérèse closed a few years ago. A couple of restaurants have come and gone, and the one that is currently there, Il Giardino, has management issues they need to resolve if they are to stay in business. For example, we got there with a reservation for 6 PM and found a scene of total chaos, with no one seeming to know when we could be seated. We left, and had a calm and delicious meal at the Jedediah Hawkins Inn.
Croteaux is still making wine, but at the moment their lovely garden is closed, again due to issues with Southold town. They are hoping to reopen. Meanwhile, you can order wine through their website or buy it at Vintage, the liquor store in the Mattituck Shopping Center. (I highly recommend joining their club. Just sign up with your telephone number and then get great discounts.)
Speaking of Mattituck, Crazy Fork is gone. Sadly, they morphed from being a candidate for Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives to needing the work of Restaurant Impossible. Then they closed. Two places have opened in its place. Mattitaco is primarily a take-out place, offering delicious and creative tacos. East on Main has a bar and restaurant where they serve American classics like fried chicken and meat loaf. Good place to bring kids.
Salamander’s in Greenport has closed. A new restaurant will take their place. Goodbye delicious fried chicken.
Deep Water has also changed ownership, so I have no idea how the new place will be.
We liked Caci the first time we went there, but less so on subsequent visits. Though the food is good, it is pricey for what you get and the tables are too crowded together and the noise level is too loud.
Pepi’s in the Port of Egypt marina has closed. We haven’t tried the new place there.
Martha Clara has changed owners. In the past, I had recommended it as kid friendly, with animals to feed, but as we drive by it seems the animals are gone. I would not rely on it as a place to bring kids.
The Coronet in Greenport has changed its name, but seems to have a similar vibe under new ownership. We haven’t eaten there.
Scrimshaw, also in Greenport, has been replaced by Barba Blanco, and we haven’t tried it. It is closed in the winter.
On the other hand, since I last mentioned it, we’ve been to American Beech a couple of times and liked it very much. Cool beachy vibe and delicious seafood dishes.
Empire State Cellars in Tanger Outlet closed. I’d be sad, except Vintage, our local liquor store, carries a good selection of local wines.
Old Mill Inn is for sale. Anyone interested in buying a restaurant on the water?
O’Malley’s has new ownership. The one time we went there it was not good—French fries fried in old oil!—so I don’t know if it has improved.
That’s all I can think of at the moment, but note also that every year’s vintage may taste different than the year before–which is why I try to visit each place once a year.
NoFo Wineaux 