The Best Of issue has been a tradition at Northforker for several years now and it’s unlike any other issue of the magazine that we create. First, you’ll note that for the last few years we haven’t run any feature stories in it because we focus solely on the best of the best in our Eat, Drink, Live and Breathe categories. And believe us, that’s enough! It’s not an easy task to pull this issue together, but we really love doing it because in the end it’s all about highlighting great people and places on the East End. How do we do it? Allow us to explain…
How do you pick the Best Of winners?
We check out restaurants, stores and all manner of businesses on the North Fork all year long, sometimes together and sometimes on our own in our free time. Then, when it gets close to publishing time, we spend, quite literally, hours on this issue, going over each and every category and the selections within it. We take all the information that we spend all year filing away and figure out how and where to fit it in.
How many people contribute to the Best Of picks?
The core group is editor-in-chief Amy Zavatto, senior editor Stephanie Villani and staff reporter Parker Schug. But since pretty much everyone in our offices in Mattituck lives on or very near to the North Fork, we ask them to weigh in too. Kaitlyn Burke, Tina Contento and Cerria Torres are particularly helpful (and opinionated! As we would only want them to be, always!). And of course, publisher Andrew Olsen, a lifelong North Forker, always has something to add, too.
Do you ever fight over the final five selections?
Yes! But good-naturedly. The fact of the matter is it’s impossible for lists like this to not have some amount of subjectivity. But we sit and talk it out together and make our cases. We all like each other a lot around the Times Review offices so even if, say, Amy and Kaitlyn get into a debate about what makes a proper deli or who makes the best lobster roll, it comes from a place of North Fork love.
Why do some entries end up missing from the list?
Sometimes, sadly, businesses close during the year, but that makes room for someone new. Sometimes we remove a business or a person who’s been in rotation for a long time to make space for another deserving highlight. Sometimes, truth be told, one entry just outshines the others. It can be any of these reasons, but we always do our best to be fair and honest.
My favorite business didn’t make the list. What can I do to convince you North Forkers to give it another look?
Write us! We love hearing from you. Shoot us a note at [email protected].
