New Day Dawns For Iconic Inn: 'I Fell In Love With The Chequit'

NORTH FORK, NY— A new day is dawning for The Chequit on Shelter Island.

The iconic inn, founded 149 years ago and purchased at auction by Stefan Soloviev's company Crossroads Ag in 2020, is poised for its next chapter, with Stacey Soloviev, Stefa's former wife, at the helm — and dedicated to preserving longtime tradition while reinvigorating the space with an exciting new vision.

Plans for The Chequit include three restaurants; Stacey has teamed up with famed chef Noah Schwartz to run the three new eateries — including a tavern, a noodle, sushi and sake bar, and a cafe/flower shop that will transform into a wine bar at night.

Reflecting on the sushi restaurant, named Weakfish, Stacy said she has always dreamt of having a sushi and sake bar — and said the first floor of the hotel lends itself perfectly to seeing that plan unfold.

"There is a room off the lobby that goes into a kitchen that will be built into a restaurant. It will have a private dining room next to it and guests can eat in the lobby area and on the porch. The banquettes are exquisite and the tiles for the walls are the color of oyster shells. I love everything about the design of this restaurant," she said.

In addition, there was an existing cafe on the street side of the hotel; that space will become the cafe/flower shop and wine bar.

"I think it's important to showcase the wine region we have and look forward to seeing this space evolve. Noah and I are still working on the name," she said.

The tavern will be downstairs; it will be the last area worked on and "hopefully finished by this winter — if not, we will open it in the spring," Stacey said. "Everyone we talked to said they loved the old horseshoe-shaped bar and asked us to bring the pool table back, so both are coming back. The new layout is amazing and it will be a great hangout spot."

Stacey said she was thrilled to be working with Schwartz, who owns Noah's in Greenport. "I met Noah through a mutual friend and loved his food! I kept going back and had great conversations with Noah about farming, food and the North Fork. Noah shares a similar vision and I felt was the perfect partner for these restaurants. We have farmland, greenhouses, vineyards, cattle, pigs, chickens — and just started a hive program! We hope to grow and raise most of the food on our menu and supplement it locally when needed; Noah has great relationships with local farmers and fishermen," she said.

Schwartz said the tavern will feature casual new American food with the sushi / noodle restaurant being primarily Asian-influenced.

"Stacey was a customer of the restaurant and we started discussing different ideas and working together doing offsite catering," he said. "We have a similar vision for the property and decided we would work well together. I hadn’t had a lot of experience with the Chequit previously but we are very excited to bring it back to what we understand was a very fun place to hang out — with great food."

There will be a shop at The Chequit that will switch to a Christmas shop for the holidays, Stacey said.

The plan is to kick off outdoor dining by June 1. Then, as soon as the main building is finished with renovations, the guest rooms, sushi bar, and cafe and wine bar will open, probably by sometime this summer, she said.

The annex, the second building at The Chequit, has not been renovated and will open as is on Memorial Day weekend; there are 11 rooms in that building that be renovated during the winter.

Stacey, when speaking about The Chequit, is filled with plans to preserve a cherished destination.

"I fell in love with The Chequit right away and wanted to restore it, no matter how difficult — and it has been difficult!" But, she added: "It is worth it. I love the stairs going up to rambling hallways and rooms and I picture people back in the hotel and enjoying themselves."

Glen Coben designed the new interiors for the space and the colors are neutral, soft, and inviting, she said.

"The outdoor areas will be so beautiful, filled with areas to hang out, lounge, and sit by the fire," she said.

Stacey also oversees Santa's Christmas Tree Farm in Cutchogue and announced that Peconic Bay Vineyards, also owned by Crossroads Ag, is set for a soft opening this weekend and next. The winery, located at 31320 Main Road in Cutchogue, will be open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., with a grand opening on May 15.

Stefan Soloviev purchased more than 1,100 agricultural acres across the North Fork in recent years.

Stacey has embraced her new projects on the North Fork and is dedicated to giving back to the community. To that end, she has held free Scout events at Santa's and opened an ice rink there, with kids' skating sessions, for the community to enjoy. An upcoming drive-in movie night on May 14 at Peconic Bay Vineyards will benefit the Cutchogue Fire Department.

"Community is very important to me," Stacey said. "I love the East End and when I first moved out here many people helped me get Santa's up and running."

One new friend, she said, even built her fire pit on Thanksgiving Day so she could open the next morning; locals also stopped in to support her — and many organizations stopped in to see if she could support them them.

The North Fork is the epitome of small-town life and community caring, she said.

"I have been a volunteer a long time so I know the labor of love," Stacey said. "I help any organization that I can and many people help me right back."

When Santa's got busy over the holiday season, Stacey said, "everyone called in their friends to work; my friend Joe Shipman helped me with Christmas trees and so many tips on efficiency. This is a beautiful community. This has been a very hard year and we all need to help each other — especially if it's for kids."

Of the Chequit, she said: "I am excited to open the hotel and be part of memories."