Clementine's Plant-Based Deli & Bakery closes in Sayville

Pour one out for vegan apple tarts, empanadas and soft serve ice cream in central Suffolk County, as Clementine's has closed.

The eclectic spot, officially named Clementine's Plant-Based Deli & Bakery, was a shared venture between mother-daughter team Cira and Chloe Jones. They opened the place in February 2021 with a changing menu of savory, meat- and dairy-free vittles such as crispy buttermilk "chicken" sandwiches, mac-and-cheese with jackfruit and plant-based takes on lobster rolls, chili, meatballs, egg sandwiches and Reubens. 

Clementine's was also a bakery known for artfully decorated cakes and cupcakes, as well as a place to get soft serve ice cream and milkshakes.

In a social media post, Chloe Jones said "life has showed up in some major ways," including the birth of her third child. The deli was open only on Fridays, she wrote,  "but it's not cuttin' it for the bills and for you all too." She did not comment further. 

Clementine's was one of a growing number of plant-based eateries on Long Island, but occupied something of a vegan-food desert along Sunrise Highway near the Sayville-Bohemia line. The Joneses had built a dedicated customer base who poured out their sentiments on Instagram. The deli's last day was July 17.