For the second year in a row, Jimmy Fallon and a member of the Kardashian clan found their way to a list of our most-read stories of the year.
The Tonight Show host was spotted in downtown Greenport eating at Claudio’s with his family this year, while Kourtney Kardashian’s ex-boyfriend Scott Disick was found scowling as he waited in line at the CVS store in Wading River.
Last year, Fallon hung out at the Whiskey Wind in Greenport one evening and Kim Kardashian caught a flick at Mattituck Cinemas. Both made the cut in 2014.
Other top stories in 2015 included the first announcement of the two-day FOLD Festival coming to Riverhead, the owners of Claudio’s speaking as to why their iconic business is for sale and a writeup on a new high-speed ferry service from Manhattan to the East End.
See the list of our 20 most-read stories in 2015 below.
20. Good Food opens in Mattituck
Pastries and empanadas. It sounds like a match made in food heaven, but it has become a reality for two food specialists, Alison Katz and Luchi Masliah, who pooled their resources to open Good Food in Mattituck in June.
19. Scott Disick spotted at Wading River CVS
Reality TV star Scott Disick could barely muster a smile when he posed for a photo with a Shoreham-Wading River High School sophomore at CVS/Pharmacy in Wading River in July.
The photo of Disick, who is best known for dating now ex-girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian, also appeared on US Weekly’s website.
18. Spotlight on Orient in new murder mystery novel
Christopher Bollen, an author and magazine editor who lives in New York City, told us that Orient made the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery novel.
“Orient” (Harper Collins) is a whodunit story, but also a tale of the tension between North Fork newcomers and those whose families have lived here for generations.
17. North Fork food truck masters roll out B.A.R. truck
Keith Kraus and his friend, Matt Michel, owner of 1943 Pizza Bar in Greenport and Rolling in Dough pizza truck, know how to bring the party.
Now the pair have teamed up for their first joint business venture to bring you the B.A.R. Truck.
16. Photos: Mazi Restaurant opens in downtown Riverhead
The wooden bar runs nearly the entire length of the restaurant. An exposed brick wall, adorned with black iron sconces, overlooks the bar, while large wooden shelves hold glasses and bottles.
All that iron, brick and wood creates an industrial, hard look. That’s no accident.
“It represents strength,” said John Mantzopoulos, who opened his re-incarnated restaurant, Mazi, in Riverhead in September. The new eatery replaced Athens Grill which was destroyed in a 2013 fire. “We wanted to come back strong. The fire affected me, but it didn’t affect me where it put me out.”
15. Peconic Bay Yacht Club will host some of the North Fork’s grandest weddings
After standing vacant and unused for years, the former Mill Creek Inn in Southold will once again host some of the North Fork’s most elegant weddings and stylish shindigs.
Peconic Bay Yacht Club, a 10,000-square-foot building overlooking Peconic Bay, with a marina and manicured grounds, hosted its first wedding in August.
14. Matt Lauer bikes the North Fork for charity
The first day of Matt Lauer’s 230-mile charity bike ride from Boston to New York City last May started with clear skies, dry conditions and a comfortable temperature.
The Today Show host wasn’t so lucky while traveling wet North Fork roads on the day he visited Macari Vineyards in Mattituck and Sep’s Farm in East Marion.
You can read more about his visit here.
13. Deep Water Bar and Grille coming to Greenport
Opened in May, this new Front Street restaurant serves up New American cuisine with a focus on seafood. Enjoy the views of Greenport Harbor from “Beth’s Upper Deck.”
12. Hydrant Hotel opens up its doors today for your ‘fur baby’
We all like the finer things in life. So why not do the same for the family pet? That’s the thinking behind the Hydrant Hotel, a luxury pet hotel, grooming and retail facility that opened its doors in Riverhead in December.
11. VIDEO: See the Tall Ships like never before
One by one we lined up to see the Tall Ships in Greenport in July. Many of us even had the privilege to see them from the water.
But to see them from the sky was an opportunity afforded to very few. Until we ran this video.
10. Jimmy Fallon spotted in Greenport
Jimmy Fallon was once again spotted in Greenport Village in November, this time dining at Claudio’s and posing for photos with fans on Front Street.
The Tonight Show host shared a photo of the famed restaurant’s menu with his 4.2 million Instagram photos, thanking the 145-year-old eatery and its staff for making the best chowder and giving it a shoutout for being family-owned.
9. O’Mally’s in Southold reopens Thursday with a new look, owner
O’Mally’s in Southold reopened in February with the same family-friendly atmosphere, but with new owners and a new look.
Veteran Brooklyn-based restaurateurs Jimmy and Kelly Kokotas purchased the Southold mainstay in December.
8. Jamesport Country Kitchen closes its doors, up for sale
The Jamesport Country Kitchen is closed.
The 26-year-old institution on Main Road served its last dinner in March after owner and operator Matthew Kar decided to sell the business, as well as the building itself.
7. Six cozy North Fork tasting rooms and bars
Looking for a place to warm your toes this coming winter?
The NoFo’s tasting rooms are the place to be if you need a respite from frigid temps and what can seem to be never-melting snow.
6. Long Island wines receive record-breaking reviews in The Wine Advocate
Long Island wines received enthusiastic and record-breaking reviews from one of the industry’s most influential wine publications last summer.
In a recent edition of Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate — arguably one of the wine world’s most important publication — 78 wines received scores of 90 and above, a number commonly recognized to denote an outstanding wine.
Read more about the accolades here.
5. Rare beluga whales spotted off Shoreham Beach, could be heading to the North Fork
(Credit: Riverhead Foundation for Marine Preservation and Research, courtesy)
Three beluga whales traveling from Canada were spotted off the coast of Shoreham in May.
The whales, estimated to be between six and eight feet long and under three years old, were seen off Shoreham Beach near the decommissioned nuclear power plant about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, according to the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.
4. Brew Crew Cycles to offer Riverhead brewery tours
You can say goodbye to trudging across pockmarked parking lots during your Riverhead craft brewery tour — there’s a new ride in town.
Brew Crew Cycles, two 14-person pedal-powered bicycles that shuttle patrons among downtown’s three breweries, started offering tours in April.
3. Claudio’s owner on why iconic restaurant is for sale
Claudio’s restaurant, the Greenport treasure that has served North Forkers since the village’s days as a whaling town through Prohibition and into modern times, has hit the market.
The two-acre property that houses Claudio’s along with Crabby Jerry’s and Claudio’s Clam Bar and Wharf has been listed without an asking price, co-owner Bill Claudio told northforker in January.
“I’m 76 years old and I think it may be time to retire,” he said. “If it happens, it happens.”
2. Pharrell, Beck and Nile Rodgers to perform at Martha Clara Vineyards festival
We first reported that Nile Rodgers was bringing the two-day FOLD Festival, with superstar acts like Pharrell Williams and Beck, to Martha Clara Vineyards in June.
Chaka Khan, Keith Urban and Duran Duran also performed at the concert, which took place on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5.
1. High-speed ferry to carry passengers from NYC to East End
The Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry partnered with Seastreak and Hampton Jitney to offer a new travel system called Sea Jitney, which will ferry passengers from Long Island to Manhattan, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The new service was set to begin Friday, May 22, the companies announced.
