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Chef Greg Ling in the Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. Kitchen in Peconic. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

Veteran North Fork chef Greg Ling is the new executive chef at Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. Ling signed on to helm the kitchen at the Peconic restaurant and tasting room earlier this month. The first order of business was to expand the pub-style menu, adding in some of his signature Asian influences with appetizers like Peconic Escargot and wild shrimp wontons and a Korean fried chicken sandwich.

Guests can expect a constantly evolving menu, Ling said. There are also daily specials that change with the season and the chef’s personal tastes.

“I cook what I feel like eating,” he said. “The menu here used to change once every six months, but I want to do new things every couple of weeks. They told me to get creative with the menu. They make craft beer, not Bud Light. People want to taste something fun and different when they come here.”

Ling estimates that 80 percent of the offerings incorporate Greenport Harbor brews into the locally sourced fare — think Greenport Dip with Black Duck Porter braised short ribs and Harbor Ale battered fish and chips. Ling has been working closely with head brewer Pat Alfred to design the menu to pair with what’s on tap.

“I love working with the beer,” Ling said. “The day before I started, I came down to taste the beers and Pat told me what he has coming up with and we worked the menu around that.”

The malts in Greenport brews lend themselves to pairings, Ling noted.

“Really hoppy beers are hard to pair well with food because it is too bitter, but Pat has a nice blend and variety here,” he said. “He has got some cool stuff going on.”

A Philadelphia native, Ling has been working on-and-off at North Fork restaurants since 2003. He most recently served as executive chef at Industry Standard and Rocco’s Caddyshack in Greenport. Prior to that Ling was the first executive chef at the now-shuttered The Riverhead Project and The Frisky Oyster.

Ling, who got his start in fine dining, is welcoming the change of vibe at the brewery.

“This place is really busy — one of the busiest I’ve worked at — but the team here and the company culture is amazing,” he said. “It is fun.”

Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. is located at 42155 Main Road, Peconic and is currently opened seven days a week.

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