Buona Pasqua !!

On our trip to Italy last month we visited numerous pastry shops in Rome and Naples. Almost all of the shops were already starting to sell Easter pastries so I understood that it is a huge pastry holiday over there. We were hoping to be open this year for Easter but shit happens. Next year we will blow it out!!

Here is an interesting article on Italian Easter pastries:

Italy is known throughout the world not only for its history, art, music and breathtaking landscapes but also for its delish dishes and deserts. For example, if you are lucky enough to visit the peninsula during the Easter period, you will find that Italy has a vast range of homemade, artisan products and even commercial products that all derive from traditional regional recipes. During Easter week, typical regional pastries can be found in any pastry shop. The most celebrated are probably the la pastiera, la colomba and il casatiello.
La pastiera is a Neapolitan desert symbolic of springtime. Made of a base of ricotta cheese, egg and sugar, it also contains two crucial ingredients that render its unique and unmistakable taste: orange flower water and cooked wheat. All of these ingredients are then poured into a base of pastry dough and then covered with strips of pastry dough, exactly like a pie in America.
Often, reality mixes with legends and folklore and this peculiarity alone renders Italy rich with magic. In fact, the history of la pastiera is tied to the legend of the Parthenope Mermaid. Legend has it that the Parthenope Mermaid would enliven the people of the Gulf of Naples with her sweet song. In return, to show thanks, the people of Naples offered the Mermaid the fruits of their fertile land: flour, which symbolizes the richness and strength from the peasants; ricotta, a gift from the pastors; eggs, a symbol of life; tender wheat boiled in milk, a symbol abundance; orange flower water to represent the perfume from the land; as well as other sweet spices and sugar from far away places in the Orient, symbols of her sweet sublime song.
Touched by the many gifts, in return, the Parthenope Mermaid returned to her kingdom deep in the abyss and presented her generous gifts at the feet of the gods. Fascinated by the gifts and by the song of the Parthenope Mermaid, the gods used their divine powers to mix all the ingredients that the Mermaid received. The result: la pastiera, a desert that exceeded the goodness and sweetness of the Mermaid herself. There is even an anecdote regarding this tasty desert.
King Ferdinand II married Maria Theresa of Austria, an astere woman who reigned with the nickname of “the queen who never smiles.” Well, it is said, that one day, Maria Theresa gave in on a piece of pastiera, after Ferdinand insisted, and as soon as she tasted it, her face was quickly with illuminated with a smile. The King then declared that “la pastiera is the only way to make Maria Theresa smile and now I have to wait till next Easter to see her smile again!”
Another typical Easter desert is la colomba, named after the form it takes of a dove, the symbol of peace. The dough and consistency is similar to that of the traditional Christmas cake, panettone, made of egg, sugar, yeast and butter; however the difference is that the colomba contains candied fruit instead of raisins like in panettone. La colomba is worked in the form of a dove and covered with granules of sugar and almonds, before it is cooked in the oven and passes a long levitation time. The origins of the colomba date back to the VI century. Recently, the famous Milanese company, Motta, render this desert famous worldwide. The difficulty in the preparation of this desert is found in the long preparation time; therefore it is important to not rush the process, so that it rises perfectly.
Lastly, il casatiello is a country bread from Naples. The word casatiello derives from the word case, which in Neapolitan dialect means “cheese.” It is made up of flour, water, yeast, salt and pepper. While kneading the dough, many different cheeses are added, along with salami, cooked ham and pig lard. The dough is then worked in the form of a ring to symbolize Jesus’ crown of thorns and four raw eggs with their shell are placed on top of the ring and slightly immersed in the dough.
Il casatiello is cooked in a wood burning oven, just like la pizza napoletana, but a normal oven will do. As in many traditional Italian foods, this country bread has its share of religious symbolism. The rising dough means new life, the shape of the bread represents the crown of thorns and the eggs symbolize rebirth. Il casatiello is enjoyed during the big lunch on Easter day or even brought to the traditional picnic held on the Monday after Easter, Pasquetta.
Each recipe renders all of the 20 regions unique and adds even more beauty to the Italian culture. Happy Easter!



 Every year one of my partners donates pastries to a home for retired Jesuit's. This year we decided to make some pastries as a test run of some of our recipes for the donation. We didn't do any traditional Easter pastries but we made massive amounts ( in my home kitchen) of the tested recipes from our collection. The stuff came out pretty good and I heard it went over well.

