Friends & family considers the North Fork

North Fork getaways, Taylor tix, new Williamsburg rooftop, handwritten menus, more

May 25, 2023

∙ Paid

RESTAURANTS • First Word

Is elNico this summer’s Laser Wolf?

The Skinny: Vibrantly colored, just-opened Mexican restaurant inside the also-brand-new boutique hotel Penny Williamsburg built for long summer nights, with small plates, cocktails, and requisite loung-y patio with skyline views.

The Vibe: The team here, vets of the NoMad Hotel brand, are playing it cool with Bad Bunny beats, ubiquitous succulents, and a mix of neon pink and moss green accents.

The Food: The menu is helmed by ex-Pujol and NoMad London chef Fer Serrano and includes a bite-sized osetra-caviar-topped sope, a fried oyster taco, and a pastel pink mole made from beet and tahini. A meticulously arranged tostada of 24 skinny razor clam slices over a bed of njuda looks straight out of Noma’s seafood season.

The Drinks: The agave-based drinks shine thanks to the handiwork of cocktail creator Leo Robitschek, who earned just about every noteworthy bar accolade that exists during his tenure at the NoMad Bar (RIP).

Where to sit: On the patio, which checks all the summer boxes. –Kat Odell

→ elNico • 288 North 8th St. (Williamsburg) • Wide open this weekend on Resy.

GETAWAYS • The Nines

Summer weekend, North Fork & Shelter Island

The Shoals (Southold, above), $645, 20 suites + 20 boat slips
North Fork Table & Inn (Southold), $1000, 4 boutique rooms + John Fraser restaurant
Sound View (Greenport), $835, seaside minimalism with private beach
The Harborfront Inn (Greenport), $845, standard-bearer in town
The Menhaden (Greenport), $709, updated in-town boutique
Sunset Beach (Shelter Island), $849, André Balazs ode to South of France
Seven on Shelter Island (Shelter Island), $748, boutique b&b
The Chequit (Shelter Island), $1815, classic old-school hotel
The Pridwin Hotel (Shelter Island), $1274, newly updated on Crescent Beach

All rooms king, July weekend, 1 night (minimum stays sometimes required). We’re building Out East onesheets. Hit reply or email found@foundny.com with North and South Fork reports.

GETAWAYS • Hotels

Coming soon to the North Fork: Hotel Moraine

The Skinny: Set on the same stretch of road as the still-hip Sound View, the North Fork’s new luxe family-friendly (adjoining rooms, movies on the lawn, s’mores) option, Hotel Moraine, boasts a pool and a (rocky) private beach. Whether or not all that lights you up, sunsets should be spectacular.

The Vibe: The interiors of the 20 guest rooms take a light, minimalist approach, a big upgrade over the Sunset Motel, which previously occupied the space. An onsite restaurant plans to serve lobster rolls and similar.

Opening: Tracking for June 4 with weekend rates above $700 per room.

→ Hotel Moraine • 62005 County Rd. 48 (Greenport).

BONUS NORTH FORK INTEL:

→ GREENPORT: Dulcinea Benson and her husband, chef Frank DeCarlo — the duo behind NYC restaurants Peasant and Bacaro — are opening a new market, Salumeria Sarto, and restaurant, Salumeria Osteria, in downtown Greenport next month.

→ SOUTHOLD: Southold Social returns for its second year under chef François Payard (longtime NYC residents recall his famous bakeries). Payard also runs upscale provisioner Southold General. Arden Gardell, owner of The Shack in Montauk, is opening Little Fish at Kenney’s Beach with cocktails, live music, and elevated shack cuisine.

→ NEW SUFFOLK: New seafood-centric restaurant Minnow arrives this summer taking over a waterfront space that's long been a community favorite. The spin? Contramar-inspired cooking with ambitions of "near-complete sustainability." –Katherine Barna

GETAWAYS LINKS: Blade expands to Jersey City, offering five-minute helicopter rides to JFK • Legendary Liar’s Saloon in Montauk is saved • Alan Richman dines out, rather poorly, on the North Fork • Fake reviews battle on TripAdvisor regarding new St. Regis Chicago’s breakfast stinginess • Yolo’s Asheville, NC black book • Renovation of Amtrak Union Station in DC is everything wrong with America.

REAL ESTATE • In Contract

Living that terrace life

→ 60 Collister Street PH (Tribeca, above) 6BR/5.5BA, 5126 SF. In contract: 5/15/23. Closing price: $26.95M. Common charges: $6014. Days on market: 42. Former carriage house covering full cobblestone block with ~7000 SF of landscaped gardens. Listing broker: Bespoke Real Estate.

→ 182 West 82nd Street #PHW (UWS) 3BR/3BA, 2049 SF. In contract: 5/15/23. Closing price: $4.995M (original ask: $5.75M). Common charges: $3370. Days on market: 294. Wrap-around outdoor space with city views, 2438 SF, all-in. Listing broker: Fredrik Eklund, Elliman.

→ 60 Bank Street (West Village) 6BR/6.5BA townhouse, 4350 SF. In contract: 5/20/23. Closing price: $12.55M (original ask: $13.75M). Days on market: 411. Garden and finished roof terrace on a Village best block contender. Listing broker: Leslie Garfield.

NYC REAL ESTATE LINKS: Upper West Side’s 337 Riverside Dr. is ‘the most important townhouse on the market’ • Trading Brooklyn brownstone life for the 26th floor • New York architects rank NYC’s best and worst buildings • KPF’s 64 University Pl. progresses in Greenwich Village • How much does it cost to stage your apartment or brownstone?

CULTURE & LEISURE • Getaway Car

Last-minute Taylor tix

Section 345, $2052 per
Section 235, $3377 per
Section 126, $4537 per
Section 3, $8122 per

All tickets Saturday 5/27 show, 2 together, MetLife Stadium.

NYC CULTURE LINKS: A 26-foot-tall charcoal sculpture is coming to Rock Center • Newly opened Galerie Was on the LES goes heavy on patina • Brooklyn’s Batcave reborn as Gotham’s Art Factory • Who goes to Frieze NY on a Thursday? • The rich are getting pickier at art auctions.

LOST & FOUND • Behind the Paywall

Dispatches from the frontline, from FOUND subscribers for FOUND subscribers:

Are restaurant menu QR codes actually dying, we ask, with a measure of hope in our voice? A special FOUND operative reports: “The ur-Andrew Tarlow restaurant, Diner, fell victim to the pandemic in one crucial way: They stopped writing the menu on the butcher paper lining the tables, one of the great anachronistic charms of NYC dining. Last Friday, can confirm firsthand: They’ve started writing the menu on the tables again. A new-ish waiter said she enjoyed it, and the regulars are thrilled. Newbies are occasionally freaked out. They’ll learn.”

A handful of favorite restaurants from new subscribers: Roman’s (Fort Greene) • Le Coucou (Soho) • S&P Lunch (Flatiron) • Tatiana (Lincoln Center) • Strangeways (Williamsburg, “It’s my go-to when friends are in from out of town and I need them not to be disappointed”).