Greenport Fire is the place to go if you're out on the North Fork and want to check out a unique spot that's got a little bit of everything. I was in the area yesterday following the Strawberry Festival in Mattituck (as part of my birthday jubilation), and I heard about it through glowing recommendation. The shop is located on Main Street where there are boutiques, bars, ice cream and Italian ice places, and waterfront restaurants overlooking Shelter Island. So, great area to park your car a little further back and stroll through, ending down by the water.
I came into Greenport Fire to try some of the hot sauces that I pulled up on their instagram page. The shop itself is awesome; floor to ceiling, its dressed up in vinyl records and band stickers, with a line of sauces beneath an illuminated sign proclaiming "Death Row"... hmm, are those are hot?? Haha (no, unfortunately I did not try them. Godspeed to those that do*). It doubles as a smoke shop, all put in fully stocked display cases that are crystal clean and easy to eye up and down. This visit was accompanied by a killer soundtrack playing overhead.. they had the Eagles, Sting, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, BB King, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel.. god, I was jammin the whole time I was there, lol. Everyone behind the counter was cool as hell and didn't mind me bustin a move here and there while browsing their merch, and there's a sweet golden lab named Molly that hangs out there too :) Good vibes all around*
While I'm no hot sauce aficionado, I do enjoy good flavor without the BLINDING heat behind it, and just a touch of sweet, especially when making my "famous" cheese empanadas. Dale and Heather are the husband and wife team that run the joint, and their knowledge of hot sauce and helping me find what I was looking for went way beyond expectation. I overheard other more "experienced" shoppers being assisted, and Heather was able to point down the region of where the sauces came from, direct them towards sauces that had more chipotle, or tomatillo, or jalapeño, or "smoky" flavor... whatever they were asking for... and they had it A-L-L... WITH free tastings of everything on the shelf. Major plus! I see previous posters mentioning limited tastings - GO BACK! It's all out there now! I was able to take my time and found myself enamored with this gorgeous mild peach mango habanero that I know will be a huge hit. Super excited for this find!
So for the smoke shop portion, if you're into cigars.. they carry the classics. I picked up some of my favorites - Blondies - of which I got 1 hand-rolled vanilla flavor, and 2 acid (1 modelo). I got them cut and setup with a pack of matches (finished 1 before even leaving the shop, lol). Come in with a brand or flavor you like, and they'll put some options out there with you. What else... spice infused liquers, incense, sage, vapes, loose-leaf tea, and coffee are other items that they carry. I didn't try them all, but that's another reason to return, I suppose? Haha
If you're in the area, I'd definitely say stop by.. even if just to experience what the hell this place is about. It was a huge hit this past weekend for Father's Day, and they wrapped everything beautifully. Super helpful and extremely knowledgeable staff, good prices, an in-SANE variety of hot sauces with something there for everyone, and a fun casual atmosphere that will definitely have me coming back. All of this coming from someone that isn't into hot sauce like that is hilarious to me.. so take me up on this recommendation - Run, don't walk to Greenport Fire! Thank you Heather and Dale for helping to make this the best birthday weekend!! read more