Taste & Taste again

After a week straight of making and eating cookies ( I can't even say the word cookie without getting nauseous) we move on to some other menu items.

Berry Marmalade Tart-bacca marmellata-- Hazelnut crust, local berry jam

Pasticiotto-(custard pie) pasta frolla crust, vanilla custard filling

Ricotta cheesecake tart

Pignoli tart- pasta frolla crust, almond sponge, pignoli

NY Cheesecake- torta di formaggio- cookie crust, with seasonal fruit or without

Ricotta cheesecake-torta di ricotta- Local ricotta cheese, amaretti crust, with fruit or without

Cannoli- crispy fried shell, impastata filling

 

Many challenges arise when you are out of a professional environment. Oven temperature and evenness of baking, lack of space and deep frying in general were among the worst for us. After some trial and error I think we had some decent results.

 

We pushed pretty hard all week. Trying time and again to perfect some recipes as best we could in the environment we were in (pasticciotto with its damn hollow top!) and now it was time for a second tasting. This time for my partner and his wife in Ramsey.

All went pretty well. Some criticism on the cannoli cream "to light" and the pignoli cookies "not right".  I can deal with that. We pretty much nailed everything else. I will conquer you pine nut!!

So back to the drawing board on a few select items. We push on. I cant wait to get in a real kitchen!!

R&D

Back from Italy. Energized and ready to go. Architect plans have been finalized and submitted to the town and I wait anxiously for the construction approval.

Our first employee has been hired and started work this week my assistant pastry chef. I convinced my friend Sal from Baltimore that he was much to Italian to be living in the south. He is now here in Ramsey fitting in just fine.

 Things are a little behind schedule and we are not able to get into the space to do production so we are testing the recipes at my house. Not an ideal situation but better than sitting around waiting. We are starting off with cookies.My plan is to stick to mostly traditional Italian bakery cookies but offer them in an upscale way with some  unique twists. The cookie menu so far is as follows:

Cookies (Biscotti)

Pizzelle- waffle cookie-anise

Biscotti-chocolate chip, pistachio lemon, orange walnut, cherry white chocolate, anise toast

Pecan snow ball- pecan cookies, vanilla powder sugar

Cinnamon Pasta Frolla- cinnamon shortbread 

Meringue- cocoa, pistachio, coconut

Amaretti- almond macaroons

Checkerboard- scacchiera pasta frolla -- chocolate and orange shortbread

Butter cookies- chocolate sprinkles, jam filled, chocolate dipped, plain

Pignoli- almond macaroons with pinenuts

Regina- sesame cookie

Rainbow cookie- colorful almond cake, raspberry jam, chocolate glaze

Lemon cookie- lemon cello glazed cookie

So far testing has been going pretty well considering we have 5 half sheet pans, 2 kitchen aids and a piece of shit fridgidaire oven.

We have been taking each recipe and trying to tweak it to make it perfect. Easier said than done but we have been kicking ass. We are doing a tasting for my partners in NYC on Friday.

 

Cookies baked and packaged we head to NYC to do a tasting for the partners.

 

So here we are on the 28th floor of an office building in times square. I have all of the cookies displayed and labeled on the table and we start tasting. All goes well with almost all of the items. A few constructive critiques and a few suggestions on things to tighten up but all went excellent.

With cookies pretty much nailed down we prepare to tackle on the next section of the menu.

 

 

Authentico

L'Arte Della Pasticceria which translates from Italian as The Art of Pastry is the name we decided on for our shop. The goal is to provide artisan, small batch production, authentic Italian pastries.

I grew up in New Jersey and every bakery is a so called Italian bakery.I spent a year working in Innsbruck Austria which is very close to Italy. I traveled and ate my way through the north of Italy and I lived in the Italian part of Switzerland for 2 months so I have a good idea of (northern) Italian  pastries. To really get a sense of what authentic Italian pastries are my partners and I decided to take a trip to the source. First stop Rome!

I found Rome to have a great variety of northern and southern Italian pastries Some of the ones that were rated the best I found them to have to much French influence( a lot of mousse cakes and unnecessary garnishes) Gelato seemed to be more popular in Rome than in Naples with a gelato store on almost every block .Below was our itinerary of the capital city and we did a pretty good job of hitting almost every shop

See below for our days in Rome.  I have sourced these businesses from the Internet and sources I have at home.  The bulk of the below are from Katie Parla who is a highly regarded food historian and author of the food and travel blog Parla Food.  Bottom line she is widely acknowledged as  LA PRINCIPESSA of dining in Rome; ROME, an academic book for the educated traveler written by Mauro, Paola, Eric and Jack Lucentini; and my own very amateur and humble experiences/observations.

