European getaway on Long Island: 3 spots to explore
Tour the Vanderbilt Mansion in Centerport for a taste of Europe on the North Shore. Credit: Newsday/Carissa Kellman
Long Island’s North Shore has its own passport to Europe, no plane ticket required.
In neighboring Northport and Centerport, a harborside Danish bakery serves Scandinavian breads and pastries, a Gold Coast mansion displays centuries-old European artifacts and a family-owned vineyard pairs estate wines with authentic Italian comfort food.
Together, the three stops make a day trip that stretches from Copenhagen to the grand houses of Europe to the Italian countryside, all within a few miles.
Denmark: Copenhagen Bakery
75 Woodbine Ave., Northport
Cross into Scandinavia at Copenhagen Bakery, a bustling waterfront slice of "hygge," a Danish term that describes a feeling of coziness, overlooking Northport Harbor. Founded by Danish immigrant Flemming Hansen and his wife, Stace, in 1998, this village staple imports specialty ingredients directly from Denmark to keep its flavors unmistakably true.
A chocolate Danish from Copenhagen Bakery in Northport, the only Scandinavian bakery on Long Island. Credit: Newsday/Carissa Kellman
Step inside the warm, butter-scented bakery to find glass cases displaying Danish and Swedish breads, including rugbrød, a hearty rye bread, alongside pastries ranging from Danishes and kringles to wienerbrød, flaky, multilayered pastries filled with almond paste, marzipan or fruit compotes.
The cafe serves breakfast and lunch until 2 p.m. daily, with options including Nordic omelets, crepes and soup specials. Grab a table outside on the patio, where you can watch the harbor in a setting will transport you to a seaside village in Denmark.
More info 631-754-3256; copenhagenbakery.net
France and Spain: The Vanderbilt Museum
180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport
The Vanderbilt Museum’s architecture reads like a grand tour of Europe condensed into a single, dramatic North Shore estate. Known as Eagle’s Nest, William K. Vanderbilt II’s mansion evokes the romance of a Spanish Revival villa, with white stucco walls and red tile roofs. Inside, however, the estate reveals an eclectic collection of Old World treasures. Vanderbilt crisscrossed the Atlantic aboard his private ocean liners, treating Europe as a trove of art, artifacts and architectural details, bringing home pieces that carried centuries of history.
William K. Vanderbilt II’s mansion in Centerport evokes the romance of a Spanish Revival villa. Credit: Newsday/Carissa Kellman
Visitors can take a guided tour through the mansion’s 24 rooms, filled with European artifacts, including wooden doors from medieval Belgian municipal halls, stone archways from Spanish monasteries, a French archbishop’s chair in the library and Louis XV-era carvings in a bedroom. Rosamund Vanderbilt’s bedroom retains authentic 18th-century French wood paneling, while William’s contains a replica of Napoleon Bonaparte’s campaign bed. A 1620s Flemish tapestry hangs near an organ with 1,476 pipes, played by a professional organist during holiday tours.
From the North Porch, views stretch across Northport Bay to the hills of Connecticut on a clear day. Vanderbilt chose the site partly for its 60-foot elevation, which allowed him to keep his yacht, the Alva, close to home. His fascination with collecting extended beyond art and architecture to the natural world. Visitors can explore natural history collections beneath the mansion and at the separate Marine Museum, featuring taxidermied fish, marine specimens and other displays gathered through his travels.
Cost $15, $10 ages 12 and under. Guided tours cost an additional $9
More info 631-854-5579; vanderbiltmuseum.org
Italy: Del Vino Vineyards
29 Norwood Rd., Northport
A short 1.2-mile drive from Northport Village or 15 minutes from The Vanderbilt Museum, Del Vino Vineyards transports you instantly to the rolling hills of the Italian countryside. The family-owned vineyard carries on the Giachetti family’s winemaking tradition, which dates to the early 1800s in the Italian village of San Leucio. But this is more than a place to sample wine — the kitchen serves a full menu of Italian comfort food, which makes Del Vino a destination for dinner as much as a tasting.
Order the gnocchi alla Sorrentina with an Italian spritz at Del Vino Vineyards in Northport. Credit: Newsday/Carissa Kellman
Executive chef Massimo Coscia, who hails from Florence, leads the made-from-scratch kitchen, where the menu goes beyond charcuterie boards and brick-oven pizzas to include hearty Italian dishes. From the special wine pairing menu, try the gnocchi alla Sorrentina, pillowy potato dumplings baked in tomato sauce with melted cheese, or penne pesto. Pair your meal with an Italian spritz or a glass of wine made on site, from crisp estate whites to fuller-bodied reds and a floral orange blossom wine. Reservations are highly recommended for table service, though the tasting room bar welcomes walk-ins.
More info 844-335-8466; delvinovineyards.com
