City Guide: Greenport, NY—Bits Of Our Weekend On The North Fork!

Hello, hello! So sorry I missed you yesterday. It took me a little longer than expected to return to real cyber life after our weekend escape. Speaking of weekends: How was yours? We spent a few fabulous days in Greenport, NY, on the North Fork of Long Island. I'd love to share a few favorite spots and photos with you, if you're interested. Have you ever been? Such a beautiful place (I'd recommend it highly). Here! See for yourself...

We stayed at The Fordham House Bed and Breakfast, a stately inn just a short walk away from downtown Greenport. Ladies: If your special someone balks at the idea of a B&B, this is the place that will change their mind. There's nary a needlepoint pillow in sight! In fact, owner Halina has outfitted the newly renovated inn with towering dark-wood furniture, simple white linens and understated nautical touches that make ladies and gents feel right at home—I wish she could come decorate our apartment! Halina could not have been more welcoming. She greeted us with a swing-top bottle of cold filtered water (it was scorching hot this weekend!) and loaned us beach chairs, towels, an umbrella and parking pass so we could take a dip in the Long Island Sounds—so dreamy!

We drove out to Orient State Park Beach on Friday to beat the heat. It's set way back from the main road beyond a rare maritime forest, so you feel like you're in your own beach-y paradise! The water was clean and cool. There are picnic tables, restrooms, nature trails and a playground, if desired. Your $10 day-pass allows you to come and go as you'd please, meaning you can leave for lunch (as we did) then simply resume your beach day. For lunch, we took a short drive to Billy's By The Bay for clams and lobster rolls. The outdoor "tiki bar" is tucked in the parking lot of the marina. I ordered Billy's Hot Lobster Roll (Maine-style with melted butter). Boyfriend ordered Billy's Cold Lobster Roll (Connecticut-style with mayonnaise and celery). The Hot Lobster Roll was the way to go. I loved that the lobster-y butter soaked the toasted roll and dripped down onto my fries below, mm, mm, mmm!

After a long day at the beach, we showered and walked into town to grab a cocktail at Noah's. Apparently the cast of HBO's Girls ate there a few weeks back! The room was spacious and minimalistic. We ordered martinis, marinated olives and perhaps the best fried calamari I've ever had, Local Calamari Fritto Misto with lime, chilies, red peppers and spicy aioli (not pictured). Dinner was at North Fork Table & Inn. Everything was tasty. Dessert was the highlight. Folks thought we were odd for taking a cab. Forgot to take pictures, whoops!

At The Fordham House the next morning, Halina served homemade yogurt with granola and local berries for breakfast with a big pot of French press coffee. Also, Italian Strata and fresh melon. We took a long walk around town. If I wasn't so full from breakfast, I would have loved to have stopped at The Salamander General Store, known as the best fried chicken joint on Long Island!

Beall & Bell is the best shop in Greenport, in my humble opinion. It's a magazine editor's dream! I mean, their curated collection of vintage treasures is remarkable. I could have been in there for hours. Prices are moderate. Stop by for larger pieces, antlers, trinkets or just a little inspiration. New items come in every Thursday.We spent the afternoon at a super-secluded beach just past the Narrow River Marina but left briefly for a round of mini golf and root beer floats at Drossos Motel. The motel and Tick Tock miniature golf course have been in Greenport for over 50 years (as you can probably tell from the photos). They make the best root beer float on Long Island, hands down! Imagine a giant cup of vanilla soft-serve, topped with a big splash of ice-cold root beer. Gah! It's worth a stop; trust me. 

Boyfriend crushed me on the mini golf course, obviously. Next we tried out the newest vineyard on the North Fork, Kontokosta Winery. Fun fact: It's the first LEED certified vineyard on Long Island. We only tried 2 wines, the viognier and rosé, but I'd be interested in going back to sample a few others (haven't identified a favorite quite yet). The real draw for me was Kontokosta's location—I'm obsessed! The tasting room is set back from the road and looks out on the sound. The grounds are simple but perfect. You can take your wine to the waterfront and drink it overlooking the beach...so romantic! Has anyone else tasted Kontokosta's wine? I'd love to know what you think!

After a shower and tall Arnold Palmer, courtesy of the lovely Halina of Fordham House, we journeyed to Crabby Jerry's on the water for our aperitivi (a habit we haven't shaken from our Italy trip). The vibe at Crabby Jerry's was a little calmer than Claudio's Clam Bar on the neighboring dock (pictured, below). Same owner, though. Claudio's kind of owns everything. We had Greenport Habor Brewing's Summer Ale,  more clams and saw a grown man moon the crowd as he sped away on his dinghy. Went went to the The Frisky Oyster by Richmond native, chef Robert Beaver, for dinner. Don't be fooled by the name. There's nothing seafood shack-y about the place, beyond the fact that they prepare seafood quite well. From the outside it seems (and sounds) more like a cocktail bar or club than a restaurant. Once you walk past the bar up front, though, the upholstered walls and plush seats are much more inviting. I wish it weren't so dark in there, I would have taken a few photos for you. Everything was tasty. My favorite: Oysters Friskafella (their signature dish and play on Oysters Rockefellar) with garlicky spinach, chipotle and parmigiano aioli.

Gosh this is long! My apologies. I'll wrap it up. The next morning, Halina served waffles for breakfast at The Fordham House—I could have eaten 3 plates of 'em! So delicious. We met up with my family at my very favorite vineyard on Long Island, Croteaux Vineyard. Their slogan is "Rosé on purpose" which I can definitely get behind. We sat outside to do their wine flight tasting (Mom bought us a bottle to take home, too, because it's just too darn good).  Before heading to the train to make our way back to Brooklyn, the whole crew stopped by Macari Vineyards and Jerry and The Mermaid. The weekend was such a special treat. If you have any questions about Greenport or the North Fork, I'm happy to give you as much insight as I can (just leave me a message in the comment sections, below). I hope you enjoyed the photos xox Erin
SLEEPThe Fordham House Bed & Breakfast; 817 Main Street Greenport, NY; 631.477.8998
EATBilly’s By The Bay; 2530 Manhasset Avenue Greenport, NY; 631.477.8300Noah’s; 136 Front Street Greenport, NY; 631.477.6720North Fork Table & Inn; 57225 Main Road Southold, NY; 631.765.0177Crabby Jerry’s; 11 Main Street Greenport, NY; 631.477.8252The Frisky Oyster; 27 Front Street Greenport, NY; 631.477.4265
DRINKKontokosta Winery; 825 North Road Greenport, NY; 631-477-6977Croteaux Vineyard; 1450 S. Harbor Road Southold, NY; 631.765.6099Macari Vineyards; 150 Bergen Avenue Mattituck, NY; 631.298.0100
DOOrient State Park Beach; Route 25, Orient, NY; 631.323.2440Tick Tock Miniature Golf; 69125 Main Road Greenport, NY; 631.477.1334