Coffee And So Much More At Brownstones
/
By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com
East Northport’s newest coffee shop has much more to offer than a tasty cup of Joe.
Brownstones Coffee, a Long Island-based breakfast chain that opened its third location earlier this month on Larkfield Road, has received an “overwhelmingly positive” response from the East Northport community, said founder Manny Kourounis.
Kourounis, who grew up in a brownstone in Brooklyn, launched the business in 2002 in Amityville as a coffee shop. Eight years later, Kourounis, who runs Brownstones with help from son Christopher and business partners John Mangino and Christina Walberg, entered the restaurant scene when he debuted a small menu with food items.
That laid “the foundation,” he said, and “then we began to expand and elevate the flavors.”
In 2015, a fire at the Amityville location spurred Brownstones’ expansion into East Northport and West Islip. (The Amityville location has since re-opened.)
Brownstones’ menu has also expanded to feature a full array of breakfast and lunch items that Kourounis has researched to help keep the restaurant “trendy.”
Walberg said Brownstones enjoys a very loyal customer base, something she is sure will develop at the East Northport location as well.
The comfortable and casual décor inside the restaurant puts diners at ease, something Kourounis said is very important at Brownstones.
“We want the restaurant to be a place where people can escape from life,” Kourounis said. “We want people to forget about the world and just enjoy themselves.”
The quick and friendly service at Brownstones is the result of an experienced staff, and a kitchen and menu designed for efficiency.
Foodies looking for a sweet start to their day can try one of Brownstones popular espresso drinks, like the Peanut Butter Cup Latte. This delicious drink is perfect for diners who want to change up their morning routine and forgo the usual cup of coffee.
From the breakfast menu, the French Toast Bites ($9.99) is one of Brownstones most popular and playful dishes.
The French toast squares are topped with fresh berries, bananas, strawberries and powdered sugar. The bites are cooked to a perfect golden brown, and have a sweetness that pairs well with the fresh fruit. A healthy dose of syrup is the perfect addition to tie this dish together.
Moving on, the Avocado BLT Benedict ($12.99) features eggs, hickory smoked bacon, grilled tomatoes, hollandaise sauce, lemon dressed baby arugula and sliced avocado over toasted ciabatta bread.
The ciabatta is the perfect base for the rich, creamy hollandaise sauce the envelopes the bacon, tomato and scrambled eggs, while the avocado and arugula cut through the richness of the dish to provide a nice balance.
The dish bridges the gap between breakfast and lunch.
On the lunch menu, the Everything Seed Bacon Sriracha Avocado Toast ($12.99) includes fresh avocado spread, bacon, sliced hard boiled eggs, everything bagel seeds mix and Sriracha on multigrain toast.
The textures of the avocado spread and the hardboiled eggs are a perfect complement to the crispy bacon and the crunchy toast. The seasoning from the everything bagel seeds add a second layer of flavor to the dish that ties all of the ingredients together.
Despite the hard work that goes into running the three Brownstones locations, Kourounis said “seeing the customers smile” makes his job worthwhile.
Brownstones Coffee is now open at 361 Larkfield Road in East Northport. (Long Islander News photo/Connor Beach)