PASTRY SHOPS
Mondi
(Ponte Milvio) known for the assorted mini-shortbread crusts filled with cream and topped with fruit. Chaotic at traditional feeding times: 0730-0900,  1400-1500, and 1800-1900 (they serve assorted savory pastries and snacks for aperitivo)
Via Flaminia 468, +39 06 333 6466; mondiroma.it
Said
(San Lorenzo just off Via Tiburtina) highly regarded chocolate factory; handmade chocolates and other confections. Well known for their  caprese (a chocolate cake made with finely ground almonds) and torta di pere e cioccolato (chocolate cake with pear slices). Via Tiburtina 135 said.it

Caffè Sant'Eustachio
(Pantheon)  Coffee: wood-fuelled hand-calibrated coffee roaster which dates to the 1940s. The shop was taken over by brothers Raimondo and Riccardo Ricci in 1999.  They continue the tradition of serving excellent coffee, often from organic and fair trade growers. The pastries are also very good but not made on site (I believe). Piazza Sant'Eustachio 82  santeustachioilcaffe.it

Cristalli di Zucchero
(Various) The "best pastry shop" in Rome, specialises in miniature pastries and pretty cakes. This business has two locations but the original location is in Monteverde. They are sell sandwiches to choose from and serve snacks for the early evening aperitivo hour (1800-1900). Their second location is near the Circus Maximus (Via di San Teodoro 88) serves similar items, but  no seating. N.B. the second location is a few doors down from Rome's largest farmers' market (Saturdays and Sundays).
Via di Val Tellina 114, + 39 06 582 30323, cristallidizucchero.it
Andreotti
(EUR!) A tricked out "café" which makes traditional Roman pastries like cornetti (the local take on croissant) and maritozzi con la panna (sweet buns filled with whipped cream), as well as an assortment of cakes and tarts.
Via Ostiense 54b; +39 06 575 0773, andreottiroma.com
Regoli
(Piazza Vittorio)  I have been to this pastry shop.  It is the quintessential Italian/Roman pastry shop and closest to what I experienced in Itri and Brooklyn.  Regoli is strictly old school with no BS anything. It now stands alone in central Rome. Its maritozzi (sweet buns filled with whipped cream), bavaresi, crostate (jam tarts) and torte di fragoline (cake with chantilly cream and wild strawberries). Beverages? Seating? Waitresses? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! But they do have a website!
Via dello Statuto 60, +39 06 487 2812, pasticceriaregoli.com

Biscottificio Innocenti
(Trastevere) A family-run shop for more than a century. Well known for their tea cookies and cakes. During Carnivale (either in late February or early March), step in for frappe (crispy strips of fried dough dusted with confectioner's sugar). The days leading up to the Feast of San Giuseppe (19 March) see the sale of bigne (cream-filled choux pastry). No seating…of course.
Via della Luce 21; (no website)













GELATO
Il Gelato di Claudio Torcè
(EUR!) If there is one person responsible for the relatively recent and exponential improvement of Rome's gelato culture, it is Claudio Torcè. He has trained some of Rome's premier gelatai and prides himself on producing more than 100 all-natural gelato flavors without the slightest compromise in quality. Options range from the traditional chocolate and strawberry (both of which are exceptional) to unique flavors such as Sichuan pepper and black sesame. Torcè now has seven locations throughout Rome and its suburbs. The most central are found near the Circus Maximus on Viale Aventino 59 and near the Ara Pacis Museum in Piazza Monte d'Oro. The original shop is at Viale dell'Aeronautica 105 but we can easily visit Piazza Monte d’Oro, 91-92 ilgelatodiclaudiotor

V-ice
(Largo Argentina) Gelato at V-ice is made with organic milk and fine ingredients culled from the list of Italy's Slow Food recognized products. Bronte pistacchios, mandarins from Ciaculli, almonds from Noto, and Tuscan pine nuts, are just a few of the ingredients transfromed into truly exceptional gelato. V-ice also makes its own chocolate.  Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 96

Fior di Luna
(Trastevere) This top-notch gelateria in Trastevere serves exceptional and intense fruit flavors, many made with ingredients cultivated in Lazio. The creamy flavors employ local organic milk and the chocolate comes from fair trade sources. Via della Lungaretta 96

Gori
(Northern Rome) Katie Perela writing "I first read about this place last year on Tavole Romane, but I didn’t visit until recently. I will never forgive myself for waiting so long. The gelato is made in the all-natural style of Claudio Torcè (the Goris are part of a small but growing number of his disciples), the flavors are clean and creative, and the service is patient and enthusiastic. Pumpkin seed and buckwheat-myrtle gelato. Gori is in northern Rome, but is very easy to get to from Termini on the 84 or 90 buses. Piazza Menenio Agrippa 8b/8c (Don't worry…we are going to rent a driver).

