All in the details: Charlie’s Bakery focuses on keeping things fresh, pretty and delicious

There’s a new bakery in town, the kind that might make you want to slow down and stay awhile. Charlie’s Bakery, located in the Country Village Shopping Center on Fort Salonga Road in Northport, welcomed a steady stream of first timers and soon-to-be regulars last week, its third week in business. 

A mother sipped a coffee, her child asleep in the stroller next to her. Two dads sampled treats with their kids, then took some cookies and cupcakes to go. One customer, there for the first time, stopped in on her way to work, for a specialty latte and croissant. “This could get dangerous,” she said. 

Another customer, from England, ordered a cinnamon bun and coffee before commenting on the familiar fabric in the bakery’s banquette seating. It was William Morris’ “Strawberry Thief,” one of the UK textile designer’s most popular patterns, she explained.  

Casey Sandler, a Manhattan native who moved to Northport about three years ago, opened Charlie’s Bakery during a blizzard, which led right into President’s Day and winter break for the local school districts. Foot traffic was light at first but Sandler didn’t mind; the off-season opening gave him time to get to know his customers, what they like and what they would love to see more often. Charlie’s staff continues to welcome suggestions as the bakery prepares to quadruple its output for the spring season. Visitors can expect an evolving menu, based on customer feedback and seasonal ingredients, he said.

European cafés and bakeries inspired the interior design and development of the space, a natural fit with Sandler’s menu, said Elizabeth Mink Gaudreau of Mink Hospitality in Northport. By using techniques like “color washing” and incorporating bright tones of brass, sturdy milk glass, and a soft shade of green that complements the fabric of the banquette, Gaudreau was able to transform the 15x100-foot space into “a charming bakery seemingly far away from its location,” she said.

Popular menu items include the croissants, chocolate chip cookies, mini key lime pies and fresh baked breads, Sandler said. Cinnamon buns and a flower cupcake are also gaining momentum. An unexpected find in the bakery is the Pavlova, a meringue-based dessert named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Staff is currently entertaining the idea of adding a lunch menu as well.

The right decision
“I had always dreamed of opening up a French bistro,” Sandler told the Journal during an impromptu interview last week. A one-time saucier at “fancy French restaurants” in the city, Sandler left his passion for cuisine for something more lucrative, working as a real estate agent from when he was about 26 to 35 years old, he said.

But then Covid left him mostly unemployed for two years – down time he used to reignite his passion for cooking. He got some “big equipment” for his little kitchen and began building recipes, many of which are used at the bakery today.  

Some recipes are based on ones he has had over the years, while others are inspired by his mom Muriel, who moved from Belgium to New York when she was 19 years old to study art. Her family was in the restaurant business back in Belgium, where Sandler visited as a child; he’s recreated recipes from those memories as well.  

Muriel is one of the reasons Sandler found himself on Long Island. Growing up, his mom had a house on Fire Island, where the family would spend time when not in Manhattan. Six years ago, Muriel sold her Fire Island home but found herself back by the water, in a house on Asharoken Avenue. She began staying there full time after Covid. Two and a half years later, Sandler bought a home off 25A in Northport. 

“I didn’t think I would like not living in the city,” he said. “But now I know it was definitely the right decision.” Sandler enjoys walking with his sister and their dogs at Hobart Beach in Eaton’s Neck during the warmer months, and on the trails of the Ingraham Preserve in Crab Meadow when it’s cold. He likes eating out at Maroni Cuisine and Bistro 44 in Northport Village, and speaks very highly of the coffee at – you guessed it – Charlie’s. 

The bakery has brought in Mongo, a local Long Island micro-roaster of fresh coffees, thanks to front-of-the-house manager and “coffee guru,” Jill Sog, Sandler said. The team will soon be designing and developing a special “Charlie’s” roast just for the bakery.  

Very simple, very delicious, very pretty
Sandler describes the offerings at Charlie’s as “not-so-typical” (you won’t find countless pounds of rainbow cookies there, for example). Most everything in the case is made fresh every day, with a focus on organic bread, pastries and cakes; gluten-free and vegan options are also in the mix. Smaller and even bite-sized goodies are available, including a dainty bread pudding, with cupcakes, bars and those “very simple, very delicious, very pretty” Pavlovas also on the menu.

While Sandler said he couldn’t make them himself, he knew Charlie’s cake and pastry specialist Erica Varley would love taking them on – and she did, though Sandler admits she didn’t know what Pavlovas were when he first requested them. Varley, who is responsible for “anything pretty” in the bakery’s case, also makes custom cakes for all occasions, from small to large, which can be painlessly ordered on the bakery’s website. Her heart cakes are currently very popular and can be ordered in different sizes as well. 

Even the bakery’s cinnamon buns, notorious in almost all bakeries for being oversized, are a little smaller at Charlie’s, more like a bun top than a giant bun.

Sandler said they’re still experimenting with the bun’s height and diameter, how crispy it is, and how much icing to use. “Sometimes when you make things too big, the ratio of the exterior crispy part to the interior soft part gets thrown off. So if you have a smaller bun, the ratio is better where in each bite you get some of the crispy outside,” he explained. Want more? “There’s no rule that you can’t have two or three,” Sandler said, chuckling. 

A small top-display freezer holds homemade ice cream, and the kitchen is working on unique toppings, including a toffee crumble. Oat-based vegan options will be available soon. 

Not a pug
Charlie’s Bakery is named after Sandler’s 18-month-old Brussels Griffon, a dog breed described by the American Kennel Club as having a “big personality in a 5- to 15-pound package.” Charlie is unique in that he’s shorthaired with a smooth black coat, causing him to often be mistaken for a pug.

Fun fact
All of the artwork in Charlie’s Bakery was painted by Sandler’s mother, Muriel, who attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She had a little studio in the West Village and was a professional painter for decades; she still paints today for the love of it. Walk around the bakery and you’ll see her work on a timeline of sorts: the big oil painting is from when she was in school; by the 1970s, she was doing sumi-e, a type of Japanese ink painting; in the late 80s and 90s, she focused on fruit. After a lifetime of city living, Sandler calls his mom a full-time suburbanite now – Asharoken has become home. 

Charlie’s Bakery is located at 10 Fort Salonga Road, in the IGA shopping center. It is open every day except Monday. Check www.charliethebaker.com for the latest hours, and keep up with what’s new at the bakery on Instagram.  

*This article was updated on March 19 to include mentions of new offerings at the bakery, with a shout out to Mink Hospitality for helping to design the space.