Growing up, I was an indoor kid. Video games, action figures, afternoon TV shows—they all appealed to me more than badly playing sports outside.
But there was a big exception. Whenever we’d visit my family’s beach house in Wading River, I would descend the creaky wooden steps down to the water, ignoring my mother’s calls to “slow down and be careful.” Bounding down those steps, I felt like I was going on a big adventure, one where I could scour the sand for buried treasure and splash around the water as though I was a pirate on a perilous voyage. Of course, the adventure would have to pause when my parents called me inside for dinner. The rotisserie duck from Miloski’s wasn’t going to eat itself!
As an adult, my tastes are certainly more diverse than my childhood interests. The North Fork has become a playground for my adventures—trying new restaurants, visiting new places, meeting new people. I can’t wait to share some of those adventures in these pages, and inspire you to get out there and have your own this spring and summer.
Perhaps start with a scavenger hunt! I met with the lovely Mike Malkush, whose snazzy vintage cars you might have seen at local weddings or in photos, and had the pleasure of trying out his latest venture, North Fork Scavenger Hunts. Despite living in Greenport, I found there was a lot about my beloved village’s local history that I’d never even considered beforehand.
In the spirit of getting outside and honoring the spirits of Memorial Day this month, writer Nicholas Grasso spent a day at the Warrior Ranch in Calverton, where he met with veterans and first responders who visit the ranch’s horses as recreational therapy. You never know what someone might be going through, but these resilient veterans and their stories are both heartrending and inspiring.
The delightful Hellenic Snack Bar in East Marion is a mainstay for my family—we try to head to the Greek eatery a few times each season. With its excellent food and made-to-order lemonade, North Forkers are no doubt familiar with this lovely spot. Lilly Parnell met with owner George Giannaris to talk about the recent changes and additions to the seasonal favorite, and learned more about his family’s story along the way.
Sometimes, Northforker and Times Review Media Group staff, a team with diverse interests and knowledge, come up with ideas that we’d never think of without them. This was certainly the case when our associate editor and resident fishing expert, Angela Colangelo, mentioned a local gentleman with a unique business: hand-crafted lures. Angela met with owner Larry Welcome at his workshop and learned about his design work, his lifelong love of fishing and a surprise connection to an East End legend. Photographer Jeremy Garretson even went fishing with Larry, and the photos are absolutely stunning.
Other outdoor fun awaits you in this issue, too. Angela wrote about her favorite places on the North Fork to go birding. Stephanie Villani got to know Deep Roots Farm owner Tom Hart and learned about his favorite things. And Victoria Caruso dined al fresco at Italian trattoria Grana in Jamesport. Check out her menu picks.
And our 2023 Northforker of the Year, Ian Wile, spoke with me about his greatly expanded outdoor concert series, the Sunshine Sessions, which will take place all summer long at Orient Beach State Park outside his adorable Sunshine Shack snack bar.
I hope you enjoy the interesting stories and guides we’ve prepared for you in this month’s Northforker. There are so many ways to enjoy the outdoors, and I hope you’re inspired to experience a slice of what we’ve captured here this month.
We’re a lucky bunch, us Northforkers.
Lee Meyer
Managing Editor
