Although I remember coming to the North Fork as a child, and we had several family vacations there, most notably at Crescent Beach, I feel as though I really discovered it in 2007, when we began to spend much more time on the North, as opposed to the South, Fork.  So, here is a list of just some of what I love about the North Fork:

1.  Of course, the wineries, for tastings and for live music, but also the vineyards, whether barely green in the spring, lushly leaved in the summer, laden with grapes in the fall, or bare and sculptural in the winter, stretching to the horizon.
2. The farms, and especially the farm stands, from early spinach and asparagus to the full bounty of summer tomatoes to the squashes and cabbages and apples of fall.  Even in the winter, Briermere stays open, which leads me to number three—
3. Briermere’s pies!
4. The water and the beaches, including shell gathering on the Sound side and the sandy beaches on the bay.  Though I do miss the ocean waves of the Hamptons and Montauk beaches, the gentle calm of the bay makes boating a pleasure.
5. The people, most of whom are quite friendly and pleasant, from neighbors who share the overflow of their vegetable gardens to restaurant workers who recognize you with a friendly greeting to the chatty servers in the wineries.
6. The fact that the main east/west road is called Main Road and that the road to the north of it, which partly borders Long Island Sound, is called either Sound Avenue or North Road, for some reason tickles me.
7. The variety of restaurants and the good, often local, food you can get at them.  To mention just a few of my favorites:  Tweed’s Bison Bar for any of the bison entrees and for a warm seat by the cozy fire in winter;  Founder’s Tavern for the tavern burger and home-made potato chips; North Fork Table and Inn for a fabulous world-class tasting menu; Michelangelo’s for pizza and for pasta dishes that provide enough food for at least two meals; Hellenic Snack Bar for yummy Greek specialties; A Mano for the duck carbonara and local beet and goat cheese salad; Love Lane Kitchen for any meal of the day; and, and, and…well, that’s enough for now.  I’ll do more entries on restaurants in the future.
8. Shopping the local merchants in Greenport, from hand-made jewelry to art to antiques and more, not to mention that there’s still an old-fashioned luncheonette on the same block as cutting edge restaurants.  And while we’re mentioning Greenport, let’s not forget the carousel!
9. And while we’re talking about shopping, I can’t help but mention the outlets at Tanger and the convenience of all the big box stores in Riverhead.
10. Special edibles, including ice cream—from Italian-quality gelato at D’latte in Greenport to new creative flavors every week at Magic Fountain in Mattituck—and goat cheese fresh from the farm at Catapano, and grass-fed beef from McCall’s sold at Love Lane Market, and the wide variety of cheeses at Love Lane Cheese shop, and fresh eggs from Cooper’s farm stand, and just-harvested oysters, and Mexican groceries at La Tienda, and more.