Italian Bakery Gives Expansive Menu With Its Personal Distinctive Twists That Has One thing For Everybody
Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana in Collegeville, Pennsylvania has been in enterprise since 1994 and has been increasing its operation from a small bakery to full service pizzeria and restaurant with an expansive menu and one thing for everybody. The Italian Bakery is a vacation spot for sports activities superstars and celebrities alike. When you observe their social media accounts, you’ll discover a native celeb appears to cease by nearly each week! Well-known sports activities figures like Joel Embiid, Larry Bowa, Charlie Manuel, and Rhys Hoskins stopped by in current months! Having adopted Collegeville Bakery for a while now, I’ve all the time puzzled why so many superstars made the place a vacation spot to go to. After taking a street journey and spending a while with the homeowners, employees, and prospects it was apparent as to why this place is so particular.
Driving up the place, you get a energetic and welcoming really feel earlier than you even pull into the car parking zone. It’s bustling with automobiles shifting out and in and thru the drive via which in an apparent indicator that it’s a busy institution, however there was one thing extra attention-grabbing I observed as I ready to enter. The folks I noticed strolling out the doorways weren’t simply exiting with their purchases, they have been ending conversations with employees and different prospects inside whereas leaving and greeting others that have been strolling in to select up their orders. Everybody appeared to know everybody else and there was a tangible and honest connection amongst these within the bakery. It was like one big and joyful and steady dialog happening with hungry prospects regularly rotating out and in!
Then I met homeowners Steve and Patrizia who have been clearly on the heart of this group of consumers and employees who create an inclusive and alluring setting for all to get pleasure from. Steve greeted me immediately and gave me a tour and advised me concerning the historical past and the story behind the bakery all whereas greeting each visitor at their desk and in line seamlessly shifting from dialog to dialog whereas additionally manning an earpiece connected to a radio that I presume different employees members have been additionally chatting on. It was fairly an act of hospitality and multitasking at its peak! So as to add to the hospitality, Steve walked me exterior to indicate me my identify had been positioned on the large signal identical to a number of the precise celebrities who I had seen on it simply weeks earlier than! That was a fairly cool gesture for a D-/F+ celeb like myself! I additionally had the chance to seize a photograph by the wooden fired pizza oven within the “Pizzaoli of the Day” pose which was a fairly cool honor standing subsequent to that tremendous sizzling wooden fired oven.
The Bakery is organized into three sections. When you begin on the suitable hand aspect of the constructing, you’re within the Bakery/Deli/Market part crammed with fresh-baked Italian bread, rolls, pastries and cookies all made on the premises every day. Additionally they provide do-it-yourself Boardwalk Mini Donuts, carry Italian specialty objects from South Philly and a lot extra. From there, you may head into the center part of the constructing which is a eating room adorned with tons of of photographs of well-known sports activities figures, celebrities, distinguished group members, and throughout particular folks on the partitions. I paused for a second to admire a photograph of Charlie Manuel, former supervisor of the 2008 World Collection Champion Philadelphia Phillies, as we walked via the eating space to the Pizzeria Napoletana and Nutella Bar part of the ability. There’s a lot happening, however the considerate group of all of it was so logical that it wasn’t overwhelming in any respect. There’s a sure stream to the three sections that simply is smart.
Charles “Chisel” Carfagno is a longtime buyer and pal of Collegeville Italian Bakery. |
Whereas visiting, I met Charles “Chisel” Carfagno, one of many Bakery’s longtime prospects and founding father of Chisel’s In-Your-Kitchen Italian Experience. Chisel, initially from the Norristown space, has been a long-time Collegeville space resident. He had this to say about:
“The Bakery has its roots simply exterior of Naples, Italy but additionally within the higher Norristown space ~ the third-largest settlement of Italian immigrants in America (simply behind Brooklyn and Boston). The hearts and character of Norristown’s Italian-American households are second-to-none ~ really unsurpassed … The Della Polla’s largely embody Norristown’s Italian-American expertise. Their work ethic, ardour for household, folks and customary of excellence jogged my memory a lot of my mother and father and grandparents. It compelled me. I shortly grew to become a loyal buyer, fan and promoter of the bakery. I vividly keep in mind when it was only a full-service deli with a bakery within the again. It was about 1/3 the dimensions it’s now. As a foodie myself, it’s been particularly enjoyable to look at them develop at close-range. Steve would inform me “We’re severe, Charles” (again in 1997), giving a touch of issues to come back. Understanding and being deeply linked with their buyer base permits their creativity and modern advertising excellence to hit house run after house run. Above all, Steve, Patrizia and Collegeville Italian Bakery are real asset on the coronary heart of our local people.”
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After reflecting on the expertise and scrolling via Collegeville’s Bakery’s fb feed, it occurred to me that Philadelphia sports activities legends and native celebrities go to the bakery for a cause. It additionally occurred to me that everybody else comes right here for a similar causes and the superb meals and repair are solely part of it. While you take a look at the long-lasting signal that’s modified every day to have fun a group member’s birthday, to congratulate an area athlete for being drafted, to specific sorrow for a particular one who handed away or some other necessary occasion that’s necessary to the group at giant – it says a lot greater than only a identify. It exhibits a deep understanding of what’s necessary, a reference to the general public, and a option to make each single particular person really feel particular and part of the bakery – not simply A-listers! It’s actually a civic engagement that captures the spirit and creativeness of the group. I believe that’s what is particular about Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana.
