Together With

Good Morning, North Fork! Friday knows when to show up.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

• Holiday Strolls

• Hotel Moraine Wins Big

• Better Cell Service

Ready, Set, Go!

Sponsored By Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm

Holiday Cheer Starts Here 🎄

If you’re looking for the North Fork version of the North Pole, you’ll find it in Cutchogue at Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm.

28 acres of evergreens and twinkling lights are waiting to turn your weekend into a Hallmark movie. Established in 1979, this place has been growing Christmas memories for generations.

The Gift Shop is open 7 days a week from 9–6, packed with everything merry and bright: ornaments, garlands, cozy décor, toys, and gifts that’ll even make the Grinch crack a smile. Whether you’re decking the halls or shopping for someone who already has everything, you’ll find a little magic here.

Santa is officially in residence at the farm every Saturday and Sunday. Check Instagram for times as they vary by weekend. You might even catch the Grinch lurking around if you’re lucky!

Pre-cut and fresh-cut trees available 7 days a week.

There’s a full lineup of activities all season long from bouncy houses to barrel rides. Head to their Instagram for the complete activity breakdown and start planning your holiday fun.

Facebook | Instagram

The Lowdown

Holiday Strolls 🎁

If your holiday shopping list is starting to stare you down, don’t panic, the North Fork is rolling out not one but two magical night strolls to save your sanity and your season.

Southold - December 12

Southold is back with its third annual nighttime stroll along Main Road, featuring 25 local businesses dressed up in their holiday best.

Grab a postcard at any participating stop → collect stamps as you stroll → drop it off at your last shop → get entered to win a big holiday raffle packed with goodies.
No purchase required.

Greenport - December 19

Greenport is rolling out a full blown winter block party with 45+ shops, a night market at Harbor Front Inn, and a holiday bingo card that could win you a one night stay plus a local goodie bag.

Start at Harbor Front Inn for your map + bingo card. Then wander through Front & Main Streets, which will be closed to cars and transformed into a festive village with giant candy canes, fire pits, and community made holiday décor.

Get the full story 👉 Northforker

Hotel Moraine Wins Big 🏨

A New York State Supreme Court justice has officially sided with Hotel Moraine, ruling that Southold’s Zoning Board of Appeals wrongly denied the hotel’s plan to add 14 new rooms, ten in a brand new building and four as an expansion of an existing one.

Here’s the tea:

• The hotel originally asked only for a special exception permit.

• The ZBA told them to apply for a lot area variance, even though the building department never said one was needed.

• Legally, the ZBA can only rule on what the building department decides. So… yeah. Problem.

• The judge also noted the lot has historically been treated as conforming anyway.

Southold, however, is not backing down, the town filed an appeal and has hired outside counsel to fight it.

Get the full story 👉 East End Beacon

Better Cell Service 📶

If you’ve ever wandered around your house doing the “find a signal” shuffle or lost a call somewhere between Peconic Lane and reality, this one’s for you.

The Southold Peconic Civic Association is hosting a community meeting this Saturday at 10 AM at the Southold Town Recreation Department to talk all things cell service: why it’s bad, what can be done, and what’s coming next.

On the agenda:
-Proposed updates to the town’s cellular code
-The real facts about tower height & signal strength
-Next steps + details on a public hearing likely happening next month

Get the full story 👉 Patch

No. 5 🏀

Some games are bigger than basketball. Tuesday night in Southold was one of them.

Wearing Dylan Newman’s No. 5, senior Travis Sepenoski turned the gym into a tribute, pouring in 19 points, hauling down 15 rebounds, and stuffing the stat sheet with five assists, four steals, and a block as Southold rolled past Greenport 61–34 in front of a packed home crowd.

Two years ago, Travis’ older brother Jack Sepenoski wore No. 5 and led Southold to an emotional rivalry win honoring Dylan, who passed away in 2022 after a four-year battle with cancer. Tuesday night, the torch was passed, and carried beautifully. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

Top Stories From The Week 📖

🤠 Saddle Up TouchGoods owner Norine Pennacchia has officially brought some Western flair to the North Fork with the spring opening of The Outpost by TouchGoods, a sister shop to her beloved Southold store, but with a cowboy-core twist.

❤️ North Fork’s Heart Program Dr. Stanley Katz didn’t grow up dreaming of medicine, he wanted to be a soccer star. But life had other plans, and lucky for the North Fork, it led him straight to revolutionizing cardiac care at Peconic Bay Medical Center. ($)

🦪 Oyster Superpowers They may look like rocks, but oysters are local superheroes. Beneath the surface, native oysters are quietly doing the heavy lifting, filtering water, keeping algae in check, and creating reef communities that support everything from eelgrass to fish, crabs, and shellfish.

🏗️ The Enclaves Southold’s most controversial construction saga just added a new chapter. After losing $25 million in funding earlier this year, The Enclaves Hotel has found a new financial hero: Pathward, National Association

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Photo of the Week

📸 submitted by John Sinning

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

Local Spotlight

Cuban Pop Up 🇨🇺

Grace & Grit is about to turn your weekend plans into a mini Havana happy dance.

