"This is a business born out of Covid," said Cynthia Sestito over the phone. Along with Trudy Craney, she is co-owner of the Cookery, which opens Thursday where Simply Sublime once operated, at 85 Springs Fireplace Road in East Hampton.
"I got stuck here visiting Trudy, and we both felt we had to do something," said Ms. Sestito. Not everyone turns that "something" into participating in three farmers markets and a food service business, but Ms. Sestito is a celebrity private chef who appeared on the premiere season of "Top Chef" as well as Netflix's "Cooked with Cannabis."
"I've opened millions of restaurants," she said.
The Cookery intends to provide delicious food in a space for people to gather. "Our daily customer may come in, pick up a coffee and a slice of frittata for breakfast, maybe a roll and quinoa salad for lunch, and walk out with our mid-Eastern turkey burgers to bring home to their family for dinner," said Ms. Craney.
"I'm really particular about my coffee," said Ms. Sestito, who is exploring purchasing coffee from an employee's hometown in Ecuador. "It's excellent, supports the employee, and no one else will have it."
"The bottom line is we have sweet, savory, regular flour, gluten-free, and vegan bakery options. We intend to have salads and all sorts of grab-and-go items," said Ms. Craney. In a nod to their successful predecessor at the location, they will offer smoothies and organic green juices. They will also stock organic fruits and vegetables.
A quick look at their menu and the words "imaginative" and "unique" come to mind. For example, they offer 10 cakes including an Old Fashion Hummingbird Cake with Baby Blue Borage and Pecans and a gluten-free "Persian Love Beet Pistachio Cake, with rose chiffonade honey." Many of their cakes can be made gluten-free, or vegan, for an added cost, and they make custom cakes with 72-hour notice. Ms. Sestito and Ms. Craney are adaptable, something that's not always a hallmark of health-conscious stores.
Craney, an opera singer, and voice instructor by trade, credited her Italian heritage for her cooking and baking prowess. It's clear the women share a big community-focused vision. They will continue to work the farmer's markets and they want to advocate for women and children who might want to learn about cooking.
"Over the winter we plan on creating tasting events with interesting folks," said Ms. Sestito. "We want to invite the community and our wonderful customers to be part of these events."
"We really want to make our pricing comfortable for people," said Ms. Craney. "We deal with a lot of the workers out here. They're such a big community and we want to be supportive of them. We want them coming for breakfast or lunch," she said.
They hope to benefit their newly made farmers markets friends too. When the markets go into hibernation, Sag Harbor Honey, L'Isolina Pasta, and The Gut Goodness, among others, will find a home on the Cookery's retail shelves. Later in the autumn they'll launch an online market where select items can be purchased and mailed nationwide. Gift baskets, both for celebrations and bereavement, will be another draw.
The Cookery will carry hand-painted platters, trays and coasters from Robin Carter, an artist, and aprons and table linens by Marianna Velasquez, a food stylist and cookbook author. Donald, from Sharp Cat Knives, will even stop by the shop to sharpen knives.
"It's a little daunting, all the things that we want to do with the place," said Ms. Sestito. "That's why we're happy to have it. We can do what we want to do."
"That's the vision," said Ms. Craney. "Right now, we're just trying to get open."
The friends stress that it will take time for the store to reach its full potential but hope by spring many of the elements are in place. They will be open year round Thursday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
