Dining In on the South Fork

Restaurants are all the rage, but what if the best vacation you can give yourself this holiday is a vacation from the crowds? If dining out feels a little too crowd-happy for a relaxing, beach-adjacent weekend, consider the abundant options on this side of Long Island—and stay in!

Start with a trip to the farm stand, and let location be your guide. In Water Mill, the Halsey Family has been growing exemplary produce at Green Thumb Organic Farm since the 1970s, and you will find some of the East End’s most delicious — and local — food available there. In addition to their own homegrown treats (in late May, enjoy seasonal greens, rhubarb, and, if you’re lucky, the first of the strawberries), Green Thumb sells food from other local vendors. Pick up a pie from Jamesport’s Junda’s Pastry Crust and Crumbs, or cheese from Mecox Bay Dairy to round out your meal. Green Thumb’s spicy purple mustard greens, sautéed in good oil (and maybe a little butter), along with an ample wedge of garlic, is the perfect set piece for a seasonal meal. Pro tip: Look for the signs that say “our own,” because those are by far the best eats. 

In Bridgehampton, pay a visit to the mushroom king for a grill-worthy addition to your all-star Memorial Day Weekend lineup. At Dave Falkowski’s Open Minded Organics, you’ll find all manner of locally grown mushrooms, a veritable menagerie for the fungus lover. Brushed with olive oil and dusted with salt and pepper, Mr. Falkowski’s mushrooms are a superlative addition to any holiday grill fest.

Down the road a bit, in Sag Harbor, Serene Green Farm Stand, which opens right before Memorial Day, sells picture-perfect produce and fresh seafood. Their ceviche, made from local scallops, can be served right out of the pint container, with a side of tortilla chips. It’s a no-frills, locally sourced snack that pairs perfectly with whatever rosé you happen to have on hand. But you can also buy those scallops whole, as well as tuna, soft shell crab, fluke, lobster, and littleneck clams. Stage your own Sunday night clambake with shellfish, some purple potatoes, and a handful of fresh basil (sold, conveniently, right at check out). Serene Green sells impressive prepared foods, too, for those in need of a leg up. Macaroni and cheese is decadent and requires only the preparation of a small accompanying salad. Pick up whatever greens look good, a lemon, and a red onion for punch, and you’re off to the races. 

And what about that rosé? There’s no better place to buy your weekender bottles than right from the source, at Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack. The comprehensive, vineyard-specific wine store, housed inside the winery, offers red, white, and rosé wines, as well as nonalcoholic white and rosé verjus, sparkling wines, and various spirits, like a proprietary pink gin. True connoisseurs should indulge in the Grandioso Rosé, a blend of Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Gewurztraminer ($31). If there’s a better way to kick your feet up and enjoy the holiday, I don’t want to know about it.