Who says there’s nothing to do on the North Fork during the winter?
Get your savory local white pine tea and local carrots cooked in beer and butter at PawPaw pop-up restaurant, which still has winter seating available.
The brainchild of Indiana-raised chef Taylor Knapp, the 16-seat weekly communal dinners feature mostly local items, many of which are foraged. Knapp prepares the meals, which are dictated by season, while his wife, Katelyn, runs the front of the house. Dinners are held each week at The Cheese Emporium by Bruce & Son on Main Street in Greenport.
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Seatings are for 6 and 8:30 p.m. and can be made directly at pawpawpopup.com. The price is $55 a plate. Reservations, which are required, are still available for Jan. 21, March 11 and March 25 (8:30 p.m. seatings only).
Knapp is also hosting a cheese pairing dinner at the Village Cheese Shop in Mattituck on Feb. 11. Seating is still available for the 8:30 p.m. seating and the price is $75.
Although foraging opportunities aren’t at their peak right now, Knapp said he still makes good use of root vegetables, Long Island duck and local seafood.
“The Farm Beyond [based in Southold] did a good job of putting things away, even burying stuff in sand,” he said.
There are, however, still some fresh-picked ingredients. Pine needles, for instance, can be used in teas and marshmallows, Knapp said.
And at this time of year, desserts tend to be more spice- and dairy-focused.
“It’ll make your mouth water, but they will be more earthy and not so fruity,” he said.
If you feel like salivating, check out the below photos from our editor’s June 2015 feature about PawPaw.