They’re hosting a Cuban Pop Up on Friday + Saturday from 4–8 PM, aka the perfect window for “I’ll just grab a quick bite” that somehow becomes “wait… should we get another one?”

The headliner? The Classic Cubano sandwich because who doesn’t love a Cubano?!

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

Foodie Friday 🍽

Growing up in a fishing household, the shift to late fall always came with a familiar promise: blackfish stew season was here. When the weather turned sharp and the docks got quiet, you could count on a skillet simmering on the stove before long.

This week, we’re sharing a hearty take on that classic, still rooted in local blackfish, but with a Mediterranean twist thanks to tomatoes, garlic, and briny Greek olives. It’s cozy, deeply flavorful, and exactly what this time of year calls for.

And if you can’t catch it yourself? Store-bought is fine. Stop by one of the North Fork’s fishmongers and they’ll make sure you head home with the good stuff.

Hearty Fish Stew

This is the kind of recipe that smells like it knows what it’s doing. No rush, no fuss just a skillet, a wooden spoon, and the quiet confidence of butter meeting olive oil. Light a candle. Open the wine and let’s cook.

What You’ll Need

• 1½ lbs. blackfish fillets, cut into generous, stew-worthy chunks

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 2 tbsp. butter (non-negotiable)

• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

• 3 medium onions, sliced (don’t skimp, they’re doing a lot of work here)

• 1 tbsp. fresh basil, minced or 1 tsp. dried basil

• 2 bay leaves

• A pinch of crushed red pepper (just enough to wake things up)

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 cups fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped

• 1 cup unsalted tomato purée

• ½ cup dry white wine (for the stew and the cook)

• ½ cup Greek olives, pitted and halved

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

How It Comes Together

Start with a large skillet and set the tone. Warm the olive oil and butter until they melt into something golden and promising. Add the parsley, onions, basil, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the onions go soft and translucent, relaxed, not rushed.

Stir in the garlic and let it do its thing for a minute. Then comes the tomatoes, tomato purée, and wine. Give everything a good stir and let it simmer long enough for the flavors to start introducing themselves.

Nestle in the fish chunks and olives, lower the heat, and let the stew gently finish until the fish flakes easily and looks right at home. Taste, adjust the pepper, and trust yourself.

Serve with plenty of French bread, the kind meant for dunking.

If you give this Hearty Fish Stew a whirl, we want the play-by-play. Send us an email at [email protected] and tell us how it turned out. Bonus points for photos, dramatic bread dunking moments, or any tweaks you swear made it even better.

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 Breakdown

Friday

Corey Creek | Kelli Baker | 4-8 PM
Suhru & Lieb | Jeff LeBlanc | 5-7 PM
Main & Mill | Paris Ray | 5-7 PM
Tucker’s Taproom | Paulie Plays | 5-8 PM
Eastern Front Brewing | Dead Jive | 6 PM
Ram’s Head | Trivia with Think Inc. | 6 PM
Touch of Venice | Marty Attridge | 6-9 PM
Little Fish | Julia King | 6-9 PM
Taps & Corks | Eamonn & Aileen O’Rourke| 7-10 PM

Saturday

The Shoals | K+R Music | 11 AM-2 PM
Tucker’s Taproom | Steve’s Off the Couch | 1-4 PM
Corey Creek | Greg McMullen | 1-5 PM
Bedell Cellars | Jeff LeBlanc | 1-5 PM
Pindar Vineyards | George Tebbitt | 1-5 PM
Jason’s Vineyard | Paris Ray | 1-5 PM
Clovis Point Vineyard | Erin Chase | 1-5:30 PM
Terra Vite Vineyard | Christiaan Padavan | 1:30-4:30 PM
Jamesport Farm Brewery | Tom Donovan | 2-5 PM
Sound View | K+R Music | 3-6 PM
Greenport Harbor Brewing (Pec) | Route 48 Band | 4-7 PM
Hotel Moraine | Nick Kerzner | 5-7 PM
Little Fish | Frank Palmeri | 6-9 PM

Sunday

North Cliff Vineyards | Just E | 12-5 PM
Tucker’s Taproom | Ahmad Ali | 1-4 PM
Raphael Wine | TBA | 1-4 PM
Bedell Cellars | Greg McMullen | 1-5 PM
Corey Creek | Jay Shepard | 1-5 PM
Pindar Vineyards | TJ Brown | 1-5 PM
Jason’s Vineyard | Kristina Rocco | 1-5 PM
Clovis Point Vineyard | George Tebbitt | 1-5:30 PM
Jamesport Farm Brewery | Marco John | 2-5 PM
Greenport Harbor Brewing (Pec) | Jake Lear & The Kings | 3-6 PM

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THANKS!

Thanks for reading the North Fork Buzz today. Like what you read? Send it to someone who loves a heart stew.

Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships