Romantic Weekend: North Fork Table and Inn

Ahh, fall is upon us!  Aren’t you ready to spend some time in the country with leaves changing color?  Maybe picking a pumpkin or two and sipping some late fall harvest wines?
Then take some time to visit our friends at The North Fork Table and Inn! Who says fun weekending, and the North Fork are for summertime?
I recently discovered that one of my favorite NY pastry chefs, Claudia Fleming, opened up an Inn on the North Fork, in Southhold, to be exact. I met Claudia years back when she was the executive pastry chef for Gramercy Tavern. When I heard of her most recent venture, I could not get there fast enough! She has always been wonderful, gracious and charming – not to mention, a fabulous baker of all things sweet and irresistible!
Douglas and I took a wonderful, mid-week getaway trip to check out The North Fork Table and Inn just a couple weeks ago and it was SO romantic! We pulled up to a gorgeous, stately, white colonial house which was built in 1790. The front door opens up to the restaurant and bar area – nothing is quite as welcoming as entering into the bar for an aperitif!
We were given a quick tour of the restaurant and ropes before being escorted to our room. The rooms are moderately sized, but large considering the age of the house. We had a private bath with a tub, and the mattress was great. Chic, Hampton-esque decor with peaceful neutrals lined the Inn through and through.
 The best part about the trip for me was spending time with my husband (of course), but breakfast was a close second!  Claudia baked us fresh scones – the best I’ve ever had.  She made Douglas his first ever ricotta cheese pie, with truffle and a light, flaky crust.  We also had spectacular muffins, quiche, and other breakfast staples you’d expect. I could hardly get past the scones to indulge in much else though – they were incredible!
 We had a lovely dinner our first night at the Inn (photos above).  In the afternoon, we indulged in their fabulous Lunch Truck, which is their casual, outside eatery.  We enjoyed our lunch picnic-style and went back for seconds of the Chicken Pasole.  It was super delish!
The following night we decided to go to Greenport to dine at a recommended restaurant, The Frisky Oyster. Despite its “pub like” name, it was so luxurious. With padded fabric walls and sophisticated fare, it turned out to be quite a romantic dinner. We enjoyed a sweet stroll through the shops in Greenport afterward, which only added to our experience.
Douglas and I are looking forward to going back soon.  I can’t wait to see the leaves change colors in the country side, and to visit the cute farm stands. I love seeing tables of fresh farm fruits and vegetables left out in front of  houses in the North Fork.  The stands still have little money boxes, with  signs reading, “Put a dollar in the box and take a quart of ….” still left out after all these years! The  environment out there is so relaxing in contrast to our bustling city.
My dear friend’s mom, Mrs. Gallop, always says, ” For a long and healthy marriage, go away and take vacations!” She has been married over 52 years, so I think we will gladly take her advice!  Here’s wishing you many romantic, weekend getaways!
Best, Marisa

Once Upon a Time: Liz & Igor

It was obscenely early on Thanksgiving morning at O’Hare International Airport and I was headed home to New York.  I couldn’t possibly have looked worse.  I had just pulled two all-nighters for school, was wearing a mans sweater which reached my knees, and black jeans that had really seen better days.  How was my hair?  In an unceremonious wad on the top of my head.  It was not an ideal situation for meeting ones true love, but hey!  It worked!

            My fellow passengers and I sat crammed like sardines waiting for the plane to take off, but for some reason, we weren’t moving.  Finally, the reason for the hold up came bursting through the door in the form of a frazzled looking young man who avoided our dagger stares like a champ as he bustled down the aisle and stopped at the seat across from me.

            I couldn’t help but smirk as he banged his head on the overhead bins before untangling himself from his bags and finally sitting down.  He caught my smirk and started to give me a dirty look before seeing the humor in the situation and smiling back.  The first words he said to me were “this sucks.”  I couldn’t help but laugh and agree.

            We chatted the whole flight and it turned out that he was a Navy man.  He asked for my number and I obliged because the combination of a sailor and an art student was too funny to resist.  I wrote “that chick from the plane” underneath my name and he chuckled.  I responded with, “well I don’t know how many numbers you’ve gotten today…you ARE a sailor after all.”  He turned red and denied any such thing, but for the record:  I was the fourth number he had gotten that day!  Player…

 

            We started dating immediately after Thanksgiving break and got married a year and a half later. This past May, we celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. Can you believe it? I’ll save the “oh crap we need to elope right now because he’s getting deployed to Japan for two years” story for another post.

Until next time,

Liz