It’s February on the North Fork. At times it can feel like the whole East End is riding out the winter on the warm shores of Waikiki, but there are many business owners who stay behind to feed the hungry masses.
Here are a handful of eateries serving lunch to locals and midweek visitors all winter long.
Love Lane Kitchen
Number one on the list is this Mattituck mainstay. The charming café is open seven days a week, even in the dreariest of months.
I thoroughly enjoyed the black bean burger with salad on a recent visit. Other favorites include the goat cheese panini, steak sandwich and fish tacos. The garlic fries are intense, but so good. Breakfast is served until 2 p.m.
Hours are Monday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed for dinner); Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m.
Love Lane Kitchen, 240 Love Lane, Mattituck. (631) 298-8989, lovelanekitchen.com.
Goodfood.
Once upon a time I’d happily eat a McDonald’s value meal, not worrying that my lunch didn’t include anything fresh from the ground (hey, those weird little diced onions count as a vegetable, right?)
But these days I find myself craving healthier and more wholesome ingredients in my meals. As its name suggests, Goodfood. offers just that. The Pike Street, Mattituck, eatery’s menu includes homemade empanadas, quiches, soups and an array of healthy sides like Brussels sprouts, kale salad and couscous salad.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. through 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Goodfood., 535 Pike Street, Mattituck. (631) 298-7599, gfperiod.com.
Main Road Biscuit Company
Main Road Biscuit Company in Jamesport has been making our Monday mornings tolerable since … well, only since October, when it opened.
The attractive and cozy setting offers a great spot for a casual lunch meeting or a grab-and-go breakfast. Like Love Lane Kitchen, they also sell North Fork Roasting Co. coffee.
Winter hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The restaurant is closed Wednesday as well as Tuesdays in winter.
Main Road Biscuit Co., 1601 Main Road, Jamesport. (631) 779-3463, mainroadbiscuitco.com.
Wednesday’s Table
The Main Road café in Southold serves an array of tasty dishes, some inspired by owners Linh Trieu and Lenza Tanzi’s Vietnamese heritage. The Wednesday’s Table pork bahn mi, made with pork belly, pickled daikon radish, carrots, cucumber, cilantro and mayo on a hero, might just be my favorite sandwich on the North Fork.
They’re closed on Wednesdays. If you want to know why, just read our recent feature on the owners.
Hours are Thursday through Tuesday, 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Wednesday’s Table, 53345 Main Road, Southold. (631) 876-5251, wednesdays-table.com.
Crazy Beans
Located at the longtime Front Street, Greenport, home of the former Coronet diner, Crazy Beans is suddenly the hottest spot in town for eggs, bacon and North Fork Roasting Co. java. They offer a full lunch menu as well.
We’ve long been fans of Crazy Beans’ Miller Place location and the egg quesadilla and huevos loco burrito. Filled with cheddar, bacon and Crazy Beans’ secret sauce, the latter is also on the menu in Greenport.
Hours are 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Crazy Beans, 2 Front Street, Greenport. (631) 333-3426, crazybeansrestaurant.com.
The Market
If you’re looking for fresh juices, smoothies, vegetarian sandwiches or organic grocery and personal items, The Market in Greenport is your spot.
One of our favorite offerings is the Popeye wrap, served with fresh raw spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, basil pesto, tomato, sweet red onion and mesclun greens in a whole wheat wrap.
Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Market, 44 Front Street, Greenport. (631) 477-8803, themarketgreenport.com.
Orient Country Store
There are not many places to eat east of Greenport at this time of year, but the Orient Country Store is open every day.
Reminiscent of an old-timey general store, owners Miriam Foster and Grayson Murphy serve some of the tastiest sandwiches, soups and baked goods around. Seriously. New York Times cooking editor Sam Sifton once called Foster’s pies perfect.
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Orient Country Store, 950 Village Lane, Orient. (631) 323-2580.
Digger’s Ales and Eats
Digger’s, which features $10 and $11 lunch specials, is known for serving well above the quality of the usual neighborhood bar.
The kitchen is open Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. (the bar stays open until 1 a.m.); and Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. (2 a.m. for the bar).
Digger’s Ales and Eats, 58 West Main Street, Riverhead. (631) 369-3200, diggerspub.com.
PeraBell Food Bar East
The pizzas from PeraBell’s wood-fired oven are some of the best around. The eatery, an outpost of the Patchogue restaurant with the same name, opened in summer 2015 and has since been a welcome addition to downtown Riverhead’s dining scene.
The lunch menu features salads, sandwiches and entrees that range from $8 to $23.
Hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.
PeraBell Food Bar East, 65 East Main Street, Riverhead. (631) 740-9494, Perabellfoodbar.com.
Farm Country Kitchen
This standout Riverhead eatery features a rotating menu of salads, wraps and paninis and a serene view of the Peconic River. The chocolate chip cookies served during weekday lunches are a favorite.
Hours are seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Farm Country Kitchen, 513 West Main Street, Riverhead. (631) 369-6311, farmcountrykitchen.net.
