FEBRUARY 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 67
FROM COWS TO KEROUAC
Kismet Cruising (Northport Harbor,
631-897-4517, kismetcruising.com) can
scratch your oceanic itch, offering a
range of cruise options — including
afternoon, sunset, dinner and local
history cruises — guided by veteran
captain Brian Baldauf on his 42-foot
sailboat. Baldauf is a fountain of local
information, so count on a lively waterborne
chat.
ARTISTIC LEANINGS
It doesn’t take long to see how
Northport’s sweeping scenery and
small-village allure make for the ideal
artist’s hideaway, most famously
for Kerouac, but also producing
homegrown talents like Edie Falco,
Patti LuPone, Chris Messina, rapper
Aesop Rock and members of the band
Wheatus. For anyone with literary
longings, taking a deeper dive into
that heritage requires a mandatory
stop at Kerouac’s favorite Northport
watering hole, Gunther’s Tap Room
(84 Main St., 631-754-4156, guntherstaproom.
com), newly reopened in
2018 after the historic pub was ravaged
by a 2017 fire. It’s the quintessential
Northport watering hole, steeped
in lore right down to its men’s room,
where Kerouac would infamously
sneak off to sip whiskey he’d hidden
in a valise. We recommend you
purchase yours from the bartender,
instead.
Also on Main Street is another vital
strand of Northport’s creative DNA,
The John W. Engeman Theater (250
Main St., 631-261-2900, engemantheater.
com), occupying the old Northport
Theater, first opened in 1932 and
reopened in its current form in 2007.
Today it is named in honor of Army
Chief Warrant Officer Four John William
Engeman, brother of co-owner
Patti O’Neill, who was killed in Iraq
on May 14, 2006. It’s now a year-round
professional theater, casting actors
from the Broadway talent pool, and
features stadium seating, deluxe
lighting and sound, The Green Room
Piano Bar and Lounge, and even inseat
beverage service. Current and
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS
upcoming performances include The
Buddy Holly Story, Seussical The Musical,
A Gentleman’s Guide To Love
and Murder and Madagascar – A
Musical Adventure.
And for fans of the visual arts, be
sure to also add a stop at LaMantia
Gallery (127 Main St., 631-754-8414,
lamantiagallery.com) to your
Northport itinerary, even if you
can’t really afford to take home one
of the expertly curated works there
on display. For some 30 years owner
James LaMantia has been bringing
a worldly, metropolitan aesthetic to
Northport’s art marketplace through
his esteemed gallery, which hosts
more than 10 exhibitions annually,
featuring the work of internationally
known artists, masterworks and
creations by promising new artists. A
conversation with LaMantia or one of
the gallery’s other art experts is sure
to be enlightening.
EMBRACING THE PAST
Although Northport has retained a
healthy dose of its bygone flavor, the
village has also changed substantially
over the centuries, which is why
a visit to the Northport Historical
Society (215 Main St., 631-757-9859,
northporthistorical.org) is another
highly recommended excursion.
Housed in a former Carnegie Library
chartered in 1914, the Society
maintains a museum with various exhibits
on Northport’s past, as well as
a well-stocked shop offering eclectic
oddities, silver, china, jewelry, linens,
ephemera and books. There’s also a
research library and a photo collection
with more than 4,000 images,
many of which have been digitized
and catalogued.
AGRARIAN ROOTS
We know, it’s hard to drag oneself
away from Northport’s picturesque
Main Street and waterfront, but it’s
worth it in order to devote a few
hours to also exploring the village’s
rich agricultural offerings. Ever
since its early days when it was
known as Cow Harbor, Northport
has been fertile farm territory,
still visible now at places like
Richters Orchard (1318 Pulaski
Rd., 631-261-1980, facebook.com/
WHERE TO DINE IN
NORTHPORT
Aunt Chilada’s Mexican Grill
729 Fort Salonga Rd., 631-757-8226,
auntchiladasrestaurant.com
Bistro 44
44 Main St., 631-262-9744, bistro44.
net
Main Street Cafe
47 Main St., 631-754-5533
Maroni’s
18 Woodbine Ave., 631-757-4500,
maronicuisine.com
Nina’s Pizza
487 Main St., 631-261-6822, ninaspizzanorthport.
com
Robke’s Country Inn
427 Fort Salonga Rd., 631-754-9663,
robkescountryinn.com
Rockin’ Fish
155 Main St.., 631-651-5200, rockinfish.
net
Seven Quarts Tavern
688 Fort Salonga Rd., 631-757-2000,
sevenquartstavern.com
Shipwreck Diner
46 Main St., 631-754-1797, shipwreckdiner.
com
Tokyo Japanese Restaurant
192 Laurel Rd., 631-754-8411, tokyoeastnorthport.
com
RichtersOrchard). Richters has been
selling lovingly grown apples and
fresh-pressed apple cider for the last
century, along with pies, jams and
jellies, and a host of other edible delights.
Stock up and go home happy.
Finally, you might not want to
exit “Great Cow Harbour” without
seeing an actual cow, so if you’re
so inclined, Lewis Oliver Farm
Animal Sanctuary (Burt Ave., 631-
261-6320, lewisoliverfarm.org) has
you covered. A historic landmark
dating to the mid-1800s, the farm
comprises three acres that are
home to numerous rescued farm
animals, including Annabelle the
cow, goats, sheep, alpacas, chickens,
ducks, peafowl, and turkeys. There
are also original barns, botanical
and vegetable gardens, a collection
of native wildlife, a country store,
and an education center. Just like
the village’s human residents, the
livestock here are quite happy to
call Northport home.
Tasty treats await at Copenhagen Bakery, a Scandinavian bakery located
in Northport Village. For more than 20 years, bakery founder Flemming
Hansen has served fresh breads, sweets and an array of café menu items.
(Photo by Jennifer Uihlein)
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