🐝 Three Macs

Decade Old Development Plan, Old School Voting, Mac & Cheese Bar

Thomas Loncar
January 23, 2026

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Good Morning, North Fork! Consider this your 9 AM alarm clock: we’re going live on Instagram with NOFO Live, see you there.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

Decade Old Development Plan
Old School Voting
Mac & Cheese Bar

Ready, Set, Go!

The Lowdown

Decade Old Development Plan 📜

A decade in the making, a proposed conservation subdivision on 112 acres of Tuthill family land in Orient is hitting a new round of questions.

The plan, first submitted in 2011, would preserve 94 acres of open land while creating 17 residential lots across four parcels. But updated federal flood projections now anticipate roughly two and a half feet of sea level rise in the area by 2070, prompting the Southold Planning Board to take a fresh look at whether the layout still makes sense.

Those flood maps aren’t the only hurdle. Fire safety requirements may require wider access roads, and town officials are also reviewing setback rules and driveway widths to ensure emergency vehicles can safely reach the homes. All of it is adding friction to a proposal that has already gone through years of studies, revisions, and public review.

Representatives for the Tuthill family say the current design reflects years of planning aimed at protecting active farmland and that shifting lots now could disrupt existing agricultural operations.

The Planning Board is expected to revisit the project later this month, where more of these details, and potential compromises, will be worked through. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

Old School Voting ✍️

A change at the county level is forcing villages across Suffolk to ask a very local question: how do we want to run our elections?

With Suffolk County moving to new voting machines, villages will no longer be able to rent ballot tabulators for their own elections. That leaves four options on the table, turn elections over to the county, buy and maintain new machines, accept older retired machines, or return to paper ballots counted by hand.

In Greenport, Village Clerk Candace Hall has been digging into those choices since the change was announced last fall. After running the village’s 2025 election, a process that included hand counting write in and absentee ballots, Hall says paper ballots may be the most practical path forward.

Buying new machines would cost the village between $12,000 and $15,000, while taking old machines raises concerns about storage, security, and reliability. Paper ballots, on the other hand, would require a one time purchase of secure ballot boxes and allow the village to print its own ballots, keeping costs low and the process straightforward.

Get the full story 👉 East End Beacon

Photo of the Week

📸 submitted by Toni Ann Sinning

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Foodie Friday 🍽

How do you say no to a mac & cheese bar? You don’t.

That was the logic once we started scrolling through Grace & Grit’s Mac & Cheese Pop Up menu last week. The plan was simple: pick a couple options, take them to go, and enjoy them at home. But then we did what any reasonable person would do when faced with a lineup of bubbling mac, we asked what Chef Adam recommended. One suggestion turned into a third order, and suddenly our “keep it simple” plan was out the window.

It was comfort food done with intention, creativity, and just enough indulgence to make us glad we ordered extra.

Mac & Cheese with Toasted Breadcrumbs

We started with the classic because it felt like the right place to begin, a clean baseline, no distractions. The mac was rich but not overwhelming, creamy without tipping into heavy, and the pasta held its shape all the way through. The toasted breadcrumbs did exactly what they were supposed to do: crisp, and just enough crunch to keep every bite balanced.

Mac & Cheese with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

This is the one that makes you slow down between bites. The bacon was thick cut and crisp, adding a smoky, salty punch that never got lost in the creaminess. The caramelized onions did the heavy lifting, bringing a deep, savory-sweet-buttery richness that gave the whole dish more dimension. It felt indulgent without being over the top, familiar, and comforting.

Mac & Cheese with Scallions + Buffalo Chicken Fingers (Chef Adam’s Pick)

The buffalo chicken fingers were legit crisp, saucy, and bringing the kind of heat that actually shows up. The scallions added that fresh, sharp bite that kept the whole thing from feeling too heavy, and somehow it all worked together without turning into chaos. It was spicy, crunchy, and creamy. The wildcard order that ended up being the most fun to eat.

This pop up was a good reminder that when comfort food is done right, it doesn’t need much explaining. Thoughtful, indulgent without being heavy.

Grace & Grit is on event #8 of their supper series and we strongly encourage you to check one (or all) of them out. This weekend, they’re transforming their storefront into a Mediterranean Bistro.

Our advice for ordering at the Grace & Grit pop-ups:

1. Trust your instincts
2. Trust the chef
3. Don’t talk yourself out of the extra order

Do you have a favorite mac & cheese mix-in combo (classic or out of the ordinary)? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you

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

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THANKS!

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Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships