21st Century Technique with Vintage Flavor

Ice cream lovers from all over Long Island have been flocking to Main Street Bakery for this summer's coolest concoctions - custom ice cream and designer creme brulees made to order and consumed on the spot.

Michael Mignano, Main Street's owner, knows culinary perfection and Port fans love his sweet offerings. Over Memorial Day LN2 was introduced to the cafe and it's been a hit ever since because of its "heavenly" taste, as some customers put it. According to Mignano, "It's also 40 percent less fattening than traditional ice cream."

Rather than using egg yolks or heavy cream, the recipe features a liquid base made with whole, skim or soy milk or chocolate. Liquid nitrogen (perfectly safe for consumption and the element that makes it instantly cold) is then mixed in and voila, a treat that has all the taste premium ice cream boasts but without the calories.

Amy Urban recently visited Main Street with her young children.  She said, "I love this bakery and figured taking the kids for ice cream on a rainy day was a fun thing to do because we watched it being made."  All agreed that strawberry was a good choice.

However, for the more daring, there are dozens of possibilities to choose, not to mention the bakery's signature goodies, such as key lime pie, which can be added. Rachel Prowler, a recent Schreiber grad who will be attending the Culinary Institute of America in September, gave a demonstration on the art and science of LN2. From start to finish, it takes about two minutes. She said, "I love interacting with all the customers and business has really picked up, especially at night." 

One current house favorite is banana and nutella peanut butter. It's a cold blast to the taste buds that seems to scream extraordinary. However, for an extra special treat, customers can also create a dessert that uses creme brulee as the base with specialities such as  oreo or caramel blended in.

Ice cream snobs are already "regulars." Although servings aren't inexpensive and range from $3.75 to $5.25,  perfection doesn't have a price, and the bakery offers the crowd a place to indulge, entertain and enjoy.

Evening hours at Main Street have been extended. The bakery is  now open until 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.