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🐝 The Multi-Generational Buyer

🐝 The Multi-Generational Buyer

North Fork’s New Buyer, Bulk Meat Is Back, Portraits That Travel

Thomas Loncar
March 20, 2026

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Good Morning, North Fork! Here is a little local intel, delivered right on time.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

North Fork’s New Buyer
Bulk Meat Is Back
Portraits That Travel

Ready, Set, Go!

The Lowdown

North Fork’s New Buyer 🏠

The North Fork housing market is shifting in a big way, and it’s not the weekend renter. It’s the multi-generational buyer looking to bring everyone along for the ride.

Buyers aren’t just asking for square footage anymore. They want guest cottages, first floor suites for aging parents, and layouts that let three generations coexist without feeling like a sleepaway camp. Brokers say the “mini compound” request has gone from rare to routine.

A lot of them already have roots here, families coming back, setting up near parents or holding onto a slice of the North Fork before making it full-time. Others are trading Hamptons rentals for something more permanent, with more land and less scene.

Prices aren’t exactly helping ease the transition. The median is brushing up against $1 million, inventory is down more than 20%, and a large chunk of deals are all cash, which means competition is tight and fast. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

Bulk Meat Is Back 🥩

At Wayside Market, the butcher case comes with a side of sawdust and serious muscle.

Behind the counter, P.T. Rutigliano is breaking down a steer piece by piece, the kind of work that feels more like craft than commerce. His daughter Isabella, now running the show as head butcher, is helping lead a quiet comeback of buying meat the old way: in bulk, straight from the source.

Customers are buying halves, quarters, even whole animals, not just for savings, but for control. They know the farm, the feed, how the animal was raised. And they’re filling freezers instead of making weekly grocery runs.

One half steer order clocks in at roughly 300 pounds: steaks, roasts, ground meat, plus extras like liver and tallow, enough to stretch close to two years.

Get the full story 👉 Northforker

Portraits That Travel 🎨

Students at Mattituck Jr.-Sr. High School are sending their artwork a lot farther than the classroom, all the way to Malawi.

For the 12th year, members of the Art Honor Society and Portfolio Club took part in the Memory Project, creating hand drawn portraits for children in one of the world’s most economically challenged countries.

For many of those children, it’s more than just a drawing. It’s the first time they’ve ever seen themselves captured in an image, something as simple as a portrait that isn’t always accessible where they live.

Get the full story 👉 Patch

Photo of the Week

📸 submitted by Kim Caldwell

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

Foodie Friday 🍽

Some lunches are quick and forgettable. Others make you pause mid-bite and go, okay…this is doing something. That’s exactly how it felt walking into 8 Hands Farm the other weekend, a quiet, cozy winter setting where things move a little slower and the food clearly gets the attention it deserves. The kitchen is helmed by Fyr & Salt, bringing their, ingredient first approach into a more laid back lunch setting.

Inside, it’s warm, unfussy, and intentional in a way that makes you want to settle in for a bit. No rush, no noise, just really good ingredients coming together. It’s the kind of place that reminds you how good a simple lunch can be when it’s done right.

We kept it simple and ordered two sandwiches, no need to overcomplicate it here. What came out completely delivered.

The Lamb Kofta Pita 🥙

This is the kind of sandwich that hits immediately. Warm, savory lamb kofta tucked into a soft sourdough pita, with just enough richness to feel satisfying but not the kind that slows you down for the rest of the day.

The lamb is the star, tender, well seasoned, and full of that deep, comforting flavor you want on a colder day. But what really makes it work is everything layered around it. The tzatziki brings that cool, creamy contrast, the pepperonata adds a subtle sweetness and depth, and the olives and feta come in with just the right amount of briny, salty bite to keep things balanced.

Nothing overpowering, nothing getting lost, just a really well built sandwich that keeps you going back for another bite without thinking twice about it.

The Pork Bánh Mì 🥖

This is the one that wakes things up a bit. Bright, crunchy, and layered with flavor, it’s the kind of sandwich that keeps each bite interesting from start to finish.

The braised pork brings that rich, savory base, tender and full of flavor, but it never feels heavy thanks to everything piled on top. The pickled carrot and daikon cut through with that perfect tang, the cucumber adds a fresh crunch, and the cilantro keeps it feeling light and herb forward.

Then there’s the gochujang aioli, which quietly ties it all together with a little heat and depth. Nothing overpowering, just enough to give it a subtle kick. It’s balanced, bold, and built the way a bánh mì should be.

If you’re looking to switch up your usual lunch routine, this is an easy add to the list. It’s simple on paper, but clearly thought through, from the ingredients to the execution.

Fyr & Salt at 8 Hands Farm is turning out the kind of lunch that’s easy to crave and even easier to come back for.

Have you been yet? Or is there another sandwich on the North Fork we need to try? Email us at [email protected] we’re always hungry for recommendations.

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

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THANKS!

Thanks for reading the North Fork Buzz today. Like what you read? Send it to someone who loves going out to eat.

Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships