After a day of wine tasting, a nice meal is certainly key, isn't it?
Last night for dinner on our little overnight trip to the North Fork, we dined at the Jamesport Manor Inn -- a quaint homey New England style space offering New American cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. The Jamesport Manor Inn was rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 2005 destroyed the old structure which dated back to approximately 1750.
What was immediately great about the place was the fact that almost their entire wine list was local, offering a selection of wines that we had potentially tried earlier that day or today even. They did have a three course prix fixe at $24.95 -- a great deal. That however seemed like too much food to me...So I started with their poached pear blue cheese endive caramelized pecan micro green salad -- a delish, crisp, fresh, sweet, tangy, and savory approach to a classic salad pairing. You could tell that all of the ingredients did not travel a long distance to arrive at your plate -- a trait I always like in a restaurant. My significant other / dining companion had a butternut squash risotto Peconic bay scallop preparation that looked gorgeous.
Next up came our main courses...however you could tell that something went a little wrong in the kitchen, maybe they just got overwhelmed with tickets but food took a little longer to arrive at your plate and certain items were just slightly off...that being said, my second appetizer/entree dish was delish! It was a wild mushroom toast with whipped goat's cheese and a chive vinaigrette -- a simple yet earthy dish. I like the fact that the chef kept things paired down here, it let the mushrooms and the whipped goat's cheese sing. My significant other's dish however lacked a sense of cohesion -- bass, lobster, corn, peas, and large slivers of purple potatoes which were a little burned, not seasoned very well and certainly oversized for the dish. That being said, the fish and lobster were cooked well, it just didn't seem like the accompaniments were right for the spotlighting the fish.
Overall, the food was good, my appetizer was spectacular and the setting was warm -- a nice way to end a day of wine tasting...
Moving along to one more little morsel of North Fork exploration-- The Village Cheese Shop on Love Lane in Mattituck, NY. This store capitalizes on all of the people coming out to the North Fork for wine tasting, it's the place to go for cheese if you're in the area. It has a large International section, the classic cheeses that everyone knows and loves but definitely a small choice of local/American cheeses in comparison, something I think they should focus on. Wouldn't you want to eat artisanal American cheeses with your local Long Island wines? Yes I think so! That being said, The Village Cheese Shop has an impressive choice for its location and is definitely worth a visit if you are looking for some cheese, crackers, and bread to go with your wine from the local wineries.
The Village Cheese Shop
105 Love Lane
Mattituck, NY
All in all a great excursion out of Manhattan on a gorgeous autumnal weekend with fantastic weather, beautiful foliage, yummy wines, scrumptious cheeses, and great company.
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