Dortoni Bakery opens in West Hempstead

West Hempstead can now get a taste of the rainbow cookies and wedding cakes that Long Islanders have been enjoying since 1976. Dortoni Bakery, which operates five locations, has opened the doors to its sixth. The new bakery is within the Heritage Westminster luxury apartment complex on Hempstead Turnpike.

Corey Messina, who owns and manages all the locations with his family, confirmed the latest Nassau County opening to Newsday. Dortoni’s repertoire covers pretty much all the confectionery bases, from classic American cakes, fruit pies, cupcakes and cookies to the bite-sized dessert shooters and cake pops that "the kids like," Messina said when the Huntington Station location opened back in April.

Dortoni is also known for its Italian bakery items that came over from Italy courtesy of Messina’s father, Lello, whose own father and grandfather operated bakeries in Naples. "When my father opened Levittown, he used his father’s recipes for the quaresimali, the S cookies, the fig cookies, the cassata, the sfogliatelle, the lobster tails — and we use those recipes today," Messina said.

Now, Lello leaves most of the day-to-day operation to his sons. Messina’s brother, Daniele, oversees the main production kitchen in Levittown, while Messina’s children can often be found manning the counters of his other locations in East Norwich, Huntington, Port Jefferson and Commack.

Dortoni Bakery, 111 Hempstead Tpke., West Hempstead, dortonibakery.com.  

By Marie Elena Martinez

marieelena.martinez@newsday.com@mariesworlds

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.