At first glance, the sundrenched Fora looks like any number of stylish cafés you might find in the Hamptons or on the pages of a contemporary design catalog.
Its bright, minimalist look has a vaguely Mediterranean vibe with a light blue color scheme and a boutique selection of perfectly arranged trinkets. The seaside look is so complete that it’s easy to forget you’re in suburban Port Washington, despite the large windows looking out at a gas station.
But the menu goes beyond avocado toast. Underneath the all-day breakfast section, a smaller “around the world” category has dishes like shakshuka and cilbir, a hard-to-find egg dish that hails from Turkey.
Co-owner Engin Koksal is from Istanbul and opened the shop with his wife Leyla in September. Her family owns Krinti Mediterranean Grill in Woodbury, and the two wanted to open a healthy cafe in Port Washington where they live. They prepared by traveling to coffee shops across New York and taking notes on what worked and what didn’t. Leyla designed the new space herself, converting it from its previous days as a hair salon.
“The Mediterranean people, the Greeks, Italians, can have omelets and healthy breakfast all day long. You don’t have to go with heavy stuff,” Koksal said.
Cilbir is a Turkish egg dish with Greek yogurt and Aleppo pepper at Fora Cafe in Port Washington. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
Dishes like the cilbir ($17) are on the small and snackable side, highlighting fresh ingredients. Two poached eggs are completely submerged in tangy Greek yogurt and scatters of green herbs. A bright chile oil made from Aleppo pepper swirls around the yogurt cloud, so that when smeared on the sourdough bread, every bite is creamy with a touch of spice. It’s a nice contrast to the strong cup of Turkish coffee ($3.75), which is prepared in a traditional cezve in the back and served on delicate porcelain cup.
The cafe also serves a full Turkish breakfast for two ($35) with slices of tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, simit bread, jams and sunnyside up eggs. Served on a three tiered stand, it’s a dainty but mighty feast.
Fora Cafe, 3 Manorhaven Blvd., Port Washington, 516-321-9024, foracafeny.com. Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
