5 new Long Island coffee spots to try

Long Island coffee lovers have likely noticed something happening this fall: a slew of new shops opening. Some, like Karmic Grind in Oyster Bay, are independently owned spots aiming to be a community meetup spot for seasonal lattes and light bites. Then there's Mokafé, Long Island's first outpost of a fast-growing Yemeni coffee chain that opened in a stand-alone building on busy Route 110 in Melville. 

Mokafé

606 Broadhollow Rd., Melville

Yemeni coffee shops are the biggest dining trend of the fall and now Long Island has its first shop with a drive-thru. The Astoria, Queens and Paterson, New Jersey-based chain asks customers whether they prefer Guatemalan or Yemeni coffee for each drink. Shops have a plush, contemporary look. The chain has expanded rapidly to include 10 locations, including one in Times Square. Mokafé offers a full menu of espresso drinks as well as halal food items like honeycomb bread, pastrami sandwiches and avocado toast.

Co-owner Youssef Mubarez says Yemeni coffee was previously difficult to source due to the ongoing civil war in Yemen. But over the past 10 years, the industry has been built up to support the increasing worldwide demand. The coffee is sourced by co-owner Jorge Riquelme, a trained coffee evaluator who met with Yemeni and Guatemalan farmers.

"Before, they were just selling the beans to companies; nobody knew where it was from. Now we're taking back our narrative," said Mubarez, who originally hails from Yemen. "Now it's a big, booming business. There's a whole coffee export organization. Now it's good for Yemen."

More info: mymokafe.com

Karmic Grind

69 Pine Hollow Rd., Oyster Bay

Business partners Regina Smith, a former yoga studio owner, and Alicia Zarou Scanlon, a former restaurateur and art dealer, met about eight years ago when they realized their daughters shared the same name — Alia/Aalia — and decided to take a walk to get to know one another better, "as moms do," Zarou Scanlon said. Soon after came their first Karmic Grind, in Locust Valley. Now the pair has opened a location in Oyster Bay.

The large, white, sun-drenched space, outfitted with subtle art and windowed garage doors that open up in warmer weather, entices guests to slow down, sit and savor as they sip. It also expands the reach of fair-trade Colombian coffee brand Devoción, which just debuted a new Brooklyn flagship in Williamsburg.

Have it in espresso, latte, macchiato or cortado, among other classic drinks, which cost between $3.75 and $5.75. Devoción's cold brew is on tap ($5), and the organic teas include chai and matcha, as well as hot and iced teas. Additionally, there’s a growing food menu, including decadent grilled bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches on Bread Alone sourdough ($12), avocado toast, fresh bagels from Glen Cove Bagel Cafe, muffins and pastries from King Street Bakery (from $4.50) and doughnuts from Doughnut Plant ($5.75).

The owners hope to create a space "where you can live your life, be part of your community," Zarou Scanlon said. "There are so many friendships that have been formed in our shop."

More info: karmicgrind.com

Nautilus Roasting Co.

1000 New York Ave., Unit A., Huntington Station

The small storefront with a large, loungey adjacent seating area begs a visit for its coffee, but also its wholly vegan menu of sweets and muffins.

Growing up in Lindenhurst in the '80s, owner Hugo Fitzgerald has been drinking coffee since he was 8 years old. He recalls sneaking sips from his nightly visit to the local Friendly Deli, where he got his mom her post-dinner coffee. "Eventually she started, you know, giving me an extra, back in those days — 50 cents probably — to get myself a small one," he said.

Contrary to its name, Nautilus doesn’t roast its own coffee (although they have a roaster and hope to in the future), but highlights exclusive blends and single origins "from a couple of different roasters." Within its subway-tiled white storefront, Fitzgerald is sticking to coffee basics like lattes ($5), iced coffee ($4) and cold brew ($5), as well as fall specials like maple and pumpkin creme lattes ($8). There’s raspberry hibiscus tea ($4), and something called the Jackie Daytona ($5), which is raspberry tea mixed with a cold brew that "tastes like a rainbow cookie."

