The beginning of spring means warmer temperatures, fruitful vegetation, lush greens and the lengthening of daylight.
It also means restaurant menus across the North Fork begin transitioning to incorporate more and more local ingredients that highlight the signature tastes of the East End.
Below, we have chosen a few noteworthy dishes to get you even more into that sumptuous spring mood. Al fresco dining, anyone?
North Fork Table & Inn
57225 Main Road, Southold (631) 765-0177
For dinner, North Fork Table and Inn’s newest spring menu item is roast rack of lamb with fava beans, English peas, young pea tendrils and black garlic. For dessert, dive into their rose-poached rhubarb shortcake with Catapano Dairy Farm sweet cheese cream and candied pistachios.
In addition to Catapano, North Fork Table & Inn works with local vendors including The Farm, Mar-Gene Farms, Southold Fish Market, 8 Hands Farm and McCall Ranch.
The restaurant will host a farmer’s market in its parking lot Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It will feature several local vendors and North Fork Table & Inn’s own food truck, which is now open for the season.
Love Lane Kitchen
240 Love Lane, Mattituck (631) 298-8989
This cozy kitchen on Love Lane still evokes an off-season warmth with its pork chop n’ fennel with apple sausage stuffing and sweet potato.
Come in for their $15 burger and beer night on Mondays. Choose from an organic grass-fed beef burger or a vegetarian black bean burger.
Noah’s
136 Front St., Greenport (631) 477-6720
New to Noah’s spring menu is a roasted beet risotto with local beets and crumbled feta. Two portion sizes are available from the dinner menu.
A new small-plate option is their Satur Farms butter lettuce salad with goat cheese, shaved radishes and baby carrots. Grilled asparagus with crispy prosciutto have also made its way onto the menu as a starter.
Another notable dish is the Crescent Farms duck confit with spring vegetable couscous. Noah’s has close working relationships with local farms including Latham Farms in Orient and Sep’s Farm in East Marion.
Caci North Fork
56125 Main Road, Southold, (631) 765-4383
With a newly revamped spring menu, you can’t go wrong with anything — from buffalo milk ricotta ravioli with black summer truffle to Crescent Farms duck breast with blueberry chutney and housemade blueberry vinegar — crafted by Caci’s executive chef, Marco Pellegrini.
Sweeten your experience with their decadent Valrhona white chocolate mousse with chocolate shortbread. It’s perfect for sharing.
Jamesport Manor Inn
370 Manor Lane, Jamesport (631) 722-050
Jamesport Manor Inn is currently experimenting with a variety of new spring dishes, including beer-battered oysters with avocado mayo and a delectable BLT tuna salad prepared with bacon-wrapped tuna loin cooked rare with arugula and a lemon olive dressing.
For dinner, try their comforting pan-roasted Crescent Farms duck breast with sage, black peppercorn fettuccine and cassis lingonberry sauce. For dessert, order peaches and cream with grilled local peaches paired with blueberry vanilla gelato.
Amano Restaurant
13550 Main Road, Mattituck, (631) 298-4800
Enjoy a taste of Italy with a local twist. This spring, try Amano’s Catapano Dairy Farmgoat cheese plate with roasted garlic, mushrooms and rosemary. A comforting dish for those still-brisk evenings is the braised short ribs with pancetta-scallion potato mash and roasted green beans.
Don’t miss Amano’s happy hour specials weekdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and weekends from 4 to 6 p.m.
Vanessa Gordon is a Hamptons-based writer, tutor and fitness instructor. She received her Master of Arts degree in Education from New York University. She loves paddle boarding, antiquarian cookbooks and tea rooms. Find Vanessa on social media @EastEndTaste.
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