A new bagel place has opened on Route 58 in Riverhead.
Cousins John Felleti, of Holtsville, and Joe Aceto, of Farmingville, launched The Gourmet Bagel Co. at 1105 Old Country Road earlier this month. The owners, who grew up in Brooklyn, have years of experience in the bagel business. In addition to the new Riverhead location, they also operate a shop in Bohemia.
“We make everything here from scratch. We do it all,” Felleti said. “We make our dough, we boil and bake them the old fashioned way.”
Felleti learned the craft working summers and weekends at his other cousin’s bagel shops in Brooklyn, while Aceto gained experience in delis, pizzerias, and other restaurants. In 1994, the two opened their first shop, a 24-hour store on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights.
The Riverhead store is the fifth shop they’ve opened, though they’ve since sold all but the Bohemia location. Felleti and Aceto said opening a bagel shop in Riverhead had long been a goal.
They scouted several buildings for sale or lease, but none fit. Then, after the former Blockbuster and Spirit Halloween on Old Country Road was renovated last year, Felleti jumped at the chance to lease the space.
“It’s just a great area. It’s a great spot for business,” Felleti said. “The town itself was fantastic. That was another thing everybody always told us — it’s a very business-oriented town.”
The shop’s menu is expansive, filled with sandwich and wrap names that play on movies, pop culture and personal references. A few examples: The Balboa, Cluck Norris, Bread Zeppelin, Jurassic Pork, and Gouda and Spicy! Menu selections and online ordering available on the shop’s website.
Three items are named after the 1992 comedy My Cousin Vinny starring Joe Pesci: the Mona Lisa Vito (after Marisa Tomei’s character), Two Yutes and My Cousin Vinny.
“Every day you can come in and get something different,” Aceto said.
Item #99, named The Great One, has been “retired in honor of Wayne Gretzky,” the former New York Ranger. (Aceto and Felleti are big hockey fans.)
The shop also features a chopped salad station and carries Boar’s Head cold cuts.
The Riverhead location officially opened Thursday, Sept. 11. Hours are Monday through Friday 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Discounts are available for seniors, first responders and veterans, the owners said.
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