And now, let’s speak concerning the pizza!
The Rankings
Restaurant: Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana
Location: 3846 Ridge Pike, Collegeville, PA 19426Date: July 2022
Eat In/Take Out: Eat In
Detroit Fashion Pizza with Buratta
Shut up view of the unbelievable frico edge on the Detroit Buratta Pizza at Collegeville Bakery. |
For me, the Detroit Pizza with Buratta was the headliner and showstopper of the quite a few pizzas I tasted for a number of causes. First, I imply simply take a look at this pizza, it’s so visually interesting and simply attracts you proper in. The raised frico edge composed of caramelized cheese was crispy and scrumptious, and as I all the time wish to say – Detroit frico is probably the most scrumptious chew of pizza there’s. The attribute that of the pizza that actually stood out to me was the extremely flavorful sauce that was bursting with a lot style that my style buds have been each excited and confused on the similar time! A particular pizza that’s value a street journey for positive.
Pizza Ordered: Detroit Fashion Pizza w/Buratta
Crust: 8.2
Sauce: 9.4
Cheese: 8.8
Total Style: 9.3Crispy/Cooked Correctly: 8.8
Total Worth: 7.2
OVERALL RATING: 8.9Just like: Jimmy Hank Pizza
Cracker Crust Pizza with Cup N Char Pepperoni
Cracker crust pizza with cup n char pepperoni. |
The neat factor about Collegeville is that they appear to have a singular twist on the whole lot they do. Some would possibly look on the picture above and name this a New York Fashion Pizza, nevertheless it isn’t. It’s an additional giant, additional skinny cracker crust pizza, which is one thing you don’t see usually domestically. The dough is stretched skinny, docked, smothered in sauce, cheese, and pepperoni and baked of their rotating brick oven.
Pizza Ordered: Cracker Crust Pizza w/Cup n Char Pepperoni
Crust: 8.3
Sauce: 8.8
Cheese: 8.2
Total Style: 9.1Crispy/Cooked Correctly: 8.4
Total Worth: 7.7
OVERALL RATING: 8.5Just like: ???
Sea Shore Pizza
Sea Shore Pizza with contemporary sliced tomato, seasoning, and cheese mix. |
The ocean shore pizza is a brand new addition to the Collegeville Bakery menu. It incorporates a skinny crust, mix of cheeses, sliced contemporary tomato, and seasonings that each one steadiness to create a vibrant, contemporary pizza that’s nice to get pleasure from within the summertime or actually anytime all year long.
Pizza Ordered: Sea Shore Pizza w/ Contemporary Tomato
Crust: 8.2
Sauce: N/A
Cheese: 8.5
Total Style: 8.6Crispy/Cooked Correctly: 8.5
Total Worth: 7.7
OVERALL RATING: 8.3Just like: ???
Norristown Crimson Prime
Norristown Crimson Prime Pizza |
The Norristown Crimson Prime Pizza is made with the identical cracker crust because the cup n char pizza above, however options cheddar cheese on the underside and a candy and flavorful sauce swirled on prime. It has some “grotto pizza vibes” with some Chicago Cracker skinny angle!
Pizza Ordered: Norristown Crimson Prime Pizza
Crust: 8.2
Sauce: 8.8
Cheese: 8.2
Total Style: 8.7Crispy/Cooked Correctly: 8.3
Total Worth: 7.8
OVERALL RATING: 8.4Just like: ???
Breakfast Pizza
Wooden-Fired Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Pizza |
Collegeville Bakery is open early within the mornings, in order that they figured why not provide a breakfast pizza? That is the kind of pizza that I get loads of questions on recurrently, and admittedly not many native spots provide it, not to mention a wood-fired model of it! I can’t even describe to you ways properly this pizza comes along with its comfortable crust, creamy melty gooey cheese, smoky bacon, and completely cooked eggs. I’m not often one for the sort of connoisseur pizza, however it’s a particular and distinctive pizza that additionally matches within the “should strive” class. Very spectacular.
Pizza Ordered: Breakfast Bacon Egg and Cheese Wooden-Fired Pizza
Crust: 8.5
Sauce: N/A
Cheese: 8.5
Total Style: 8.8Crispy/Cooked Correctly: 7.8
Total Worth: 7.4
OVERALL RATING: 8.2Just like: ???
Philly Tomato Pie
Philly-style tomato pie could be bought within the bakery and is made contemporary every day. |
What would a bakery within the Philly suburbs be with out a boxed Philly Tomato Sheet Pizza? Collegeville has a superb model with a comfortable, tender crust, complicated and scrumptious sauce, and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Nice to tackle day journeys or the workplace lunch room.
Pizza Ordered: Bakery Philly Tomato Pie
Crust: 7.4
Sauce: 7.9
Cheese: N/A
Total Style: 7.8Crispy/Cooked Correctly: 7.2
Total Worth: 7.6
OVERALL RATING: 7.6Just like: Conshohoken Bakery, Corropolese, Altamonte’s Italian Market
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Thanks to Collegeville Italian Bakery Pizzeria Napoletana for making me really feel like household for the day. I had a good time studying about your enterprise. It’s a particular place on the heart of the group. Actually a go to I gained’t quickly neglect. |