Bagelati, serving bagels and gelato, opens in Lake Grove
Pistachio gelato and a bagel with lox and cream cheese at Bagelati in Lake Grove. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
It’s a bagel shop! It’s a gelateria! It’s Bagelati!
Selvi and Mehmet Bulut could also credibly lay claim to deli and cafe, so crammed with options is their 10-month-old Lake Grove shop. And there’s plenty of room to enjoy everything in this former Dunkin' Donuts at the corner of Stony Brook and Middle Country roads.
Selvi’s brother and uncle operate two Bagelatis in New Jersey. When the newly married couple settled in the area, they noticed that "there was no spot to just sit and enjoy breakfast, a light meal, dessert without a scene, without alcohol." Mehmet, previously in construction, gutted and renovated the 3,700-square foot space and installed comfortable — and comfortably spaced — booths and tables.
Mehmet, left, and Selvi Bulut at their multipurpose eatery, Bagelati in Lake Grove. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
The breakfast crowd has their pick of about two dozen varieties of bagels that Mehmet makes on the premises. Classics such as sesame, poppy and everything are joined by French toast, spinach, chocolate chip, Cheddar-jalapeño and more. To schmear is a panoply of cream cheeses including plain, vegetable, green olive, lox, bacon-scallion, strawberry, Oreo and Cheddar-jalapeño. That’s right, Bagelati offers the rare opportunity to have a Cheddar-jalapeño bagel with Cheddar-jalapeño cream cheese. Bagels are $1.75 apiece, a baker’s dozen is $18.99.
All spreads and salads are made on the premises, and the whitefish and chicken salad are particularly commendable. There are also omelets, breakfast pastries and sandwiches and, moving into lunch, deli sandwiches, panini and burgers. If you fancy something sweet there are slices of cake, baklava, Mehmet’s mother’s rice pudding and, flying out of the store, layered strawberry-Dubai chocolate cups.
Gelato is Selvi’s department and Bagelati is a rarity among Long Island’s gelaterias and ice cream shops for eschewing a premade mix in favor of making and pasteurizing its own base. Except for fresh fruits and dairy, virtually all of the ingredients are imported from Italy. Flavors include a killer pistachio, tiramisu, wild berry minty chip, chocolate banana, sour cherry yogurt, cotton candy, salted caramel, espresso chip, red velvet, gianduja (chocolate-hazelnut). Among sorbettos are green apple and mango. A small cup or cone is $5.49, large is $7.99, a pint is $9.99
A selection of gelato at Bagelati in Lake Grove. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
The Buluts want Bagelati to run like clockwork. They installed a self-service kiosk so you can order and pay without waiting in line. And, to cut down on the time it takes for staff to assemble each order, there’s a self-serve coffee station.
Bagelati, 2815 Middle Country Rd., Lake Grove, 631-888-3581, bagelati.com. Open Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
