I have spent my entire life on the East End of Long Island — as a full-time resident, as a kid coming home for college summers, as a “weekender” and as a homeowner and a person who makes her living out here. That’s pretty much covering all the angles and perspectives on the North Fork and Shelter Island (and the South Fork, too). If I’ve learned anything from those experiences, it’s that I never feel like I’ve covered it all.
For such a relatively small area, we pack a lot in. Where do you even begin to talk about it all? That’s always the challenge of our Best Of issue, but it’s one I’ve eased into over the last few years of putting all the pieces of this comprehensive guide together. Because, truthfully, it used to stress me out. How can we pick this one over that one? What if the general population thinks we’re bananas to select Janie Winemaker over Johnny Winemaker? What if we completely missed the most deserving of lunch spots? Who’s to say what’s the best burger?!?
The reason I don’t get the middle-of-the-night panics over all those plaguing questions anymore is, to me, this issue is all about celebrating. Does it mean someone who didn’t make the list isn’t just as deserving? Nope.
Every year, it’s an opportunity to shine a light on something or someone new (or new to us) that we discovered and that we want you to discover, too. Or sometimes, it’s an icon that just must make the list, even if it seems like it happens year in and year out (we will arm wrestle anyone — well, figuratively anyway — over the absolute mainstay must of the Cutchogue Diner, amen!). But we also really try to highlight new-to-the-list folks and even bring in some new categories every year, too, like this year’s additions of Best Baked Clams (we had some serious lunches to decide on this one!), Best Seafood Chowder, Best Fried Chicken and Best Art Gallery.
Like every issue, we do some other local-love celebrating, too. Unless you’ve been hiding under a Plymouth Rock, you certainly well know that this month is America’s 250th anniversary. To help you get ready, staffer Parker Schug sourced some super cool red, white and blue items in our regular Shop Local column to get you geared up (p. 30). We hit up Billy’s by the Bay for a summery alfresco meal fit for July (p. 34), sipped on some super quenching McCall sauvignon blanc (p. 32) and even got the skinny on how one of your favorite local breweries gets their awesome can art (p. 128).
Peruse our picks, let us know yours and, for Pete’s sake, get out and give these small businesses your love and support! Be it a BLT or a bag of birdseed or a beer on tap or a weekend-worthy salon blowout, we’ve got 310 good reasons (that is, 62 categories x 5 picks!) to get busy, North Forkers. See you out there!
Amy Zavatto
Editor-in-Chief
