The Whisk bakery opens in Smithtown

Amanda Vigliarolo’s bakery, The Whisk, in Smithtown, has been a madhouse ever since opening last Saturday. The shop has crazy summer hours (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.), and she’s doing pretty much everything herself.

Oh, to be 21 again.

Yes, you read that right. Just weeks after graduating with culinary and pastry degrees from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, Vigliarolo opened her own Smithtown bakery, having bought out the owners of Buon Amici, which happens to be where she got her first job, at age 14. 

"I was here for their grand opening," Vigliarolo recalled. "I was one of the first employees, as a cashier.  And then eventually I was making all the chocolates and candies. And then eventually I started making some cakes... and they started selling." 

Ultimately, she said, Buon Amici "didn't have enough customers,"  citing the lack of business in part on the previous owners' color choices. "All the walls were black, there were these slippery white tiles. Everything was black and white but mostly black. It looked dark. Everybody always thought they were closed."

Since taking over the space in March, the Smithtown native has completely renovated it, changing the palette to pink and turquoise pastels, a color scheme that better befits her line of custom-made cakes, as well as her pastries, ice cream, coffee, milkshakes and more. But Vigliarolo also offers WiFi to her customers, a plethora of electrical outlets, and places to sit and linger. "I wanted it to be more of a cafe, a place where people hang out."

Ice cream has been a big early seller ("we're busy at 10 at night!") but cakes are clearly where Vigliarolo's heart lies. On the day we visited, there were no fewer than a dozen specialty creations offered for sale, including cakes with names like Dreamsicle, frappuccino, lemon meringue, 'smores, Oreo  and, well, more. All were priced quite reasonably, from $16 to $18, depending on size.

"In the last three days, we've sold out of almost all the baked goods we have," said Vigliaroso, sounding both weary and pleased. "But people love the ice cream and milkshakes. At nine in the morning, people come in for milkshakes."

The Whisk is at 975 W. Jericho Tpke. in Smithtown, 631-670-6773, thewhiskbakeryli.com. Summer hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. 

By Scott Vogel

scott.vogel@newsday.com

Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.