Neve di Latte (Snow of milk)
(Northern Rome) In the short time it has been open, Neve di Latte has already gotten tons of press from Italian food blogs (Pasto Nudo, Senza Panna, and Scatti di Gusto, to name a few). It is the newest project of gelataio Ermanno di Pomponio, who has been in the business for decades and closed the much-loved Il Mio Gelato Naturale in November. The ingredients are maniacally sourced (the milk comes from a biodynamic producer in Germany, the eggs are from Paolo Parisi, the chocolate is Amedei) and di Pomponio’s gelato is creamy and intense, with a consistency verging on lightness. Chocolate and cherry swirl gelato is highly recommended by Parla.

Via Luigi Poletti 6; closed Tuesday.
Gelateria Fatamorgana
Creative, whimsical flavors abound at gelataia Maria Agnese Spagnuolo’s two locations. Flavors feature surprising combos like pear and gorgonzola, chocolate and tobacco, black rice and rose petals. The owner of this place is a woman and she was trained by the Roman Emperor of gelato Claudio Torce. Panacea and coconut gelato are recommended by Parla. Via di Lago Lesina 9/11 or Via Bettolo 7;


Gelateria della Palma
(Pantheon) Very modern, very touristic but pretty/very good. Its in the middle of everything and worth a stop. Via della Maddalena, 19/23

Giolitti
(Colonna) Rome's most famous gelaterie, extremely busy and blown out by government office workers and of course tourists.  You must experience this place but the gelato...eh. Via degli Uffici del Vicario

 

Il Gelato di San Crispino
(Trevi) Given its location and how these folks describe themselves "a laboratory" researching new flavors and textures we should certainly visit. They are also considered by some folks as one of the best in Rome since they only use fresh, organic ingredients in very nice packaging.  I have been to this place several times with the kids. The quality is …eh.

Via della Panetteria 42
Gelateria Ciampini
(Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina 29) I have been there with the kids and its in the center of Rome. A very creamy gelato and better than eh.

 

GRANITA - a slushy, sugary, icey mixture that is primarily a southern Italian phenomenon
Cremeria Monforte
(next to the Pantheon) Recommended by Parla just for the granita, via della rotonda 22
Ciuri Ciuri
(north of Colosseo) This should be interesting.  Parla recommended them for the excellent granita but they style themselves a "pasticceria siciliana" which might be very helpful for us. Any way the reviews are very strong and they are worth the trip.

NAPOLI

After an eating marathon in Rome we are off to Naples a city famous for food particularly pizza, puttanesca, eggplant parmesan but more importantly pastry. There is a pastry shop on almost every block mostly with the same specialties. Sfoglietelle and rum baba being the reigning champions. Below is our itinerary from Naples

 

 

 
1) Attanasio - Antico Forno delle Sfoglitelle Calde (SE- 5 blocks from the Termini Napoli and one block east of Piazza Garabaldi)

(Vico Ferrovia, 1-2-3-4), a small bakery that serves a heavenly sfoglia riccia hot out of the oven.  Based upon their local reviews they may be considered one of the best makers of sfoglietelle.BY THE WAY THIS GUY HAS ON HIS WEBSITE VIDEOS! WHICH APPEAR TO ME TO BE VERY DETAILED ON HOW TO MAKE VARIOUS KINDS OF SFOGLITELLE BUT OBVIOUSLY NO RECEIPES.  WE SHOULD ALL TAKE A LOOK AT THEM…THERE ARE MORE THAN SEVERAL sfogliatelleattanasio.it

EXCELSIOR
PORT SAN LUCIA
BAY OF NAPOLI
CASTEL DELL'OVO
PIAZZA DEL PLEBISCITO
ROYAL PALACE OF NAPOLI (NOW BIBLIOTECA NAZIONALE VITTORIO EMMANUELE III)
BRANDI (SEE BELOW PIZZA)
2) Gran Caffe Gambrinus 
(Via Chiaia, 1-2; 39-081-41-75-82; www.caffegambrinus.com), a marbled cafe from the late 19th century that hosted the rich and famous, including Oscar Wilde. Closed on Tuesday. I've been to this place many times over my life time.  It was my Zia Maria's favorite place in Napoli.

