North Fork Table & Inn Announces First Annual "Tour de Forks" (Long Island La Paulee)

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief

Are you familiar with La Paulée, the traditional Burgundian celebration held at the end of the grape harvest? No?

I wasn't either until Kareem Massoud from Paumanok Vineyards introduced me to it a while back. At its core, it's a big BYOB party -- but so much more. It's a chance to open up that special bottle of older or large format local wine, sharing it with fellow local wine geeks and industry members. (Read about the history of La Paulée)

At the time, Kareem also mentioned that he wanted to bring the concept to Long Island.

Well here it comes in the form of Tour de Forks, taking place on Sunday, May 16 at 4 p.m. at one of Long Island's top restaurants, North Fork Table & Inn. 

From North Fork Table's Mike Mraz (in an email this morning):

"We will provide you with a communal venue and feast to enjoy the wines you've been waiting for a 'special occasion' to open. We will shut down the restaurant so you and your like-minded fellows can 'geek out' and perhaps even engage in a little friendly one-upsmanship!"

The food is sure to be incredible and wine writer (and North Fork resident) Lettie Teague will act as the emcee for the feast.

Tickets are $150 per person (which includes tax and tip) and you need to reserve your spot by April 16.

Unfortunately, that is the one Sunday a year when I need to be in the office working, so I don't think I'll be there, but I'm not giving up yet!

This is an exciting endeavor. I hope they sell out and are forced to do this a few times a year.

Comments

[Kareem Massoud]

Yes!

[Gwendolen Groocock]

sounds lovely, but at $150 per person ie $300 a couple (!) plus BYO large format and/or superspecial B? A tad pricey for those of us who actually depend on the local wine industry for the food on our own North Fork tables. even those of us who gaily throw a few hundred bucks on a really awesome wine, and then make up for it by eating pasta for a month! But those of you who can swing it - enjoy!
One last thought - this event is inspired by a traditional celebration held after the harvest by, presumably, those who worked the harvest? I'm sensing an irony here, but no time - have to run - been online, oh, 12 minutes, and the 1lb of Barilla ($1.50) boiling on the stove is almost certainly overcooked by now. I'll just dump a jar of chopped tomatoes on it (another $1.50), that should do the trick. total for dinner - $3.00. wine - $0 - just gotta choose from the dusty ranks of aged, local, large format stuff that we actually DO have in the basement! x

[Lenn Thompson]

Gwen: It's expensive, yes. A point well taken. In some ways, it's good that I have to work that day. We can't afford for both of us to go and that might be a problem ;)

I guess from the NFT's perspective, since they aren't making a dime on the wine that night (being a BYOB event) they need to make up the difference on the food?

If they only do this once a year, I think that's a special enough occasion to splurge and I have a feeling they'll fill plenty of seats.