BayKery Cafe

Blog post from June 2010

At the BayKery Cafe in Oyster Bay, my morning oatmeal comes with a twist. Here, on request, they’ll add fresh berries while the cereal is cooking.

For the record, this is regular, not Irish oatmeal. I've been trying to order the cafe's Irish oatmeal for awhile, but so far, no success. One time, I’m told it will take 45 minutes to cook; another occasion, the estimate is an hour. This time, I call ahead to pre-order. No luck; they're fresh out of the stuff.

All my berry oatmeal needs is just a bit of brown sugar. I ask for some and — surprise, surprise —  incur a 50 cent surcharge on the check. Ouch.

Consolation takes the form of a free sample presented before leaving — a miniature red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing. Moist and quite good. So much for the totally healthy breakfast.

_________________________________________________

Cozy, quirky and compelling, the BayKery Cafe serves both breakfast and lunch in a homelike setting that includes a library.

Owner Kieran Shea, who developed the menu, is an affable presence, making suggestions and offering explanations. One afternoon, I stopped by for a quick bite and got a trio of tea sandwiches (smoked salmon, egg salad and a knockout curried chicken salad). On the breakfast menu, there's freshly squeezed orange juice, Irish steel-cut oatmeal (which takes about 45 minutes to cook to order, according to Shea) and the vanilla bean challah French toast.