SANTA CATERINA A CHIAIA
3) Gran Caffe Cimmino(NE)
Via Gaetano Filangeri, 12, Per a customer review - it’s a piece of heaven.
4) Gay Odin
(Vico Vetriera 12) La storica cioccolateria napoletana, in alcune delle sue sedi, come quella a Via Benedetto Croce, ha anche un ricco assortimento di gusti di gelati, tutti sulle diverse varianti del cioccolato. Veramente un paradiso! Si passa dal loro tipico gusto al cioccolato foresta, al brasiliano che è un eccellente mix di cacao e caffè, e ancora al cioccolato con rum o con cannella, cioccolato bianco, extra fondente. Insomma una vera tentazione per gli amanti del cioccolato!

WALK THROUGH SPANISH QUARTER
5) Gelateria della Scimmia
Established way back in 1934, Piazza Carità 4 (tel. +39- 081-552-0272),
TO SUBWAY-TOLEDO TO CAVOUR
6) Pasticceria Mignone (E)
(Piazza Cavour 145) recommended by Katie Parla

7) Pasticceria Aruta Pasquale (E)
(Via Porta San Gennaro 34) recommended by Katie Parla
8) Bar Tico,
(Via del Duomo 27) We would go here for the expresso.
WALK TO DUOMO OF NAPLES
9) Pasticceria Angelo Carbone (E)
(Largo Regina Coeli 4) recommended by Katie Parla
WALK TO SAN DOMENICO MAGGIORE
10) Scaturchio (SE)
(Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, 19) the oldest pastry shop in Naples and some touristic sites claim to be the best…we shall see.

11) Gran Caffe Aragonese (SE)
(Piazza San Domenico Maggiore 5-8) has cosy seats indoors and house coffee made with espresso and vanilla ice-cream; opposite Scaturchio, www.grancaffearagonese.it

VIA SAN GREGORIO ARMENO
EARLY EVENING
TASSI
1) Gran Bar Riviera (N) (gelato)
(Riviera di Chiaia 183) opened in 1860 and claims to have invented the tartufo.
2) Fantasia Gelati (gelato)
(Piazza Vanvitelli) Via Francesco 80, in cui troverete un’infinità di gusti particolarissimi e uno più gustoso dell’altro. Un vero rimedio per ogni tristezza, se non credete a quel che diciamo, fateci un salto

TASSI
3) Chalet Ciro (N) (gelato)
Via Merogellina 31

 
SECONDARY PLACES WHICH WE CAN DECIDE UPON VISITING ONCE WE ARE DONE WITH THE ABOVE
Bellavia, Caraturo, Moccia, Pintauro, Leopoldo , La fonte del dolce

 AUTISTA- Outside of Naples
Pasquale Marigliano (pasticceria)
Via G. D'Annunzio 23, 80040 San Gennarello di Ottaviano (NA), recommended by Scatti di Gusto and the only place in Napoli to get a 91 pasticceria.  Ranked number 4 in all of Italia.  Only one place on our list in Rome got a 90 (Cristalli di Zucchero).  Scatti di Gusto also puts out a guide list for all of Italy which I will try to purchase.

PASTICCERIA NAPUL'E'CENTRELLA GIUSEPPINA (pasticceria)
Viale Dei Tigli, 4880013 CASALNUOVO DI NAPOLI (NA)
Recommended by Scatti di Gusto which gave it an 87…in other words the second highest rated place in Napoli. Keep in mind the highest ranked place in Rome is an 86 and I missed it Perle.  We will need to add it to the Rome list.

