North Fork Buzz
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🐝 Double Decker Carts of Tomato Plants

🐝 Double Decker Carts of Tomato Plants

Gardening Boom, North Fork Table’s Food Truck Is Back, Burger, Fries & Wine

Thomas Loncar
May 22, 2026

Together With Tim O’Keefe

Good Morning, North Fork! It’s Friday, and suddenly nobody remembers how busy they claimed they were on Tuesday.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

Gardening Boom
North Fork Table’s Food Truck Is Back
Burger, Fries & Wine

Ready, Set, Go!

P.S. Happy Birthday to Laura Nani! 🎂

Happy Birthday to Lauren Standish on May 23! 🎂

The Lowdown

Gardening Boom 🍅

There’s a stretch of East Marion where spring traffic doesn’t lead to wine tastings or lavender selfies, it leads to double decker carts full of organic tomato plants.

At Papa’s Organic Plants, owner Walter Gaipa and his family are seeing a major surge in backyard gardening this season, fueled in part by rising grocery prices.

The family run nursery, tucked off Rocky Point Road, sells more than 400 varieties of USDA Certified Organic vegetables and herbs, including names that sound more like indie bands than produce: Dancing with the Smurfs tomatoes, Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed lettuce and Candystick Dessert peppers.

Today, the business spans 21 greenhouses and 50,000 square feet of growing space, supplying garden centers across Long Island while still keeping the retail nursery open seasonally for local gardeners.

Despite the scale, it still runs like a family business. Walter’s wife handles invoices, his daughter manages social media and wholesale orders, and the nursery regularly donates leftover plants to organizations like Island Harvest, CAST and local school gardens.

Get the full story 👉 North Fork Sun

North Fork Table’s Food Truck Is Back 🍔

Memorial Day Weekend on the North Fork means rosé in plastic cups, traffic circles under debate and the return of smashburger season at North Fork Table & Inn.

Chef John Fraser’s seasonal food truck officially reopens today (Friday, May 22).

The headliner remains the Big Grin Smashburger, stacked with beefsteak tomato, patriot pickles, tallow onions, American cheese and special sauce. Alongside the herb-heavy lobster roll available hot or cold. North Fork Table & Inn has kept the outdoor food truck rolling since Fraser took over the property in 2020, originally as a more casual extension of the inn’s restaurant experience.

Pastry chef Sofia Schielben is also expanding the weekend pastry offerings later this summer after sticky buns developed a following last season. Saturday bake sales and breakfast sandwiches are expected to join the lineup.

Food truck hours run weekends from 11:30 AM to 3 PM.

Get the full story 👉 Northforker

Memorial Day

Orient 🇺🇸

Set your alarm and shine your shoes, Orient’s Memorial Day Parade kicks off bright and early at 7:30 AM on Monday, May 25. The Orient Fire Department leads the way from the firehouse (23300 Main Road), winding through Tabor Road, Orchard Street, Navy Street, and Village Lane before heading back on Main Road.

Greenport 🇺🇸

At 7:45 AM Monday, Greenport takes the baton with a community-led parade full of local pride. Starting on Adams Street behind the old Arcade, it heads down Main and Front Streets, ending at the Third Street Railroad Dock

Southold 🇺🇸

The Memorial Day Monument Ceremony will take place Monday at Southold American Legion Griswold-Terry-Glover Post 803 at 7:45 AM. The ceremony will be followed by a visit to five veterans’ monuments in town.

Reydon Shores, Southold 🇺🇸

Join the Reydon Shores community in honoring the life and sacrifice of Army Staff Sergeant Robert J. Byrnes. A quiet but powerful ceremony will be held at 8 AM Monday at the neighborhood monument dedicated to Staff Sergeant Byrnes, who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 at just 22 years old. Erected by the community where he grew up, the memorial stands as a testament to courage, service, and the enduring respect of neighbors who never forget. All are welcome to attend and pay tribute to a fallen hero.

Mattituck 🇺🇸

Mattituck will host Southold Town’s 2026 Memorial Day parade this year, kicking off with a ceremony at the Mattituck Fire Department at 9:30 AM. The parade steps off at 10 AM. and will make its way through town along Pike Street, Westphalia Avenue, Old Sound Avenue, Pacific Street, and Main Road before returning to the firehouse.

