Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner. How many restaurants can you think of that you can eat any meal of the day at, AND THEY ARE ALL AMAZING??! Love Lane Kitchen is the one place I think of that consistently serves a perfect, fresh and delicious plate of food anytime of the day. While I'm going to focus more on the AM spin of this place, know that their dinner is just as tasty as well. But the tough part with dinner here is that if you have just had breakfast or lunch here, it makes it difficult to justify another meal here served only several hours later.

As you can probably figure out based on the name, Love Lane Kitchen is located on...you guessed it!...Love Lane! This Mattituck locale, I think, is just an added bonus, because when you do have to occasionally wait to be seated, there are plenty of shops perfect for browsing to make that wait seem like an event in itself. And then once you do get seated, believe me, you realize it was well worth the wait. And after dining, you might find yourself going back to browse Love Lane some more.

Owned by Carolyn Iannone since 2012, this quaint cafe style restaurant has maintained the reputation of a seasonally balanced menu that continues to bring in fresh and, when possible, locally sourced items. The service is impeccable, and being a local yes, you are greeted by name. But I think that even a non-local can agree that they feel like family when dining here. With indoor and outdoor seating (weather permitting), it helps create an immersive experience. Sitting outside on a beautiful sunny day, watching people strolling down this picturesque street (again this Love Lane location is dynamite)...you feel as if you are in a whole different world. Maybe a northforkin' world?

So, just a disclaimer, I am not usually a breakfast person. Writing this particular blog post focusing on a breakfast/brunch/lunch seems ironic. With that, for years, when I would come to LLK for breakfast or brunch, I would ALWAYS order a lunch item. My standard was the chicken salad sandwich. The chicken salad is filled with golden raisins and walnuts, is served on the most perfect focaccia bread with a nice balance of fresh greens. And with a side of crispy sweet potato fries and chipotle mayo, it is in my eyes the perfect combination, no matter the hour.

However, several months ago, I decided to go out on a prong (bad fork joke?) for brunch, and ordered a BREAKFAST item, the Rancheros. And let me tell you, ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS EVER!!! 2 runny fried eggs (or eggs anyway you want, scrambled maybe like my sister?), refried beans, salsa, guacamole and warm corn tortillas. It was PERFECTION. And now sometimes I find myself waking up on a Sunday morning thinking, "I need some Rancheros today." I have a new found love of breakfast thanks to LLK. And I'm sure if you talk to other people, they will certainly rave about other breakfast items as well...pancakes (regular or with a seasonal twist), French toast, the breakfast bowl, steak and eggs...endless forkin' possibilities.

Not only are their standard menu items consistently delicious, their special board is always full of a variety of choices that make ordering your standard meal a tough decision. Recently, again, I went out on a limb for lunch, and ordered their ABLT sandwich off of that specials list. As expected, another perfect sandwich. A classic sandwich, kept simple with each fresh ingredient being allowed to shine, and so delicious that coming back a week later, I had to order the same thing. And that's another thing that is so tough here. You have your standard dishes that you love, you try new dishes that you love, so what do you order the next time?!?!? UGH! Forkin' decisions!

Beyond the delicious food here, I do want to touch on the drinks for a bit as well, because they are something special and deserve their own turn in the spotlight. LLK has put together a fun cocktail list with twists on classics as well as entirely creative and new concoctions that are just begging to be enjoyed. They offer several local craft beers on tap, have an approachable and diverse wine list featuring local wineries as well as their own private label "Share the Love" made in collaboration with local winemaker Alie Shaper. IT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. When ordering off of their cocktail list, I personally love their French 75. And I know for brunch the Bloody Mary is a staple. I mean, check out that beauty! Again, decisions decisions.

So if you haven't experienced this place yet, I urge you to try it. For breakfast, for lunch, for dinner...your choice!! And maybe it will get you to rethink what you typically gravitate towards for a certain meal and choose something different for once. You hopefully will be pleasantly surprised. And it definitely looks like I'll have to try something new the next time I'm at LLK too. Maybe the lobster roll??? Seems appropriate.

HAPPY NORTHFORKIN'!!

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A WRITER. MY GRAMMAR SKILLS ARE SUBPAR. I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN A BLOG IN MY LIFE. UNTIL NOW.

ICE CREAM, ICE CREAM!! WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!!

Especially when that ice cream is from…MAGIC FOUNTAIN!!

For those of you that have read the story behind northforkin' and where the idea for this business originated, you will know that this first "where the fork to go" blog post is only natural. But for those of you that haven't ventured onto our website before reading this post, or even if you have and just haven't visited the "our forkin' story" section (yet!!), here's a brief back story.

