SEPTEMBER 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 73
LI’S BREADBASKET
tangeroutlet.com/riverhead), in
search of coveted bargains on goods
from the likes of Polo Ralph Lauren,
H&M, Nike, Off 5th, Williams Sonoma,
Banana Republic, Gap, Barneys
New York, Restoration Hardware and
Coach, among others. There’s also a
pretty decent food court, with Italian,
Chinese and Mediterranean options,
as well as a McDonald’s, Taco Bell,
Nathan’s, Charley’s Philly Steaks and
more. Shopping is hungry business.
CURTAIN CALLS
There’s an artistic pulse in Riverhead,
too. One of its major arteries is the
350-seat Suffolk Theater (118 E. Main
St., 631-727-4343, suffolktheater.com),
a stunning, lovingly restored Art
Deco movie theater dating to 1933.
First closed in 1987, the theater was
shuttered for nearly two decades, until
Dianne and Bob Castaldi purchased it
in 2005, breathing new life into the
historic building. It now offers a cabaret
style/dinner theater setting, or traditional
theater seating, enhanced by a
state-of-the-art lighting and projection
system. Upcoming performances
include Canned Heat, the Fabulous
Thunderbirds, the Yardbirds, comedian
Bob Saget and Croce Plays Croce.
NEED FOR SPEED
For a truly iconic Riverhead experience,
check out Riverhead Raceway
(1797 Old Country Rd., 631-842-7223,
riverheadraceway.com), one of the
oldest existing stock car racetracks in
the U.S. and the only NASCAR stock
car track in the New York metro area.
Since 1949, generations of speed-junkies
have converged there to get their
fix, whether from the stands or behind
the wheel. Its one-quarter-mile
asphalt, high-banked oval track also
includes a famed Figure 8 course. It
presents multiple racing divisions
every Saturday night, with hundreds
of cars in the pits, plus special shows
like the NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour, INEX Legends National
Qualifier, NEMA Midgets, Enduros,
Demolition Derby, School Bus Figure
8 & Demo, Monster Trucks and more.
TAKE YOUR PICK
Pretty much wherever you look in
Riverhead, you are reminded of the
East End’s deep agrarian roots, even
more so come harvest time. In that
spirit, devote a morning or afternoon
to visiting Goodale Farms (250 Main
Rd., 631-901-5975, goodalefarms.com),
one of LI’s lone providers of truly
local dairy products and pastured
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS
meats, continuing a Goodale family
tradition dating to the mid-1800s.
Bring the kids and feed the farm’s
baby pigs and goats, then go home
with a trove of fresh milk, cheese,
yogurt and other fine delicacies.
You may also feel inspired to dig
deeper into Riverhead’s farming
history, in which case a journey to the
Hallockville Farm Museum (6038
Sound Ave., 516-298-5292, hallockville.
com) is highly recommended.
The museum occupies the former
Hallock Homestead, first built in 1765.
Visiting its remarkably preserved
original buildings and viewing the
artifacts displayed throughout the
museum offer a vibrant glimpse of
life on a typical North Fork farm
from 1880 to 1920. Its current special
exhibit celebrates Hallockville’s first
250 years, spotlighting residents of
the homestead and the preservation
and foundation of the museum.
And of course, harvest season is
all the encouragement one needs to
spend a day leisurely picking apples
and/or pumpkins, while loading up
on pies, cider, cider doughnuts and
similarly earthy treats. In Riverhead,
a popular oasis for such pursuits is
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Indigo Long Island –
East End
1830 W. Main St., 631-369-2200,
indigoeastend.com
Hilton Garden Inn Riverhead
2038 Old Country Rd., 631-727-2733,
hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com
Hyatt Place Long Island East End
451 E. Main St., 631-208-0002,
hyatt.com
Residence Inn Long Island East
End
2012 Old Country Rd., 631-905-5811,
marriott.com/Riverhead
The Preston House & Hotel
428 E. Main St., 631-775-1500,
theprestonhouseandhotel.com
Harbes Orchard (5698 Sound Ave.,
631-369-1111, harbesfamilyfarm.
com), open from September through
October. The 78-acre apple orchard
grows 27 varieties of apples, using an
innovative trellis system that keeps
its tasty fruit within easy reach. Its
apple-picking packages also include
access to nine acres of on-the-vine
u-pick pumpkins, sold by the pound.
And if you find yourself craving the
fruit of another vine — like grapes,
and more specifically, wine — you’ll
be glad to know that Riverhead shares
in the East End’s proud legacy of vineyards.
There are multiple worthy options
here, including Martha Clara
Vineyards (6025 Sound Ave., 631-298-
0075, marthaclaravineyards.com),
Roanoke Vineyards (3543 Sound Ave.,
631-727-4161, roanokevineyards.net),
Paumanok Vineyards (1074 Main Rd.
(Route 25), Aquebogue, 516-722-8800,
paumanok.com) and Palmer Vineyards
(5120 Sound Ave., Aquebogue,
516-722-9463, palmervineyards.com).
A wine-tasting crawl in Riverhead is
always a surefire good time; just remember
to arrange transportation or
a designated driver.
WHERE TO DINE
Buoy One
1175 W. Main St., 631-208-9737,
buoyone.com
Farm Country Kitchen
513 W. Main St., 631-369-6311,
farmcountrykitchenli.com
Jerry & The Mermaid
469 E. Main St., 631-727-8489,
jerryandthemermaid.com
Turkuaz Grill
40 McDermott Ave., 631-591-1757,
turkuazgrillriverhead.com
Tweeds Restaurant & Buffalo Bar
17 E. Main St., 631-237-8120,
tweedsrestaurantriverhead.com
Riverhead's restored Suffolk Theater is a linchpin of its local arts
scene.
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