CREMERIA GABRIELE (Gelato)
Ai primi segnali di dipendenza dal limone igp della costiera sorrentina e dalla ricotta al passito e fichi caramellati rallentante, consigliava un post di Dissapore. Se questi sono i cavalli di battaglia dei fratelli Cuomo, l’altra tentazione cui prima o poi si cede è il babà in funzione del cono o della coppetta. Lussi che solo in un gastrocosmo a sé come Vico Equense ci si può permettere.  Ranked No. 14 in Italy and the only place in Naples to make the list. Corso Umberto I, 8 – Vico Equense

Otranto (Gelato)
Fresh, high-quality ingredients make for excellent gelato. The milk and other products are natural and come from Campania. Flavors are mostly classic, but change seasonally to mimic Neapolitan pastries, like cassata, roccocò, and pastiera napoletana. Piazza Fanzago 118

Bilancione Gelateria
(Via Posillipo 238) che oltre ad avere gelati veramente sublimi, è situato in uno dei punti più suggestivi di tutta Napoli. La vista del Golfo partenopeo, che da lì si può vedere, è da togliere il fiato.

Remy (N) (gelato)
Via F. Galiani 29 a Mergellina, che ha alle spalle un aneddoto interessate: fu aperta da un marchigiano nel 1919, questi non aveva intenzione di stabilirsi a Napoli, ma, arrivato qui con l’intenzione di imbarcarsi per raggiungere gli Stati Uniti e partire come emigrante, si innamorò a tal punto della città che abbandonò il suo precedente progetto e fondò la gelateria, che ora è alla sua quarta generazione.

PASTICCERIA VOLPE
(Viale Colli Aminei n°225) - 80131 - Napoli (NA) for obvious reasons and recommended in a NY Times review from several years ago.  Close to Museo Capodimonti http://www.pasticceriavolpe.it/

Blank Canvas

 Designing the layout for the kitchen was something that I thought could be so easy. I was like hey I'm not paying anyone to do that when I can do it myself. Trust me you want and NEED a professional architect to do this work. The architect knows all of the building and health codes and will file all of the permits for you.

So this is how I went about it. I got a basic floor plan from the landlord and sketched out where I thought all of the equipment should go. I sent over all of the cut sheets from the manufacturer. I put the architect in contact with all of the equipment vendors, oven company, hood installation, fire suppression etc.. He then takes all of the specs and puts them into a computer program called CAD and voila! out comes a floor plan. Functional, in code, my vision.

All of the plans have now been sent over to the town building inspector and electric company. I'm told it can take up to 2 weeks to approve the plans then construction can start.

So with a few weeks of lag time how about a little research and development? Italia anyone?!!

Heavy Duty

All major equipment has been sourced and deposits have been made. I still need quite a few more things but this is all the architect needs to submit plans to the town.  Here is what I decided on so far:

REVENT 724 DOUBLE RACK GAS OVEN  REVENT 7121 PROOF BOX REVENT ELECTRIC DECK OVEN MODEL 3212, BELSHAW 718LCG OPEN KETTLE GAS FRYER BELSHAW EZ MELT 18 MELTER-FILTERING SYSTEM LVO PAN WASHER, MODEL FL10 GAS WASH HEAT

REFRIGERATOR, REACH-IN, 2 SECTIONS

True Food Service Equipment Model No. T-49

 FREEZER, REACH-IN, 1 SECTION 2,793.15 2,793.15
True Food Service Equipment Model No. T-23F

LJKK-OWST-18-2J

J CANDY STOVE W/WOK RING TOP 2 W/JET BURNERS 170,000

BTU'S

MIXER, PLANETARY

Alfa International Model No. APM-60HD

Commercial Precision Mixer, 60-80 quart bowl capacity, 3-speed, manual

bowl lift, locking handles, 30 min. timer w/automatic shut-off, stainless

steel bowl & guard, gear reduction transmission, #12 attachment power

hub, dough hook, beater paddle, bowl dolly & stabilizer, 65-208 RPM, 4

40 QT ACCESSORY PACKAGE1 40 QT SS BOWL,BEATER,WHIP &

HOOK & ADAPTER PLATE

.

*** In my almost 20 years in the business I have always been a Hobart guy. A few years ago I opened a bakeshop in a casino and we bought a brand new hobart legacy. It was all digital and alot of it was plastic. Long story short it broke down on a weekly basis and the service costs a fortune. Checking out mixers for this project I came across the above mixer. I never heard of them before but the price was really cheap which normally would make me suspicious but they offer a 7 year warranty. So I'm going out on a limb and will give them a shot.