Don’t miss the sweet offerings from cookies to cupcakes ($3.50-$4.50), all of which are 100% vegan and made in-house by baker Malyssa Sue Ferruzzo. Recommended: the cinnamon coffee cake muffin and Fluffernutter cupcake.

The cafe’s vast seating space — which Fitzgerald himself renovated with kitschy artwork, mismatched tables, bright green walls and funky knickknacks — looks to host creatives regularly. Works of local artists are displayed for sale along the walls. The best part, besides the coffee, the culture and the vegan goodies: There’s parking. A whole indoor garage of parking. "Hey, in Huntington, that’s super important, too," Fitzgerald said.

More info: nautilusroasting.com

Sea Cliff Daily Grind 

230 Sea Cliff Ave., Sea Cliff

Serving New York City’s Kobrick Coffee, a legacy brand of single origin beans and blends, with over 105 years producing sustainably grown coffee that is direct trade, fair trade, organic and Rainforest Alliance certified, the shop sells classic hot and iced coffee beverages from espresso ($3.50) to lattes ($6), to cappuccino ($6), as well as cold brew ($6), hot teas ($4) and lemonade ($4). The current seasonal coffee special, the spicy and sweet Ginger Snap latte ($6), is not to be missed.

Chef-owner Terrence Cave and his wife, Jamie Glowinski-Cave, have lovingly refurbished the former bistro with a new ceiling, rebuilt bar, fresh paint and new cooking equipment. Cave creates daily scones, cookies and muffins like apple cinnamon, rag-topped corn and French toast, all of which smack of homemade goodness. The French toast variety was born when Cave "forgot the banana when making a banana walnut batch," subbed maple syrup for walnut, and a hit was born. The rest of the menu follows the same from-scratch ethos, with bacon egg and cheese sandwiches ($6.50) sitting on big-as-your-fist English muffins. Regular menu items include avocado toast, daily soups and sandwiches.

The space, a cozy shop with a mere four tables inside and an adjacent patio, is warm and inviting. Flyers strewn about announce community activities; the cafe's soundtrack is old-school classic rock.

More info: 516-675-1187, seacliffdailygrind.com

Sweet Harbor Coffee

1355 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn

The cozy, family-owned cafe has seating for 14 and a tight menu of perfectly executed espresso drinks.

Dotted with beach-themed photos from the East End and back issues of Montauk's Whalebone magazine, owners Alexis and Joe Jensen wanted the space to embody "Long Island summer energy all year-round." Alexis grew up in Roslyn and spent much time in Greenport as a kid; Joe grew up in Bayside, Queens.

The easy-drinking opening coffee is an exclusive medium to dark blend for Sweet Harbor from Shared Roasting, a wholesaler in Brooklyn. "We're trying to keep it simple, with classic espresso drinks and a few specialties," Alexis said. Iced lattes ($6) are clearly top sellers, with the seasonal special — a maple sea salt latte ($6.50) — being the most requested; on a recent day, one party ordered eight of them. The other current special is a dirty cardamom rose chai ($7.25) that the Jensens plan to make a regular menu item. Espresso starts at $3.75, cappuccinos at $5.25, and non-coffee drinks include hot and iced tea ($4), hot chocolate ($4.50) and matcha lattes ($6.50).

Joe and Alexis started dating in high school and eventually moved to Brooklyn together, falling in love over brews at the borough's many cafes. Joe comes from a construction background, so when the pair found the Roslyn space that would become Sweet Harbor, they knew they wanted to bring in elements like the vintage exposed brick look that anchors the shop. Renovations unearthed a brick chimney and a wood ceiling beam, giving the Jensens a lot to work with.

"We said the one thing that would get us out of Brooklyn and back to Long Island would be if we had a baby or started our dream business," Joe said. As it turns out, both of those things happened at the same time. A family affair, the Jensens' 3-month-old, Nora, is an equally large part of the story.

More info: 516-662-5115