Jerri's Cakery & Confections opens in Eastport

Since she moved her bakery out of the castle, Jerri Raynor Montillo has ...

Wait, what?

This is no fairy tale: When it opened in 2018, Jerri’s Cakery & Confections was located inside the stucco castle on Montauk Highway adjacent to Westhampton’s Casa Basso. But when that historic Italian restaurant closed in December, Montillo was banished into the wilderness. Luckily, it wasn’t long before she found a new home, the freestanding Eastport building that had housed Eastport’s Little Secret, a boutique that closed around the same time. Jerri’s 2.0 opened its doors on Feb. 22. "It was fun to be in the castle," she said, “but almost no one went in. Some people thought it was part of Casa Basso, and a lot of people just never drove by because most people headed for Westhampton are on Sunrise, not Montauk."

The castle’s lack of walk-in / drive-by traffic wasn’t a big problem because Jerri’s stock in trade was elaborate occasion cakes. In the front-most chamber, Montillo displayed a small selection of baked goods and old-fashioned candies and, occasionally, served high tea. The real action was in the kitchen where she and Belinda Nagy baked their hearts out for parties and custom orders. Montillo handled the cakes, cupcakes and cookies; Nagy (whose nom de cuisine is Queen Bee Bakes) baked the baguettes, focaccias, muffins and pastries.

Now, in Eastport, the two women have found a very happy beginning. The new shop is bright and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling picture windows that let passersby know exactly what’s happening inside. Big tables accommodate groups of noshers and lone snackers. There are board games and a self-serve coffee station for extended stays.

Cupcakes here are highly recommended. Whether simple (vanilla with chocolate frosting) or fanciful (birthday with Funfetti), they are iced with Italian-meringue buttercream, which, according to Montillo, is creamy, glossy, stable and not overly sweet. Full size are $4.95, minis are $2.75. Blondies and brownies are $3.95, big, homestyle cookies (chocolate chip, peanut butter, Oreo chunk, chocolate with marshmallows, pecans and walnuts, oatmeal raisin, M & M) are $3.50, rugelach are $24.95 / pound.

From the Queen Bee repertoire come focaccia (rosemary, pepper, cheese, $10 a slab), baguettes ($6), croissants ($5 to $6), danish ($5) and even dog treats ($35 / pound).

The store has been bustling from Day 1, yet many of Montillo's new customers don’t even know about her custom-cake business. “We’ve been so busy," she said, “I haven’t had time to make any models to display."

Jerri’s Cakery & Confections, 495 Montauk Hwy., Eastport, 631-223-8986, jerricakes.com. Open Tuesday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday and Monday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.