RANGE, 24", 4 OPEN BURNERS

Southbend Model No. S24E

SAFETY SYSTEM MOVEABLE GAS CONNECTOR

Dormont Manufacturing Model No. 1675KIT24

PAN INSERT RACK

Channel Manufacturing Model No. RIR-16

GAS REGULATOR

Dormont Manufacturing Model No. RV48CL-42

 

 

9 ft Commercial kitchen grease hood-Type1

UL300 wet chemical fire suppression system

7 ft commercial kitchen pizza hood

8" direct venting for revent oven

 

Combination Cooler and Freezer

one 8' 10" x 8' 10" x 6' 11" walk in freezer

one 8'4"x 8x 10" x 6'x 11" Walk in cooler

 

 

 

2 ea. 5 ft Classique III Refrigerated Self Service Merchandiser

 

 

 

  
Classique III Refrigerated Self Service Merchandis
Classique III Refrigerated Self Service Merchandiser

Buyer Beware

Now its time to source major equipment. I found this to be fun and exciting but also stressful. If you make the wrong decisions it could have devastating effects down the road.

***WARNING***
Before you start looking at stuff check with your contractor, architect and landlord to find out what type of electric the space has. Most major commercial appliances run on 3 phase electric ( I found this out the hard way). As you start deciding on equipment get cut sheets ( a PDF file with all of the technical information on it) from the manufacturer and send them to your contractor and architect to review before you make the purchase.

 The restaurant equipment business is equal in "shadyness" to used car salesmen or weight loss drug infomercials.There is no official place that I know of that honestly reviews commercial kitchen equipment so everything is word of mouth. The only thing you can do is rely on your own past experience and reach out to people in the industry to see what they are using  and recommend.

 My main priority at this point is to source all of the big items that the architect needs to start his drawings. Hoods, walk in boxes,ovens refrigeration, range,deep fryer, mixers, sinks, pan washer, large work tables and showcases

I am in the NJ area and wanted to find a company as local as possible. I started like everyone else on google. I found several companies in the NJ, NY area. As I mentioned there is no place that reviews this kind of stuff so I am going to do my own review based on my experience. You should of course use your best judgement (and budget) to decide what you need.

USED- There are a ton of restaurant supply places that sell used equipment. Bowery street in NYC has like 4 blocks of these places where you can get some good deals on new and used items. Be careful alot of these things may be refurbished items from hurricane Sandy or who knows where else. A lot of these store are not exactly hygienic either. If you are going to get anything from here I would suggest only smallwares.

Ovens and Major Equipment

Below I am going to list several companies that I checked out and my thoughts on each

Mediterranean restaurant supply 1597 US Highway 22 West Union, NJ- http://mrenj.com/ - This place has a wide variety of new and used stuff. I gave them a list of everything I needed and never heard back from them. I called and emailed them several times. Customer service sucks

 NJ restaurant equipment corporation 51 Broad Ave Fairview, NJ http://www.njrecorp.com/- Really small showroom. I didn't get anything from here but it looked like they had some good prices

 Empire Bakery Equipment1 C Enterprise Place Hicksville, NY 11801-5347  http://www.empirebake.com/  This company has a full line of bakery products. They specialize in bagel shops. I was seriously looking at their minitube stone hearth deck oven. All of their ovens are made in Italy. I visited the warehouse and they seem to store a good amount of product. They also have a test kitchen that you can go and try out some of the equipment. I reached out to some colleagues in the industry and no one had anything good to say about them. I met with a salesman and I gave him a list of items I needed ( like $100,000 worth). I kept getting emails saying I should receive my quote soon but never did. If they cant even contact you in a timely manner when you want to spend thousands of dollars how are they going to be when your oven breaks down and you need service. Your out empire

Unisource Food systems, Inc.
1505 Lincoln Ave.
Holbrook, New York, 11741  http://www.unisourcefoodequipment.com/

So where do I start with this place. I sent an email request for info and before my finger came off of the send button my phone was ringing. Well after getting blown off by Mediterranean and empire I said ok Ill give them a shot. I was looking at their baby rembrant deck oven and bakery aid rack oven. I took a long ride out to long island. I get there and of course I head for the bathroom first. The place was filthy. I mean really this is your business. Anyway I meet with the salesman who shall remain nameless. He starts spitting out all kinds of bullshit to me like I just got into the business yesterday. I I get a tour of the warehouse where he has all kinds of machines being rebuilt. He claims all of the ovens are built in the US but another source told me they are made in Turkey. The prices are the cheapest in the industry but now I see why. Stay away from unisource.

All Bake Technologies   
1930 Heck Ave Build 1 Suite 4 Neptune NJ 07753     http://www.allbaketech.com/
After an exhausting search, hours of research and reaching out to everyone I know. It was recommended that REVENT http://www.revent.com/ makes the best ovens in the industry (by far not the cheapest). All of the shoprite supermarkets use them. I found a local distributor All bake technologies. I visited the Revent factory in Piscataway and watched them assembling ovens and was able to see the ones I purchased. The salesman was very knowledgeable and helpful in my decision making. They have most everything I needed in the large equipment category ovens, proofer, deep fryer and pan washer. I was  able to pick up a deck oven that was used in the REVENT test kitchen for a great price. Ill keep you posted on customer service during delivery and installation.

E&A Supply
140 E 5th St Plainfield, NJ 07060   http://www.easupply.com/
 Now I got most of my big ticket items (real big!) I still need a few things. This place was recommended to me by a friend. They have absolutely everything. They have a huge showroom and the staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. Maybe not the cheapest place around but after going to the bowery It felt right. From hear I decided to get some reach in refrigeration, range, candy stove, mixer ( more on that later) and a few other things.

AMF sales and Associates-http://www.amfsales.net/AMF_Sales/Welcome.html  Upon a recommendation from a colleague I am in the process of getting a quote for pastry display cases This company services a few major supermarket chains

WALK IN BOXES


BUSH refrigeration  1700 Admiral Wilson Blvd.
Camden, NJ 08109-3990 http://www.bushrefrigeration.com/

This company has been around a long time and they advertise almost everywhere. I contacted them and gave them measurements of my space.  They came up with a quote and emailed it to me right away. The price is super cheap. The thing is that they deliver it and you have to put it together and install it. They will send you installation instructions and tell you how easy it is.My boxes are going in the basement and the space is not ideal so I really wanted someone to come and measure and install. I guess if your pretty handy and have an easy space to install  you could probably save some money with BUSH. But I don't want to take any chances with the refrigeration

Engineering and Refrigeration inc.  56 Baldwin Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306

This company does not have a website or advertise much if any. I was referred by a friend in the industry. They came out measured the space and made recommendations on the best way to set it up. It took well over a week for me to get a quote and it was more than double what BUSH was charging but installation was included. I'm going with them and Ill let you know how it goes.

Hoods, Ventilation and Fire Suppression


There are a ton of companies to choose from. When making a decision you definitely want to make sure they are licensed and insured. I got at least 4 quotes from different companies. I went to visit the local fire inspector to ask him about all of the requirements. Its a good idea to source your equipment first and get a drawing from the architect to give to them so they can get you an accurate quote. The standard pricing is about $1000 a square foot.

Below are few of the companies I got quotes from:

Hood Mart- http://www.hoodmart.com  I found this company over priced. They deliver the hood and you are responsible for installation. Some of their recommended installer's never returned my phone calls.

Hoods R Us/ NJ fire equipment LLC- http://njfireequip.com/   I contacted this fire equipment company and they work together with hoods r us. I almost decided to go with these guys but they kept changing the quote and became very pushy trying to get me to give them a deposit. When I advised them I was using a different company I received a nasty email from them.**** you!!

ANSAM Kitchen & Ventilation corp 25 Chobot Ln Elmwood Park, NJ 07407. This place was recommended by of all places empire baking company. So I contacted them and they came out took some measurement's and gave me a very fair quote. They also provided me with a list of other local establishments that they installed hoods for. This could be good because they are familiar with the local government, inspectors etc.. I haven't made a definite decision yet but am really leaning towards these guys.

Flooring

 http://dur-a-flex.com/    I decided to use this flooring for several reason:"ultra durable, low maintenance flooring products offer superior protection against bacteria, stains and caustic cleaning agents which means less cross-contamination and less downtime."

COMMITMENT TO GREEN

Dur-A-Flex

 

® recognizes the need to be at the forefront in developing

eco-friendly products. All Poly-Crete systems have zero VOCs, contain

renewable resources making your project eligible for LEED

® credits

and are CA 01350 compliant

They will send you a list of approved installers I decided on DMA contracting 12 Augusta dr Wayne NJ 07470
  http://www.dmacontractingllc.com/contact-us.html

There you go! quite a bit of info. The main things to take home are your biggest most important and most expensive things are
1.) ovens
2.) Hood with fire suppression system
3.) Refrigeration


When shopping around with different companies don't trust anyone!! Do as much research as possible. Get at least 3 quotes on everything so you can compare and see how bad people will try to rip you off. Never make any decisions on the spot. Don't be afraid to send a quote to a company from another competitor. Its great to bid them against each other. Always ask about warranty information and references.