'Larkfield' To Reopen After Major Renovation

The Larkfield, formerly known as Larkfield Manor, will reopen in July after a sweeping $8 million renovation.

A wedding and event staple in East Northport for more than 30 years, Larkfield Manor closed its doors in October to bring itself into the 21st century.

“The hall was built in the late 1960s and was beginning to look and feel a little dated,” said Larkfield Vice President Harry Mountanos. “Quick fixes here and there wouldn’t cut it. We wanted something fresh, exciting, and elegant for our brides. It won’t be anything like the Larkfield Manor of the past.”

While many witnessed the demolition of the building in the days after Hurricane Sandy, few realized it was by choice.

“We received a lot of inquiries from concerned patrons who had held events here in the past,” said Mountanos. “All assumed the damage had been done by the hurricane. It was hard to explain that during a recession, we were making a conscious decision to close down. The Larkfield was probably one of the only buildings on Long Island requesting that LIPA turn our power off.”

The iconic catering hall was leveled between October 28 and 29 of last year and has since been undergoing renovations based on a redesign by Hoffman Grayson Architects LLP in Huntington. The firm also designed the interiors and exteriors of the Paramount Theater and the Crest Hollow Country Club.

“Harry and his management partners shared their vision of what they wanted the new Larkfield to look like,” said Hoffman. “Tuscany typically invokes rich, old materials with rustic ambiance. Larkfield’s management could not have been more supportive of our design aesthetic.”

“Many venues of this size are either over designed or very simple, commercial, multi-purpose spaces,” added Grayson. “From the moment you enter through the gates to the property, our goal was to make visitors feel like they were being transported to another time and place. Every element of the building – including the landscape and interiors – pays tribute to the Tuscan influence.”

Modeled on villas that the architects visited in Italy, the building features stone, brick, and stucco with rustic brackets; 20-foot ballroom ceilings; a vintage bar from the 1800s; an orangerie with rustic, reclaimed timber trusses that looks out to a new stone and travertine courtyard; slate roofs; and a two-story-high lobby featuring limestone, terracotta, wrought iron, and rustic woods.

With accommodations for up to 400 guests, the venue is hoping to attract not only brides, but also local businesses for corporate events and those celebrating bar/bat mitzvahs, quinceañeras, sweet sixteens, and anniversaries.

But architecture and décor are not the only new features. The menu and food offerings have also changed slightly, with the addition of a food stylist, a sushi chef, and a pastry chef who was brought on to create signature desserts.

“We want to stay current with the latest trends in the culinary field. Presentation is a huge part of that,” said Mountanos.

The venue is currently planning a grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring management, Neal Hoffman and Glen Grayson, elected officials, local police and firefighters, and all of the men and women who worked so tirelessly on the project. The event is slated for Thursday, June 27, just five days before The Larkfield opens its doors for its first wedding since the renovations began.

“We took a huge gamble shutting our doors when we did and our brides and grooms took a huge gamble on us — but we’re extremely proud of the updated facility,” said Mountanos. “So many people played a part in bringing this grand vision to life in time for our first wedding and we couldn’t have achieved such a magnificent result without the help and cooperation of the Town of Huntington, the villages of Northport and East Northport, or the hard work of so many construction workers, masons, designers, artists, and landscapers.”