Chefs of the North Fork 2022: Meet the Restaurants & Wineries

The top North Fork restaurants and wineries will be serving culinary delights and fine locally made wines when the Chefs of the North Fork returns this summer to celebrate the region’s best dining with host and celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito.

Dan’s Chefs of the North Fork — the second event in the Dan’s Taste Summer Series presented by Yieldstreet — features some of the best chefs on the North Fork cooking up each course paired with a local wine at the only seated dinner of the series. The event will be celebrating the bounty of the region’s fresh farm- and sea-to-table ingredients from 6:30–10 p.m. on Saturday, June 25 at Atlantis Banquets & Events in Riverhead.

What can ticket holders expect? Here are the participating chefs and vintners contributing to the one-of-a-kind menu:

CHEFS OF THE NORTH FORK RESTAURANTS

A LURE
Created by Tom Schaudel and Adam Lovett, A Lure is a seafood restaurant with waterfront views of the Port of Egypt Marine. A Lure was created as a way to serve high-quality seafood in a casual setting for all people, from locals to vacationers. A few of A Lure’s house favorite menu items include a grilled swordfish with mango relish and a Scottish salmon topped with a black olive tapenade.

aMANO
Adam Lovett and Tom Schaudel first opened aMano in June of 2008. This Italian-inspired restaurant serves staples from classic Italian cuisine, such as oven-fired pizzas and pasta dishes, while also including local ingredients such as seafood from the bay and produce from neighboring farms.

AMERICAN BEECH
American Beech is a modern American restaurant that features high-quality and fresh ingredients, to offer menu options for everyone. Inspired by the local culture of the North Fork and its surrounding areas, American Beech serves an array of seafood dishes along with vegetarian options, such as their roasted oyster mushroom with a beet risotto.

BORGHESE VINEYARD & WINERY
The Borghese Vineyard & Winery in Cutchogue is Long Island’s oldest vineyard. The vineyard offers a selection of red, white, rose, and dessert wines for purchase as well as a dedicated wine club. It also hosts events such as tours and weddings year-round.

CHEF FRANK’S MARKET
Chef Franks Market offers delivery for high-quality empanadas, cooked by Chef Frank Maldonado. Chef Frank’s Market serves a wide range of empanada creations, from classic Mexican empanadas to Nutella s’more empanadas. To pair with your order of empanadas, Chef Frank’s also offers chocolate coquito to wash it all down.

THE CHEQUIT
The Chequit on Shelter Island has a waterfront view of the Dering Harbor and offers not only dining but hotel rooms and suites as well. The Chequit restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and serves fresh seafood options, such as sushi rolls and tuna tartare tacos, along with vegan options such as their vegan miso ramen.

CLAUDIO’S
Claudio’s Restaurant has been in business for over 150 years. Opened in 1870, Claudio’s became a staple restaurant and bar during the prohibition. Now, this waterfront property features five different restaurants serving an array of cuisine, from fresh lobster to handcrafted pizza. Claudio’s is best known for their fresh seafood dishes and raw bar.

ELLEN’S ON FRONT
Ellen’s on Front is a Greenport eatery that specializes in lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch menus that are hand-crafted by award-winning chef and co-owner Jennie Werts. She’s entering her fourth year with the establishment alongside her brother Andrew and continues to offer a variety of fan favorites such as Ellen’s Burger and steak frites.

INSATIABLE EATS
Insatiable Eats offers an extensive menu of gourmet Italian meals for both in-person dining and delivery. The meals are hand-prepared by chef and owner Marco Barrila, who designed the kitchen as an open space, which allows for a better experience for patrons. Insatiable Eats also offers catering services and both public and private events.

JAMESPORT VINEYARDS
Jamesport Vineyards is a family-owned winery where patrons can enjoy a variety of fine wine and select food options such as pizza and meatballs. Ron Goerler Jr currently oversees the operations at Jamesport Vineyards, which is one of the North Fork’s oldest vineyards.

LE FUSION RESTAURANT
Le Fusion serves a wide variety of spring rolls, made by hand with fresh and local ingredients. Their spring rolls are available for delivery but are also featured at many farmer’s markets across Long Island, such as Babinski’s Farm Stand and Farmers Market Farm Stand.

