Have you visited the North Fork yet this summer? Have you found your favorite winery, brewery, AND restaurant? Been back to these places a second time? Joined their club? If not, there’s still time. Just don’t put it off. Sure, Autumn is arguably the most beautiful time to visit, but summer on the North Fork has a life and energy all it’s own. Visit in the summer, and then return when the weather cools off and rediscover you newfound favorite places.
If you’re like us and you live here, visiting your favorites and exploring unvisited and new locales (50+ wineries is a LOT!), you know that there’s a difference between weekends and weekdays. Weekdays still have an intimacy and weekends have an excitement. One isn’t better than the other, each day is different just as each winery, brewery, and restaurant has its own style and feeling.
The summer is officially half over. Come out and enjoy. 90 minutes from Manhattan and you’re in a place so far removed from the expected that you can slow down, relax, and soak up life.
Our Calendar is the best place to look for upcoming events to plan your time here, but here is a sample of what’s happening in the coming week:
Friday: There are some regular events ever Friday, North Fork Table makes a good use of the entire day with their Farmers Market, Lunch Truck, Champagne Garden, oh – and they’re a restaurant, too. On the North Fork Table theme, their Food truck stops at McCall’s in the evening serving burgers made from the free-range cows on the McCall’s land(yes, you can see them grazing). The tours offered by many wineries are great experiences and help you better appreciate the work, science, and voodoo that goes into making wine. Shinn Estate and Palmer Vineyards both have great self-guided tours. Roanoke has pizza on their Love Lane piazza and Castello di Borghese has sangria and song every Friday this summer. Of course, there’s lots of live music and fun events like Laurel Lake’s Paintnite.
Saturday: Saturday is loaded with events. Lieb Cellars is having their Oysterfest. If you haven’t enjoyed local wine with local oysters, you’re missing out! Waters Crest is presenting their version of UFC, with Battle of the Noble Grapes. Chardonnay and Riesling battle it out in a tasting. It’s fun to taste through varietals, getting a feel for what makes wines different. Saninno Bella Vita has a winemaker tour, and Paumanok pairs wine with oysters every weekend. As always, there’s live music everywhere, from Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyards and Cooperage Inn to Raphael and Sherwood House.
Sunday: Sunday is dominated by live music. Sparkling Pointe does a mellow instrumental jazz duo every Sunday. Bistro 72 continues their Summer Sundays concert series. Restaurant Alure and Cooperage Inn have live music while Jedediah Hawkins Inn has a weekly clambake.
Monday: Mondays are quiet days with a handful of really fantastic events. During the day, Shinn always has their self-guided tour and tasting available and the North Fork Table and Inn has their Lunch Truck seven days a week. Lunch is when Restaurant Alure begins their lobster bash; as for Bedell Cellars, they save their events for weekdays and today they will have live music and food trucks. First & South celebrates Monday evening with their weekly pig roast, and PawPaw Pop Up takes over Bruce’s Cheese Imporium to serve a menu complete with things you never imagined were edible much less delicious.
Before we get to Tuesday, it’s important to note that on Tuesday and Wednesday, Martha Clara Vineyards is hosting FOLD Festival. This two-day world-class music festival features such musical talent as Duran Duran, Pharrel, Keith Urban, and many others. It’s absolutely an event not to be missed.
Tuesday: The aforementioned FOLD Festival at Martha Clara Vineyards is something everyone should look into. Otherwise Shinn , North Fork Table and Bedell Cellars all have similar events to Monday. Restaurant Alure switches gears from lobster to Greek with their Tuesday Santorini Bash: Greek food and music.
Wednesday: The second and final day of FOLD. Little Creek Oysters celebrates Hump Day with happy hour, First & South honors our lifeguards with food and drink specials for the whistle-twirling sentinels of the waters, and Bistro 72 has live music.
Thursday: Winding down the week ahead and ramping up the week to come, Jedediah Hawkins Inn has a BBQ, and there’s live music at several venues including Restaurant Alure, Bistro 72, Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard and Raphael.
To see the full slate of events for the coming week, please look over our Calendar!
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