North Fork Table & Inn 'Not Going Anywhere'

SOUTHOLD, NY — It was news that rocked the North Fork and beyond, as word spread last week that the North Fork Table & Inn could close.

But despite some confusion, it appears the beloved Southold restaurant is just shuttering for the season.

"It will be a little while between drinks, but we're not going anywhere!" an Instagram post by the eatery said. "Our last service of 2019 is on December 31, but we will re-open for summer next year. We realized that our last post caused some concern about the future of the North Fork Table & Inn, and we're very sorry for any confusion. We appreciate your kind words and can't wait to welcome you back! Food truck fans, never fear — the food truck will be in full swing this spring."

The flurry of concern ignited Dec. 26 when a previous social media post — since taken down — said "after fourteen beautiful years, we will be closing our doors after dinner service on New Year's Eve, Tuesday December 31st," Newsday reported. The post also mentioned an "exciting new chapter" for the iconic dining destination.

The post disappeared by Dec. 27 and when asked by Patch if the North Fork Table & Inn would reopen under new ownership, a media representative for the restaurant said she could not comment beyond the new Instagram post.

Speculation about the restaurant's future has been sparked in recent months: Claudia Fleming, whose iconic dessert cookbook "The Last Course" was recently re-released, told the New York Times she plans to sell the North Fork Table & Inn and move back to New York City as the next chapters of her life and career unfold.

Fleming and her husband, beloved chef Gerry Hayden, a pioneer in the farm-to-table movement, were mainstays on the North Fork culinary scene until Hayden died in 2015 after a battle with ALS. Fleming and Hayden opened North Fork Table & Inn in 2006, with a focus on locally sourced menus, raising the bar for culinary excellence across the entire East End — and the world.

After Hayden's death, the eatery has continue to flourish, first with chef Stephen Bogardus, who blossomed under Hayden's tutelage, at the helm; later, after Bogardus headed to The Halyard, executive chef Brian Wilson took over the reins at the North Fork Table & Inn.