Review: North Fork Table in Southold

There’s no better exemplar of "rustic elegance" on Long Island than North Fork Table & Inn. Set on a lushly landscaped property that also houses the burger-centric "Big Grin" lunch truck, it is the quintessential North Fork restaurant.

It was the late chef Gerry Hayden and his wife, pastry chef Claudia Fleming, who put the spot on the map in 2006. After Hayden’s death in 2015, Fleming stayed on until 2020 when the property was purchased by a group headed by John Fraser, a chef with a national reputation and a couple of Michelin stars. Fraser achieved the near-impossible: giving a beloved local institution a thorough upgrade while still honoring its spirit as a shrine to local produce which it uses in abundance from cocktails through dessert.

The simple dining room got a lavish, magazine-cover-worthy makeover featuring whitewashed walls, exposed beams and distinctive (and very comfortable) chairs upholstered in shearling. They expanded the bar and added two serene outdoor dining patios. But, as always, the emphasis is on the plates.

Because the menu is inspired by the seasonal harvest, it changes throughout the year. But you’ll always find "The Southold Grill," five examples of the day’s best local catch (perhaps fluke or monkfish, black bass or scallops) kissed by the fire of the kitchen’s wood-burning hearth. Also from the hearth: Steaks, chops and a few more fish. Roast local duck is always on offer, perhaps served with honey glaze and husk cherries, or spruce-tip-infused honey and plumcots.

The "two-mile" salad draws its elements from KK’s, Deep Roots or other farms within a two-mile radius. Another improbable bestseller is the "broken beans," braised flageolets gussied up with a generous grating of truffle and a crisp little Parmesan hat that sits atop the tender stew like the crust of a crème brûlée. Vegetarians and vegans will be in heaven here, where there are plenty of plant-based starters and sides.

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