Prato Bakery Is On The Move
Prato Bakery is moving! Teresa Bertini, who owns Prato along with her husband, Simone Bertini, gave us all the delicious details, over cappuccino and cantucci.
Where are you moving, and when?
We are moving sometime this May to 371 4th St, on the corner of 4th and Newark, in the Village neighborhood. We are right next to White Eagle Hall, Madame Claude Bis and the Cellar. We are very excited about this because we feel this is a really up and coming emerging area and a place for small businesses to thrive.
It feels like we are coming full circle, as we started out in one village and are now moving to another, in the old Italian neighborhood. [The Bertinis’ first bakery in the States, the celebrated Il Cantucci, was located in New York City’s West Village, on the corner of Christopher and Bleecker].
You had a very successful business in New York City. What inspired you to relocate your business to here?
When we were running Il Cantucci, we lived in Jersey City. We closed it in 2013 and opened Prato in 2015 because we knew what a great community we have here and that they are open and receptive to new ideas. And now we get to work here which we love.
What inspired you to relocate to this area of the world in the first place? Lucky us!
Simone and I both come from Prato, which is a town in Tuscany that is very close to Florence. It is famous for its textiles and for its cantuccci. The engine of everything we do is a dream of bringing Tuscan traditions to other parts of the world, and this was where we wanted to start. America is a place with much economic opportunity where your commitment can be rewarded.
Not to get off track but what is the difference between cantucci and biscotti?
Cantucci are soft, chewy biscuits, and the most typical ones from Prato are with almonds. If they are cooked twice and harder, they are called biscotti, which in Italian means cooked twice.
All our products are unique because they are distinctly Tuscan. We do not alter traditional recipes to create new tastes. This is what is most important to us, keeping it simple and following traditions. Everything we cook here is exactly what you would get at any forno [Italian for bread bakery] in Tuscany. We use the finest Italian ingredients, and the flour we use for all of our baking is a special, custom blend we order.
Will there be any changes at the new location?
In our menu no. But we are very excited that we will have outdoor seating in our new home. We also want to continue for Prato to be a place where families can come together, enjoy healthy delicious food at a modest price, and relax and enjoy themselves. We will have a chalkboard for the children as we do now. We will also have a changing table in the bathroom. So whether it is families or people who come here to work or meet with friends, we want all people who come to Prato to have a happy time together.
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