Photo of the Week

📸 submitted by Kristen Zeidner

Tag @NorthForkBuzz or email us at [email protected] to get your photos in The Buzz!

Foodie Friday 🍽

Burger, Fries & Wine 😋

By the time Thursday rolls around, if you are like us you’re already halfway into weekend mode, which makes it the perfect night for a burger (that you don’t have to cook yourself) and a glass of wine.

Enter Burger & A Blend at North Fork Table & Inn.

We’ve been meaning to get over there for a while, mostly because the burger has built a pretty strong reputation, the instagram photos looks bomb and honestly, burger, fries, and a glass of wine for $30 is a very solid way to spend a Thursday night.

There’s something refreshing about a place known for elevated dining embracing a classic burger night. And don’t get us wrong, we love an elevated dining experience as much as anyone, but sometimes you just need a really good burger. No elaborate tasting menu. No dishes you need someone to explain before you eat them. Just a burger paired with fries and wine, which, if we’re being honest, is sometimes exactly the kind of meal the week calls for.

So naturally, we decided it was finally time to see what all the Thursday night hype was about.

Wine 🍷

If you’ve read our previous Foodie Fridays, you already know we are very far from wine sommeliers. So instead of pretending otherwise, we went with the strategy of one glass of red, one glass of white, bartender choice.

And honestly? The bartender nailed it.

The Chenin Blanc was crisp, bright, and refreshing without being overly sweet. The red blend was smooth, rich, and easy to drink.

Both went well with the burger and fries and it confirmed something we strongly believe in: sometimes the best wine order is simply trusting the person who knows the wine list better than you do.

Appetizers 🍽️

We came for the burgers, but figured we should probably order at least something green so the evening could technically qualify as balanced.

Plus, North Fork Table & Inn had just rolled out some new items on their bar menu, which felt like a perfectly reasonable excuse to expand the order a little.

🥬 2 Mile Salad Made entirely with ingredients sourced within two miles of the restaurant, it’s light, crisp, and fresh. It was the perfect way to convince ourselves we were making responsible dinner decisions.

🌱 Tempura Asparagus Lightly fried with just the right amount of crunch, it stayed crisp without feeling heavy. Served with a side of romesco aioli that was smoky, rich, and perfect for dipping.

Burger + Fries 🍔🍟

First off, this is not one of those tiny upscale burgers where you leave wondering if you accidentally ordered an appetizer. This thing is sizeable. Served on a soft sesame seed bun with smoky homemade bacon, tangy house made pickles, mustard aioli, and melted comté cheese, every bite feels balanced.

The bacon really takes it to another level. Smoky, rich, you can taste in every bite instead of disappearing into the background.

The smart move is probably cutting it in half before attempting the first bite. But, there’s also absolutely no shame in just diving straight in and figuring it out as you go.

The fries are crispy, well seasoned, and somehow even better once dipped into the lemon aioli served alongside them. It’s not the kind of sauce you’d normally expect with fries, but after a few dips you keep going back to it without even thinking.

By the end of dinner, we had zero room left for dessert and absolutely no regrets about it.

Where is your go to burger spot?
Email us at [email protected] and give us a shout.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They’re just fun things you need to know. I’ll always let you know when something is sponsored

A Quick Reminder: We Want Your Recipes

Just a reminder that we’re opening up this Foodie Friday space to you, we’d love to start highlighting your go to dishes in upcoming Foodie Fridays. Have a recipe you swear by? Send it over. We especially want to hear if you’re using local ingredients!

How to submit:
Email us at [email protected] with:

The recipe (ingredients + steps)
A photo (even an iPhone pic is perfect)
Your name
Optional but encouraged: a short story - when you make it, who you make it for, or why it’s special
Bonus points if you tell us which local purveyors you hit up for the ingredients

Live Music + Fun Breakdown

Please note: with the Memorial Day Weekend forecast looking a little iffy, some live music schedules may be weather permitting and subject to change. We always recommend checking directly with the venue before heading out for the most up-to-date information.

Friday

*reservations required

Saturday

Sunday

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THANKS!

Thanks for reading the North Fork Buzz today. Like what you read? Send it to someone who loves a good burger and fries.

Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships