(PHOTO
- Gus Isgro) |
"Everything
we do is done by hand. We focus on quality
not volume. We have one store so that we
can maintain our standards, because you
have to be there all of the time. It's my
name -nothing goes out without my approval."
|
"We
have kept our recipes the same for 100 years,
there has been no deviation. Our purveyors sometimes
change their product lines and we adjust our technique
to make the end result consistent. Similarly,
we tweak production based on the shop conditions
(humid or cold), so that there are no disruptions
in quality."
"All
of our cookies are mixed and cut by hand. Sure
we could use a machine, but I'd have to alter
the recipes and I won't do that."
"For
our Italian cream cake (cassada) we maintain
tradition and do not cut corners. We make our
Italian cream in a large copper bowl, the way
we always have. Our ricotta must be perfect,
always creamy, not too wet, not too dry. I like
my impusta in the 63 - 63 ½ percent moisture
range and my ricotta in the 66-67 percent moisture
range. If we don't hit our mark, we make it
over."
"We
do go the extra mile to make our customers happy.
We'll do custom cakes, say if someone wants
no rum, or an iced cake with half chocolate
jimmies and half something else. We'll work
with them to personalize the order."
"My
grandfather installed a nine-foot marble table
that's four inches thick and mounted in a bed
of cement and plaster. When I was young, we
made cannoli on the marble, which gave it a
clean cut. Today, we still use that table even
though it's low - my family was short."
"We
will always fill cannoli fresh as the customer
comes in. The best part is the crispy shell,
and you only get that if it's freshly-filled."
"I
would challenge anyone else in the city to match
our freshness. I always give the best I know
how to give."
|
