• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

The exterior and interior at VINe.    (Photo: Courtesy of VINe)

Start with a fresh lemon-mint mojito or extra-large margaritas for two at the bustling Frisky Oyster, where chef Hank Tomashevski serves a locally sourced, daily rotating menu heavy on seafood—think fresh grilled Montauk tuna or soft-shell-crab tempura—in a vintage-floral-patterned dining room. Reservations are scarce on weekends, but walk-ins for dinner are usually accommodated. Kids under 6 are not allowed.

VINe is the go-to spot for local wines by the glass. On Sundays, stop by for jazz brunch with a light menu of crêpes and quiche served on the grapevine-trimmed outdoor patio. This summer, owner Joe Watson will pour a different library wine by the glass—like the 1994 Harlan from Napa Valley—all day on weekends, a rare chance to try treasured wines on the cheap.

The dining room is often packed, so escape to the six-seater bar at the star-powered, country-chic North Fork Table & Inn. City expats Gerry Hayden (formerly of Amuse) and Claudia Fleming (formerly of Gramercy Tavern) serve locally sourced dishes like freshly plucked Peconic Bay scallops on a bed of asparagus risotto with smoky bacon and lemon confit.

Published on Jul 28, 2008 as a web exclusive.