🐝 Push to Bring Vacant Storefronts Back to Life

ADU Rules Loosen Up, A Plan to Fill Greenport’s Vacancies, A New Chef

Together With


Good Morning, North Fork! We kept it simple: here’s what matters.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

  • ADU Rules Loosen Up

  • A Plan to Fill Greenport’s Vacancies

  • A New Chef

Ready, Set, Go!

P.S. Happy Birthday to Vincent Macchirole! 🎂

Coastal Cuisine Done Right 🐟

More Days, More Sun, More Little Fish ☀

You can feel it now, longer days, lighter air, and that first stretch of nights where being outside just makes everything better.

At Little Fish, that means one thing: al fresco season is officially back. Tables outside, drinks in hand, the sound of the water just close enough, it’s the kind of place that feels exactly right this time of year.

Starting May 1st, they’re opening things up:

  • Lunch + Brunch Weekends (12–3): a full lunch menu and their signature brunch offerings, no choosing sides.

  • Dinner (Friday–Tuesday, 5–9): your go to beachside dinner, now with an extra night in the mix.

And Mother’s Day is just around the corner!

Mother’s Day Brunch (10–3)
Every mom gets a glass of Sparkling Pointe Topaz Rosé or Töst NA Sparkling Rosé.

Good food, no stress, and a view that completes the experience.

Live music this week:
- Friday: Frank Palmeri 6-9 PM
- Saturday: Erin Chase 6-9 PM

Reservations are live at littlefishnofo.com or by calling (631) 765-8756.

The Lowdown

ADU Rules Loosen Up 🏡

Southold Town is making it a little easier to add housing, and not just by rearranging what’s already there.

The Town Board unanimously approved a tweak to its accessory dwelling unit (ADU) code this week, now allowing homeowners to build detached accessory apartments from the ground up, instead of being limited to converting existing structures.

Previously, ADUs had to be tucked inside a “permanently existing” one family home or built within already standing garages, barns, or similar outbuildings. That restriction is now gone.

The change also aligns more closely with the town’s broader housing goals. Officials have been looking for ways to increase rental options, especially for families and residents tied to the town’s affordable housing registry, and limiting ADUs to existing structures wasn’t exactly helping that cause. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk TImes

A Plan to Fill Greenport’s Vacancies 📈

Greenport is making a push to bring its vacant storefronts back to life and it’s getting some serious outside help to do it.

The Village’s Business Improvement District (BID) has partnered with Manhattan based real estate firm Helmsley Spear, which is volunteering its time and even its own marketing dollars to help attract new businesses to the heart of downtown.

Helmsley Spear’s team is already meeting with landlords and brokers to understand what spaces are available, and more importantly, what should be filling them. Fewer duplicate coffee shops and more year round staples: wellness, medical services, childcare, specialty retail, and even artist studios.

They’re also bringing some tools with them. The firm says it can help line up financing for buyers, up to 90% and is exploring ideas like activating the waterfront and even supporting workforce housing.

Get the full story 👉 East End Beacon

Pause Button on Battery Storage 🔋

Southold is hitting pause, again on battery energy storage projects.

The Town Board unanimously approved a 12 month extension of its moratorium on Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities, pushing the deadline out to April 2027 as officials work toward clearer local regulations.

The moratorium first went into place in 2023 after heavy public pushback over a proposed lithium-ion battery facility in Cutchogue. Since then, the town’s BESS Task Force has studied the issue, while the state has continued updating fire safety guidance.

Now, town leaders say they need more time, to revisit those recommendations, gather public input, and fold everything into an updated Comprehensive Plan before setting zoning rules. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

A New Chef đŸ‘©â€đŸł

There’s a new energy coming out of the kitchen at Ram’s Head Inn, and it starts with Chef Jessica Taccone.

She’s collaborative, calm, and very into letting great ingredients do the talking. Since stepping in quietly in late March, Taccone has been reshaping the menu from the ground up.

Her path here wasn’t exactly linear. A former dancer, construction pro, and side hustle caterer, Taccone found her way into food after a mentor famously told her she was “sitting in the wrong pew.”

Now, she’s bringing a deeply hands-on, full circle approach to the kitchen: in-house butchering, homemade butter, hyper local sourcing, and a strict “use the whole product” mentality. The menu will shift monthly, built around what’s actually in season nearby.

Early highlights? Cloud like popovers with housemade herb butter, a silky ramp soup topped with fiddleheads, and a rotating ice cream lineup that’s already selling out

Get the full story 👉 Northforker

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Happenings: This Week

Monday

🍝 Italian Night Dinner Head over to A Touch of Venice, the Southold Rotary Club is dishing out five different pasta options, plus salad and dessert, so your biggest problem is choosing just one. More Info

đŸ« The State of Schools Big picture priorities, and a little civic homework are on the agenda at Veterans Memorial Park for this co-sponsored community conversation from the Cutchogue and Mattituck-Laurel Civic Associations. It’s a chance to hear what’s happening inside Mattituck-Cutchogue schools and what it means for the community beyond the classroom. More Info

Tuesday

đŸ©ž Blood Drive Head to the Greenport American Legion to roll up a sleeve and do some real deal good for the community (juice and cookies included, as always). More Info

đŸ•·ïž Ticks: All You Need to Know Tick season isn’t exactly optional on the North Fork, but understanding it helps. At Peconic Landing, entomologist Scott R. Campbell breaks down the local tick lineup, where they actually hang out (hint: not just the woods), and what they’re capable of transmitting. More Info

🧘 Monthly Meditation A quiet reset finds its way into the calendar at Floyd Memorial Library, where this monthly meditation session offers a simple pause from the usual noise. A calm, guided experience designed to help settle the mind and ease into a slower rhythm. More Info

Wednesday

🌍 Multicultural Festival A world tour without leaving town, this annual festival at Greenport High School brings together global flavors, music, and traditions all under one roof. Enjoy homemade dishes from across cultures, live performances, and interactive moments that turn the gym into something closer to an international street fair. Admission is $10 at the door, with kids under 10 getting in free. More Info

🌿 Guided Walk Enjoy a change of scenery, as the Cutchogue New Suffolk Library heads out for an offsite guided walk through Hallock State Park Preserve. Coastal trails, native plants, and the kind of quiet you only get when the only soundtrack is wind and water. More Info

Thursday

đŸ©ž Blood Drive Rolling up a sleeve comes with a little extra incentive this time around in Mattituck, where donors at Veterans Memorial Park can snag a $5 discount on a 2026 beach permit. More Info

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

Live Music + Fun Breakdown

Monday

The Watershed | TBA | 6-9 PM
Clam Bar at Alize Brewing | Tom McGuire | 6-9 PM
Ram’s Head | Bingo | 6 PM


Tuesday

Eastern Front Brewing | Trivia with Emily | 6 PM
First & South | Jeff LeBlanc | 5-8 PM

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THANKS!

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Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships