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Martha Stewart visited White Flower Farmhouse in Southold on Saturday. (Credit: Michael Conklin)

Martha Stewart, the queen of lifestyle herself, recently paid a visit to the North Fork and, through social media posts, it looks like she’s living her best life.

The icon is no stranger to the North Fork. Over the past decade, she’s raved about Glover Perennials, a wholesale nursery in Cutchogue, on her blog and also documented visits to wineries in Riverhead and Jamesport. She’s also on the advisory board for Landcraft Garden Foundation.

“[Martha] has had a long relationship with the North Fork,” said Susan Magrino, an Orient resident that has worked as her publicist since the the early 1980s. 

Magrino hosted her longtime friend and client over the weekend and shared some of their itinerary with us, from finding gardening books at an estate sale to enjoying lunch at the Hellenic Snack Bar and stopping for coffee at Southold General.

In addition to these stops, they visited Pearl on Main in Southold, Cifarelli’s Nursery and the Treasure Exchange in Southold, which is operated by the Southold Historical Society.

“I am so happy to see the North Fork again, it is becoming more and more interesting with the beautiful shops and delicious food, while staying true to the uniquely North Fork heritage of farming, fishing and agriculture,” Martha Stewart said in a statement through Magrino, adding that she especially enjoyed the Treasure Exchange. “I often frequent consignment shops which benefit local charities and always find wonderful things.”

“She was sorry to miss Lucharitos in Greenport,” Magrino added. “But we just didn’t have enough time!” (We guess she’ll just have to come back again!)

Here’s your guide to enjoying the North Fork the Martha Stewart way.

Stop and smell the flowers

There’s no shortage of roadside farm stands where you can stock up on garden abundance, fresh eggs, flowers and even local oysters on both main and back roads on the North Fork. Martha and her friend Kevin Sharkey, the executive director for design for her lifestyle company, stopped by a beautiful sunflower stand (and battled some bees) on land owned by the Soloviev Group. The bright displays, where you can buy a freshly cut bunch for just $5, have popped up at most of their agricultural properties. Look out for the bright blue buckets!

Dine on Shelter Island

Joined by friends, Martha visited Shelter Island to attend a private dinner hosted by designer Dennis Basso at the historic Pridwin.

The menu included a tomato and burrata salad, roasted chicken panzanella and ended with the hotel’s famous classic ice cream cookie sandwich.

If you haven’t been, the Pridwin is absolutely worth the short, 10-minute ferry trip as the 100-year-old hotel has been meticulously restored.

There, you can dine at the Terrace restaurant led by executive chef Drew Hiatt and enjoy a menu of classic American cuisine and local seafood all overlooking Crescent Beach.

The Pridwin is located at 81 Shore Road on Shelter Island.

Tour an exquisite garden

One of Martha’s greatest joys is gardening, so it’s no surprise she made a pilgrimage to the Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck for a tour.

The exuberant gardens began in 1992 when partners Dennis Schrader and Bill Smith purchased 17 acres of land surrounding their 1840s-era farmhouse. They set up a nonprofit and assembled an advisory board that includes Martha Stewart, Fergus Garrett, a well-known British horticulturist and author and co-founder of Washington’s Heronswood Nursery, Dan Hinkley.

The foundation is dedicated to the preservation of the gardens and property, ownership of which will eventually pass to the foundation so the public can enjoy the beautiful blooming vistas forever.

You can visit the sprawling gardens that include a variety of areas including a pollinator path, English rose garden, pool garden, Linden allee, labyrinth and more on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 29.

The gardens are located at 4342 Grand Ave. in Mattituck and tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.

Shop for a good cause 

Martha and her friends stopped by the Shoals in Southold over the weekend for a very special shopping event with fashion icon Linda Fargo, the senior vice president of the fashion office and director of women’s fashion and store presentation for Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.

The event, “Linda’s Lightly Loved Closet,” was hosted by local real estate broker Sheri Winter Parker and focused on recycling, renewing and reviving designer apparel, shoes and accessories with proceeds benefiting Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport.

Though the event has passed, the Shoals is a great place to rest your head on the North Fork or stop by the enjoy sweeping views of the Peconic Bay and their food truck, which has a great menu of fresh Little Ram oysters, caviar, peel-n-eat shrimp, clams, clam dip by Clamity Janes, local beer, wine and more.

The Shoals is located at 61600 Main Road in Southold.

A unique estate sale in Orient

Who doesn’t love a good estate sale? You can score vintage, antique and one-of-a-kind items. On the North Fork, you may also get a rare opportunity inside the world of iconic artists, like the sculptor Robert Berks who was best known for his eight-foot bronze bust of President John F. Kennedy, a symbol of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and another Washington monument, his 22-foot seated figure of Albert Einstein on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences.

During his years in Orient he worked in a former schoolhouse converted into a studio near his home.

Martha browsed an estate sale at his Orient home over the weekend hosted by White Flower tag sales. Follow them on Instagram for details on future events.

Shop for home decor in Southold

You know to visit the North Fork for trips to wineries, fresh seafood, walks on the beach and picking up locally grown produce. But in recent years, the hamlet of Southold has become a hub for beautiful home decor. On her recent visit, Martha visited the light and airy White Flower Farmhouse and also the new White Flower Garden, which sells vintage garden decor and flowers across the street.

We also recommend checking out Nicolette’s for the Home, Fez & Ivy and TouchGOODS if you’re in the neighborhood.

White Flower Farmhouse is located at 53995 Main Road in Southold.

Enjoy a meal at Maroni

We think Martha has great taste! After opening as an order-ahead-and-heat-at-home takeout spot in 2019, they opened a dining room in 2020, the spot, which also operates a location in Northport, became renowned for weeknight sushi and an impressive tasting menu that includes dishes like Kobe beef sliders, Korean-style ribs, and truffle grilled cheese on top of beloved classic Italian favorites.

“What more can a girl ask for!” owner Maria Maroni wrote on Instagram, thanking the celebrity for her visit. “Martha Stewart and her friends dining at our new Southold restaurant and saying words like ‘extraordinary.’”

Our September food issue is now out on newsstands, featuring Maroni as one of our top foodie picks of the year. We like to think Martha picked up her very own copy — and you should, too!

Maroni Cuisine is located at 54195 Main Road in Southold.

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