Mudroom coffee shop opens in Shoreham

In a rebuke to cookie-cutter coffee shops everywhere, Mudroom has neither avocado toast, nor overnight oats nor an Instagram wall. What this idiosyncratic spot does have is a rare commitment to quality and purity.

"Coffee shop" isn’t even the most accurate description of an establishment that puts such an emphasis on food — the tight menu features three imaginative salads ($11, which, for an additional $7, can be topped with roasted chicken, curried chickpeas, poached shrimp or smoked salmon), chilled pastas enhanced with additional protein thanks to the addition of lupini beans and, most remarkably, sandwiches served on rolls that are not only baked in-house, they are made from flour that is milled in-house.

That’s right, every morning the bakers drag out a little Mockmill 100 grain mill onto the counter and grind as much organic, whole-grain flour as they’ll need for the day.

"There’s just no comparison to the taste of freshly milled flour," explained Jack Maurelli, who owns Mudroom with his husband, Kyle. "And the flour retains so many more of the nutrients when it is used within two days of milling."

The rolls are plain to behold but pack a sweet, nutty flavor and fine texture unusual in whole-wheat breads. They are the launching pads for sandwiches ($8) that include The Long Island (spinach-basil pesto, tomato, roasted red peppers and shredded mozzarella) and The Weekender (olive-mushroom tapenade, seasoned kale and honey Tabasco). Add chicken, smoked salmon or hummus for an additional $4. Every day also brings tender scones and a sourdough focaccia that tends to sell out by lunch.

The beverage half of the menu starts with coffee from Native Coffee Traders, roasted on the Poospatuck Indian Reservation in Mastic. From that base come lattes ($5 for a small, $7 for a large) such as Burnt Banana and Roasted Peanut. There are freshly pressed juices ($9), tea-based drinks ($4, $5) and pea-protein shakes ($9) such as Greenhouse (kale, spinach, banana, apple, pineapple, coconut), Soul-Ties (pineapple, honey, orange, turmeric, black pepper, coconut) and 3Loko (double espresso, brown sugar, banana, cocoa).

Since it opened in July, in the former Gourmelos Mediterranean Market, Kyle has continued to teach junior high school at William Floyd Middle School but Jack figures he’s at Mudroom from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. most days. And he loves it. 

He’d spent more than a decade in food service, doing every imaginable job but, "I was living someone else’s dream."

"And it was always Kyle’s and my dream to have our own place." He paused to clarify: "Well, it was my dream. His dream was having my dream come true."

If the name "Mudroom" doesn’t resonate with that romantic backstory, it gets at something else fundamental. "We wanted this to be an extension of our home," Jack said. "The mudroom is the first room you come into, you can relax — take off your coat, move the chairs around if you need to."

And "Mud" might not be one’s first choice for a decorative theme, but the Maurellis have a gift for deploying brown — it’s everywhere you look: a row of cinnamon-filled spice jars, a chestnut-and-white diamond-patterned tray, a milk-chocolate milk crate occupying a bottom shelf, a two-toned brown stapler, a quiver of matte-textured brown ballpoint pens that have no writing on them but could only come from Mudroom.

Mudroom, 99 Route 25A, Suite 5, Shoreham, 631-849-1866, mudroommarket.com. Open Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.