B&B For Beginners, The Bucolic North Fork

This past summer, my wife and I decided to take a quick road trip (more like a long drive) to the North Fork of Long Island. For those of you who did not grow up in the Tri-State area, Long Island is a long, narrow island that begins just east of Manhattan (that area of Long Island is known as Brooklyn and Queens) and goes west (towards the Hamptons). While driving west on Long Island, you will eventually hit a town called Riverhead. Riverhead is where the island forks into a north side and a south side-- aka North Fork and The Hamptons. Some people say it makes the island look like a whale, with the tail of the whale being the North Fork and The Hamptons. The Hamptons is known as being the glitzy summer getaway for the wealthy (I cant help but think of Ina Garten's home and garden where she entertains her high-brow friends over luxurious meals) while the North Fork is mostly comprised of farmland, wineries, and authentic, farm to table restaurants (think rustic farm-stand). Its the unpolished gem of New York State and we absolutely love it!

We left the big city and headed due east towards Riverhead. We came across Liv Vodka and Spirits, Long Island's first craft distillery... We were unimpressed. The vodka we tried was not smooth, nor did they chill our shots before we tasted them. The whole operation seemed like it didn't have a soul. Since they call themselves a "craft" distillery, I was expecting something clever with some type of artistry and I left feeling let down (although I got to keep my shot glass). 

Liv Vodka distillery

We then decided to drive directly to our lodging, The Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast in Cutchogue, NY to drop off our stuff and... And... Uh... Yea. Wait! How the hell does this work?!?! We are sleeping in someone's home, eating their food, and using their amenities with strange people we have never met before. We had never stayed at a B&B before and had no idea what to expect or what the drill was. Do we hang out around their house while they are working? Do we keep to ourselves? WE BOTH WERE CLUELESS (to be honest, I was kind of scared of the unknown). The whole concept of staying so close to strangers was kind of creepy to me. As we pulled up to this stunning house with farmland in the foreground AND background, we were happily blown away by its authenticity. We were going to be spending 3 nights and 4 days on a freaking farm!!! Fully equipped with a horse, dog, chicken coup, organic gardens, honey bees, and a feral cat-- this farm was the most legitimate farm I had ever seen... Good thing I brought my Claritin. 

Back porch of Farmhouse B&B

We were greeted by the owners Bob and Joyce who helped us get our bags to our room which was equipped with a private back porch, private bathroom, and a TV. In awe of everything we were seeing, we took second to gather our thoughts before Joyce offered us a tour and some homemade cookies. By the way, anything that Joyce cooked was so good, but those cookies were dramatically divine. My knees got weak and I needed to sit down after the first bite. I must have eaten 20+ cookies in 3 days!  

Old ship building company sign in Greenport

Greenport Brewing Company

One of the more memorable places we visited while staying in the North Fork was Greenport Harbor. Greenport is a cute little town at the very tip of the North Fork and is almost surrounded by water and marinas. Being directly on the water makes me feel at home, but the Greenport Harbor Brewing Company made this visit so great. All of their beers were truly delicious and they gave us generous pours. For $10, you get an awesome Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. mug and get to taste all of the beers that they have. The brewery is ran by a husband and wife duo who are extremely friendly and love dogs. Friends of theirs were pouring in with their pets and everyone was drinking and having a blast. It felt like we were a part of something special. To cure our strong buzz, we walked right down the street to First and South, a new-age eclectic restaurant with classics like their famous french fries and pickle plate as well as some exotic offerings like fried duck tongues (for the more adventurous eater). They had outdoor seating which was nice and the food was pretty good as well. 

DOUBLE! Porgie and Sea Bass on the line!

The following morning, we jumped on a fishing charter and spent the morning hauling in dinner. We caught lots of Porgies and some small Sea Bass. It was a perfect day to fish and everyone we met on board was helpful and informative. We took our catch and headed to the nearby grocery store to pick up the rest of dinner. We brought a portable grill and cooking utensils in anticipation of cooking our catch on the shores of the very water we pulled the fish out of. We found a secluded stretch of beach that was pinched between two houses and at the bottom of a hilly dune. We set up shop and started cooking (and drinking lots of beer). WOW, was that memorable. The food came out great, the scenery was magnificent (we saw the sun set), and we were barefoot the whole time!

The food came out great!

This was a trip filled with new experiences for both of us. We picked eggs out of a chicken coup for breakfast, biked alongside vineyards, went fishing for a fish we've never tried before, and had an adventurous stay at our first B&B. Cooking our meal on the shores of the Long Island Sound was the highlight of the trip, but here are some other places we enjoyed as well: Lavender By The Bay, never-ending farm stands (Wickham Farm was our favorite), goat cheese farms, and others. 

If you have never been to the North Fork, I hope you decide to give it a try after reading this post. If you have any questions or comments, please post them and I will do my best to respond in a timely fashion.