You might not spot Gwyneth eating a kale salad on the North Fork, the Clintons don’t summer here and its not where Alec goes to get away from the paparazzi, but really, who cares about that stuff?
Those of us in the know realize the NoFo — with its quieter streets, rural scenes and the some of the best produce you will ever taste — is vastly superior to its high profile sibling to the south.
Here are 10 reasons why the hot season is better here than on the lower fork.
Sundays at Claudio’s
Sure you can find fun crowds, fantastic views and good tunes at plenty of places in the Hamptons. But not without a lack of pretention, which is a signature of Claudio’s in Greenport.
Vineyards
OK, we know, both the North and South forks have vineyards and wineries. But let’s check the tasting room score, shall we?
North Fork: More than 30. South Fork: Four. And that’s not counting the extra vineyard acreage.
The best sweet corn
Ask anyone which North Fork farm grows corn so tasty you don’t need butter and the answer is unanimous. Every year Harbes celebrates those little yellow kernels of summer with a festival featuring a corn on the cob eating contest, corn hole toss and more.
There you can usually find Harbes’ mascot Farmer Fred shouting through a megaphone, directing games and leading the kiddies around the farm.
I bet they don’t even know who Farmer Fred is on the South Fork!
Freshly picked North Fork strawberries are perfection
Ahhhh, early June. The days go on forever, school is almost out and the mercury is creeping up into pool appropriate temperatures. And then, the strawberries ripen.
The North Fork hosts more places to pick your own than anywhere else on Long Island. And you can get chocolate-covered strawberries, daiquiris, shortcake and virtually any berry-made concoction that your heart desires at the annual Mattituck Lions Strawberry Festival.
How many strawberry festivals do they have in the Hamptons? Zero? Is that right?
Everyone loves the Greenport carousel
The iconic Jess Owen Carousel House at Mitchell Park in Greenport is a must-stop for a NoFo visit. It’s quaint, historic and at only $2 a pop, affordable for even a Duggar-sized family.
North Fork Table & Inn is ridiculously good
What is perennially the best restaurant on Long Island according to Zagat (and lots of others), is located not in tony East Hampton, but right in rustic Southold.
The food review guide calls chef Claudia Fleming’s desserts at North Fork Table & Inn “orgasmic” and the farm-to-table cuisine “wonderfully imaginative.”
For budget-conscious diners, the nearby North Fork Food Truck offers the best egg sandwich on the entire fork and more.
We have goat cheese tasting!
Most North Forkers might not live in a multi-million dollar oceanfront mansion, but they can visit Catapano Dairy Farm to taste some herb chèvre which, really, is just as enjoyable. Then you can step outside say what’s up to the goat who produced it.
Lavender By the Bay is pretty and peaceful
You will only this field of sweet smelling lavender north of Peconic Bay. That outdoor pavilion is perfect to get a little zen.
Traffic (or lack thereof)
Trying to get through the Water Mill bottleneck is no way to start a summer morning.
Sure the North Fork has its share of congestion, but it doesn’t usually happen until the pumpkin pickers descend on the area in fall. Summer roadways are free and clear.
But watch out for tractors.
Fewer attention-grabbing celebs
The Kardashian clan stays far away from our pebbly beaches and bucolic farm stands.
Oh wait …
