Tom Colicchio Shares His Favorite North Fork Spots for a Perfect Seafood Meal

This summer brought change for chef Tom Colicchio, known for restaurants like Temple Court in New York City and the Vegas steakhouse Crafted. He closed his Manhattan restaurant Craft in June after 25 years, but he also bought a fishing boat and is spending more time on the water, fishing for tuna and white marlin in Long Island Sound.

For over two decades, Colicchio has spent summers with his family in a restored 1850s farmhouse on the North Fork, a 30-mile peninsula on eastern Long Island. Despite being near Brooklyn and the Hamptons, he says the area feels far away, with country roads, U-pick farms, and a strong community feel. He prefers cooking at home over dining out, growing his own produce and sourcing from local producers he considers among the best. He highlights 8 Hands Farm in Cutchogue for sustainably raised chickens, pigs, and vegetables, plus a butcher shop and hand creams.

Colicchio shares three favorite purveyors. At Southold Fish Market, he praises owner Charlie for knowing local fishermen and offering fresh fish like fluke, sea bass, tuna, and hard-shell crabs. He recently made a rice dish with clams, mussels, scallops, and shrimp from the market. The shop also sells prepared foods like chowder and fish and chips, and it owns the nearby Southold Social, whose kitchen is led by François Payard.

At The Village Cheese Shop in Mattituck, a staple for over 23 years, he finds hard-to-find European and American cheeses. Started by Rosemary Batcheller and now owned by Michael Affatato, the shop offers a variety, including local goat cheese from Catapano Dairy Farm. There’s a seating area for meat and cheese plates with wine, and nearby spots include North Fork Donut Shop and Lombardi’s, an Italian store and butcher.

At Peeko in New Suffolk, Colicchio became friendly with the owners during the pandemic, when they began shipping oysters nationwide after restaurants closed. Oyster farming has grown in the area over the past 15 to 20 years, thanks to the Peconic Estuary’s fresh water and strong tides, which make the oysters briny but sweet. Visitors can sit on the back patio and eat freshly shucked oysters with house mignonette. He also mentions Little Creek Oyster Bar, which moved from its original waterfront location, as another spot for simply prepared seafood, especially oysters.