Colorful Dining Destinations on the North Fork
If winter evokes the color blue — as in the blues — perhaps we can dissuade you from that common misperception. A pop of color here and there can do wonders for the seasonal affective spirit. Step inside, shed your coat, and your worries. Sidle up to the bar, to your table, and to your drink of choice, et voila: a brighter day is born. The North Fork is host to more than just a few colorful respites from winter’s bland palette of white, black, and gray. Make sure to include these local favorites in your dining rotation and see how warm, cozy, and, yes, colorful dining on the East End can truly be.
Make a beeline for Greenport and you’re sure to find more than your fair share when it comes to colorful interiors. Robby Beaver’s Frisky Oyster, which holds court on the town’s prominent Front Street, boasts a local and seasonal menu, yes. But it also warms the soul with its playful walls, which are outfitted with unforgettable red and white wallpaper. Just a few minutes’ walk down the road, the transportive Lucharito’s offers bold colored walls, decoupage tables, and even colored bar stools. Blues, vibrant pinks, yellows, and purples reign at this Mexican-inspired eatery that will make you feel like warmer weather is just a whisper away.
At First and South, the restaurant’s backdrop of color is ever changing. That’s because the new American-style spot, which serves everything from lobster rolls to burgers to local oysters on the half shell, warms up the atmosphere with a giant blackboard. Artwork changes regularly, and the color scheme depends on the whim and whimsy of the artists-in-residence. What won’t change, however, is the delicious and deliciously dependable food that accompanies the colorful chalk-drawn murals.
Experience a different pop of color at Mattituck’s Macari Vineyards’ Bergen Road Bungalows. These individual platform tents feature lunch, of course, curated by chef Lauren Lombardi. But they also feature a soothing neutral palette, designed by Jesse Elliott Design and White Flower Farmhouse. Tents are shoppable and private for up to six guests and offer not only lunch, but also a selection of the vineyard’s wide-ranging and high-performing wines. Petit bungalows, suitable for parties of two to four, are also available.
With its cherry red walls and checkerboard floors, Crazy Beans, which occupies one of Greenport’s busiest corners, feels right out of the 1950s. But its popularity remains straight out of the 2020s, and that’s because the diner-coffee joint serves up food that keeps guests coming back. Yes, the colors are cheerful, and they’re sure to jolt you out of those mid-winter blues and into spring. You’re sure to find solace, too, though, in a menu that offers everything from crab cakes egg benedict to a pancake quesadilla to the aptly named Juicy Lucy burger (it’s stuffed with American cheese and topped with fried pickles, among other things). And if the décor and breakfast options didn’t get your attention, there’s a record-breaking number of coffee, espresso, and latté selections on offer, too. All you have to do is ask.