MAIN ROAD BISCUIT CO.
Main Road Biscuit Co. serves a polished version of classic comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For those in a rush, Main Road Biscuit Co. offers a to-go menu, as well as dine-in options for those looking to stay a while. A few of their staple menu items are the buttermilk oat pancakes, which allow you to choose their mix-ins, and their biscuits, which you can order individually or in a sampler.

CHEFS OF THE NORTH FORK WINERIES & MORE

MCCALL WINES
Since 2007, McCall Wines has been farming and producing their own wine. McCall Wines started out serving a Pinot Noir, which has now transformed into 14 different types of wine and Brandy. Their tasting room is open 7 days a week, and pairs wines by the glass with a selection of artisanal cheeses.

PECONIC BAY VINEYARDS
Peconic Bay Vineyards are a family-owned vineyard in Cutchogue that offers wine tasting, picnics, barn rentals, private events, and a wine club. The vineyard reopened last year after being closed for nearly a decade. The vineyard also offers an online store where a variety of wine and apparel can be ordered for pickup or delivery.

PINDAR VINEYARDS
Pindar Vineyards is a vineyard located in Peconic that is owned by Pindar Damianos with wines crafted by Erik Bilka. The shop offers a large assortment of wines and accessories to purchase as well as events such as tours, private tastings, and live music.

THE PRESTON HOUSE & HOTEL
The Preston House & Hotel restaurant in Riverhead offers an extensive selection of brunch and dinner items, but their wine selection is their most notable feature. The restaurant offers nearly 100 different wines from across the world and was the recipient of the Award of Excellence in 2020 from Wine Spectator.

RAPHAEL WINE
Raphael Wine is a winery designed by John Petrocelli that features a tasting room and a wine shop that features a selection of more than 20 wines. The winery features a unique underground structure and specializes in private events thanks to their room design.

RGNY
RGNY is a tasting room with Mexican roots located in Riverhead. RGNY allows for reservations and walk-ins to experience a selection of unique wine experiences as well as a quarterly wine club that costs $130. RGNY also offers a selection of wine in their shop and event hosting.

RUGGED JACK’S
Rugged Jack’s was founded at home during the summer of 2020 and has now become a business serving six different hot sauce flavors. Rugged Jack’s utilizes homegrown herbs and spices to create their hot sauces. “Jack’s Choice” hot sauce is the Ol’ Hickory flavor, which offers up a smokey flavor and spice from their jalapeños.

SOUTHOLD GENERAL
Southold General serves a wide variety of menu items, for customers coming at any time of the day. One of their popular menu items includes the General burger, which is topped with caramelized onions, peppercorn, and American cheese. Southold General is not only a cafe but offers catering for customers as well.

ALSO ON THE DAN’S TASTE MENU

Dan’s Rosé Soirée
The host for Rosé Soirée is Emmy-Winning TV Host & Residential Matchmaker NBC’s Open House and New York Live Sara Gore .The world’s finest rosé wines will be available for tasting along with sampling of delicious bites from the East End’s top chefs and restaurants. That event will be held from 7–10 p.m. on Saturday, July 9 at The Muses in Southampton.

Dan’s GrillHampton
Dan’s Taste Signature Weekend — the culmination of the summer-long Dan’s Taste Summer Series presented by Yieldstreet — kicks off with Dan’s GrillHampton, with Celebrity Host Foodgod. It’s the ultimate culinary clash of Hamptons versus New York City, at which East End chefs and pitmasters will compete against their Manhattan counterparts to win the votes of celebrity judges and guests. Only one team’s dishes can secure the victory, so the competition will be fierce. And while guests are deciding on their champion, they won’t want to miss all the beer, specialty cocktails, live music and dancing that round out this one-of-a-kind night of grilling and good times. Dan’s GrillHampton is on Friday, August 5 at The Bridgehampton Museum in Bridgehampton.

Dan’s Bubbles
Concluding Dan’s Taste Summer Series presented by Yieldstreet is the all-new Dan’s Bubbles,, a walk-around tasting, also hosted by Foodgod — the first Dan’s Taste Summer Series presented by Yieldstreet event to place bubbly center stage. Guests will enjoy the finest Bubblies as they pair each glass with fresh seafood and fried chicken prepared by 15 esteemed local chefs from premier eateries in Hamptons and on the North Fork. Dan’s Bubbles will be held Saturday, August 6, at The Bridgehampton Museum in Bridgehampton.

Visit DansTaste.com for tickets and more info.