I, Elizabeth Anne Doroski, grew up here on the North Fork of Long Island, born and raised, and have lived in Laurel, Cutchogue, and for the majority of my life, and currently, in Mattituck. I graduated from Mattituck High School. My parents, grandparents, and even great grandparents are from here. On the maternal side of my family, my ancestors were some of the founders of Southold Town. The North Fork is in my blood. Even while away at college (GO VILLANOVA!) and dental school (I guess yay Stony Brook too), I continued to come back to visit frequently; weekends, summers, any chance I got. And during those first 32 years of my life, it would have been impossible to not notice the changes slowly taking place. Wineries, breweries, restaurants, and so much more popping up, ready for us locals to enjoy, but also increasing the tourism in this area. First only in the summer, but slowly extending as early as the spring through to the fall. And then winter.

Memorial Day weekend 2014, I was standing in line at…you guessed it!…MAGIC FOUNTAIN!!…waiting to get a delicious and refreshing perfect scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream in a sugar cone. After waiting in line for over an hour, I was (I'm not going to sugar coat it) ANNOYED!! An hour for ice cream!!?? Are you kidding me!!?? Are you forkin' kidding me???!! And then my wheels started turning. For the rest of the weekend I kept thinking about it…forkin', northforkin'…and kept thinking and thinking and shall we say, thinkin'?

For the next three years the idea would occasionally pop back into my head. I would jot down some more ideas in my phone and then would put it on the back burner for awhile, and the cycle continued…until the Summer of 2017. And the rest was forkin' history. You can visit the "our forkin' story" page for the rest, but now, let's get to the good stuff!!

So Magic Fountain, located in Mattituck, NY. Sometimes I think of it as the "gateway to the North Fork", but while that makes sense for someone living in Mattituck just east of it, the North Fork technically starts about 10 miles west of it. So let's think of it as a local landmark, one of the "Magic Wonders" of the northforkin' world.

Magic Fountain is a family owned and operated business that first opened in 1966 as a Dairy Queen, which was then sold to another owner and renamed in 1977. In keeping with the history though, the Dairy Queen girl still has her perch atop the signature orange roof. All of the ice creams are homemade, and they also have a selection of yogurts, sorbets, flying saucers, dog treats, ice cream cakes, and other human treats. Can anyone say fudge nut bar? And let's not forget their famous variation on a milk shake, the Magic Wonder, your choice of ice cream with your favorite candy blended in. Hello Chocolate Heath Bar. And while I'm going to focus on their ice cream, I also want to take a minute to honor their ice cream cakes that can be made to order (although I don't think they will do custom orders during the busy summer season). This year for my birthday my parents got me the most delicious custom ice cream cake with…you guessed it!…mint chocolate chip! SIMPLY AMAZING!!

But ok, back to ice cream. Yes, they have your standard flavors, chocolate, strawberry, pistachio, etc. And yes, even if you want to get a little fancier Salted Caramel, Honey Cinnamon and Red Velvet Cake. A family favorite growing up was Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, and every once in awhile I have to get a scoop simply for the nostalgia factor. I'm even remembering now one summer living home during college that my mom and I would go there (probably on an almost daily basis) and get these tiny baby cones (picture a 2 inch cone) with a smidgen of soft serve vanilla and chocolate swirl with rainbow sprinkles. The perfect little bite. (Magic Fountain, can you bring that back??? Please?!!)

But beyond your regular standard flavors of ice cream, Magic Fountain has the knack for creating these delicious ice cream flavors using what some would think of as unconventional ingredients as well as creative combinations that just simply work. Some of my favorites over the years (when I can drag myself away from ordering my usual MCC) have been Banana Butterfinger, Coconut Avocado, Chocolate Chili, Fig and Honey and Cherry Pistachio. I probably could list several more too. But I seriously think you can't go wrong with any ice cream flavor or any treat whatsoever at this place. And now that they serve some sugar free and vegan options, I think everybody can find something to love here.

So if any of you reading this (you guys are still reading, right?) haven't been to Magic Fountain, I strongly urge you to try it. It's truly a taste of the North Fork. And for those of you that have tried it, next time you are there, just think of how lucky we are to have a place like this close by. And maybe you will smile just a little more knowing that this is a place where dreams are made, ice cream and otherwise.

HAPPY NORTHFORKIN'!!!

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A WRITER. MY GRAMMAR SKILLS ARE SUBPAR. I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN A BLOG IN MY LIFE. UNTIL NOW.