Sea Cliff Daily Grind coffee shop opens
Fresh muffins — corn, apple cinnamon and French toast — are made daily at the Sea Cliff Daily Grind coffee shop in Sea Cliff. Credit: Newsday/Marie Elena Martinez
If you’ve been to Sea Cliff lately, you’ll notice there’s been a quiet addition to the neighborhood. What was once Sea Cliff Bistro has been replaced by a new coffee shop tenant: Sea Cliff Daily Grind.
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 and owner Terrence Cave — a Glen Cove resident whose resume includes culinary positions with the Mets and Islanders, the Muttontown Club, and most recently, as a consultant for the Wonder concept currently taking the Island by storm — and his wife, Jamie Glowinski-Cave — who owns Glowinskin Esthetics just down the street — have lovingly refurbished the former bistro with a new ceiling, rebuilt bar, fresh paint and new cooking equipment.
Cave relies on his culinary background to create daily scones, cookies and muffins like the apple cinnamon, a rag-topped corn and a 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 sandos ($6.50) — on the menu as the "organic egg bite" — sitting on big-as-your-fist English muffins. Regular menu items include avocado toast, daily soups (on our visit, split pea, $6), black bean burgers ($10), California clubs with grilled chicken, guacamole and pepper jack cheese ($12), and BLTs ($11). Daily specials are listed on a chalkboard and usually include Cave’s "famous" chicken salad on whole wheat for $11.50.
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. A friendly table of customers danced playfully when their favorite tunes came on, as Cave made chicken salad behind the counter, with everyone embracing the peaceful, easy feeling that the Eagles were singing about in the din. A Daily Grind that hardly feels like a grind at all.
Sea Cliff Daily Grind, 230 Sea Cliff Ave., Sea Cliff, 516-675-1187, seacliffdailygrind.com; Open daily 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
