March 1, 2016 By Michael Florio
A new bakery is open in Hunters Point featuring a wide variety of creative pastries and gelatos.
SugarCube, located at 10-16 50th Ave., opened this weekend, according to owner Peter Zaharatos.
Zaharatos said that Mauricio Santelice will be the pastry chef at the bakery. Santelice is the founder of the “Don Huevo” dessert, which is a chocolate egg that opens up when caramel sauce is poured onto it, revealing another dessert inside. He has also won an episode of the Food Network show “Sweet Genius.”
“He is a very creative and inventive pastry chef,” Zaharatos said. “He has a lot of experience in high end restaurants and hotels.”
Santelice created the menu for the bakery.
The menu includes unique desserts with French, Greek and American inspiration, according to Zaharatos. It will have a variety of pastries, gelatos, chocolates and coffees.
Menu items will include strawberry shortcake, chocolate mousse cube, Greek coffee tart, tiramisu with Oreo blackout cocoa and Aegina Island pistachio éclair. Chocolates include Greek pistachio ganache and Greek sour cherry.
The menu will also feature a variety of gelatos such as salted caramel gelato, passion fruit mandarin sorbet and Greek 
strawberry yogurt with Greek thyme honey. It will also have baked items such as Melomakarona, a Greek honey vegan cookie, as well as butter croissants, orange cranberry scones, cheddar scones, blueberry muffins and a variety of coffees, according to Zaharatos.
The hours are currently 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. However, they may change to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., depending on the needs of clientele. The bakery can seat 18 people.
“We are testing the hours and want to see what the need is,” Zaharatos said.
Zaharatos, who lives in Bay Ridge, has often traveled through Long Island City for work and noticed how up and coming the neighborhood was, he said.
“A lot of people are moving into the neighborhood from all over,” he said. “But it still needs something special.”
“It is a wonderful community with a terrific culture,” he added. “We are excited to be a part of it.”
He hopes the bakery will become a place where residents will come to have a coffee and pastry while they work or meet with friends.
“Cafés are a place where ideas happen,” he said. “There’s a need for that in Long Island City.”
This is the first bakery that Zaharatos has opened.
Previously, he worked as an architect. He has worked as lead designer for the Second Avenue subway prototyping the station entrance design. He also helped design the new NYPD Academy in College Point.
He designed the bakery himself.
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17 Comments
Finally something besides just a coffee shop. Wasn’t this originally reported as to only be a coffee shop? Glad they were wrong
Walked in and was impressed! Gelato was delicious. Pistachio eclair was heavenly. Chocolate pastry was divine. Decor is gorgeous. I haven’t tried the coffee yet. Welcome to the ‘hood!
This sounds like a safe and healthy place to bring the kids and learn about Greek desserts. Just wondering if the gelato will be tree-nut free. Welcome to the neighborhood!
Why don’t you call and ask?
Pastries are great, but…a bakery without bread?
Stopped in on opening day. They have the best sorbet I’ve had in the city…and I’m pretty picky. The chocolates were too rich for me, but I’m a cheap chocolates kind of guy. Glad to have more choices in the neighborhood.
Can’t wait to try the fair, good luck, wishing you the best .
Fantastic!! It’s great to see young, multi-talented, creative, local entrepreneurs contributing to the upcoming, thriving and cuturally-diverse community!! Can’t wait to stop by and…sharing!
Best of luck
Awesome. The Greek themed desserts sound great. Can’t wait to sample!
Weird how this site selectively chooses to profile new businesses. How come no story about the new wine/cheese/chocolate place on Vernon that’s always empty? Or the place that suddenly replaced Testaccio? Are the places this site chooses to highlight paying for the privilege?
I am not sure but I suspect that when the comments are closed it is either paid for or requested by the profiled business. Again just my thoughts
The place in the Testaccio place is the same owners. New menu and new name. It’s a massive improvement. Calzone is awesome.
Stopped in on my way out of town just to take a peek. Looks awesome and the owners are really nice. Didn’t try anything because I was on my way to lunch but it all looks delicious.
I just wish it had a different name, since I’m trying to avoid sugar !
I’ll take one of everything pls.
How’s the coffee tho?
Very impressive space and not messing around with the treats either. Thumbs up