BYLINES BY SCOTT

In the PSE—post-Starbucks era—it doesn’t seem as if this town would need another spot for an iced mocha chai latte. But Grindstone and its eclectic team of brew masters couldn’t be farther from the hipster coffee culture you’re thinking of. There is no yelling out of orders or foreign sizes to decipher, just hot or cold, small or large, and a lot of love. Everything about the place drips of “Main Street” in a small seaside town. As I drove across the bridge from North Haven into Sag and saw the store through the

fog, Grindstone’s facade offered a warm and welcoming feeling. But let’s not mistake Grindstone for any old cup of joe and jelly doughnut. With carefully curated drip coffee and espresso drinks from Stumptown, a local cold brew from Patchogue’s ACE coffee and a doughnut menu including the favorite lemon poppy, everything bagel and Nutella s’mores, it’s a well-baked concept and a caffeine- fueled part of the neighborhood.

Owner Kyle Shanahan is the stepson of chef and TV personality Michael Symon, who taught him well. And this is a real family affair: While Kyle runs the show, his new fiancée, Krista, bakes; his mom, Liz, assists with the look and feel; and some early mornings you can even find Symon himself sipping a coffee out front on a quick break from making the doughnuts. And

it’s not out of the ordinary to see a friend of the family lending a hand. That morning, Tony “Tomato” (the produce guy, also a character) was hosing down the storefront stoop while Kyle’s cousin Russel was making a run to Il Laboratorio del Gelato in New York City for the newest addition to the menu—a Sicilian-style ice cream sandwich on a freshly made brioche bun with a healthy scoop (or two) of gelato. Get there early—I forgot to mention they sell out quick!