The Neapolitan Caffè:
Ask an Italian where in Italy one can find the best espresso, and there’s a good chance they will say Napoli. Though espresso is beloved throughout Italy, it is arguably closest to the Neapolitans’ hearts. Go into most authentic caffè “bars,” and you will likely find dedicated baristas creating dozens of perfect espressos with remarkable speed and precision, using old-school pull-down lever machines. Though most guests simply order an espresso, or “caffè” (with a generous amount of sugar), during the mornings you can also hear lattes and cappuccinos being ordered alongside a cornetto (similar to a cross between a croissant and brioche) or other sweet pastry.
And then there is the Neapolitan specialty, “Caffè del Nonno” (Grandpa’s coffee). Enjoyed during the summer as an alternative to hot espresso, or simply as a dessert any time of year, Caffè del Nonno is a blend of chilled espresso, panna (cream) and sugar whipped to form a thick, fluffy cream. For added decadence, it can be garnished with various syrups, nuts or cocoa.
Mozzarella Store’s Caffè:
Our Espresso Machine:
To celebrate our ancestor’s methods, produce the best espresso possible and to transport a piece of Napoli to our café, we imported and use a classic pull-down lever espresso machine. More difficult to operate than most machines you will find at your local coffee shop, ours requires a great deal of training to produce the perfect espresso and creamy latte. That is why we sent our lead barista to Napoli for a month to train under a master barista on this particular machine. And we think you will agree, it was worth the investment!
Our Ingredients:
As with everything in our store, the quality of our products depends greatly on the raw ingredients we use to produce them. That is why we import special espresso and coffee beans, and use only organic, sustainable milk for our lattes, cappuccinos and cream. We also use special flours, butter and other organic ingredients for our specialty pastries. Browse some of our specialty offerings below to learn a little bit more about what makes our café so special and close to our heart!
DRINKS
ESPRESSO
Served normale (normal-though generally simply requested as a “caffè”), lungo (long), ristretto (short & strong) or decaffèinato (decaf), our espresso, or “caffè” is made in the traditional Napoletano way, with no short cuts. Using our traditional pull-down lever machine, we strive to produce the perfect espresso every time to be enjoyed as a beauty by itself, or as the powerful base to a number of other celebrated espresso-based drinks.
We use the Amato caffè for all of our espresso and coffee drinks. Our Caffè manager, Michail, learned how to pull the perfect espresso during his 3-week training in the original Amato caffè, located in Pompeii, Italy, and has brought back his expertise to train all of our team members on sharing with our guests the perfect Caffè Napoletano.
*Please note that our terms “normale,” “lungo” and “ristretto” follow the traditional Napoletano interpretations, and tend to be shorter, more robust and with a fuller mouth feel than most American coffee shops’ terms. If you are unsure which type to order, we are happy to help you navigate our offerings!
CAFFÈ DEL NONNO
Enjoyed during the summer in Napoli as an alternative to hot espresso, or simply as a dessert any time of year, our Caffè del Nonno is a blend of chilled espresso, panna (cream) and sugar, whipped to form a thick, fluffy cream. For added decadence, it can be garnished with various syrups, nuts or cocoa.
CAFFÈ AL GINSENG
Meant to help keep you alert and energetic, Caffè al Ginseng, or Ginseng for short, is a blend of coffee, ginseng extract, sugar and cream.
PASTRIES-MADE IN-HOUSE AND BAKED FRESH DAILY
CORNETTO (the French croissant’s richer Italian cousin)
An Italian staple at breakfast, the cornetto, meaning “little horn” in Italian, is somewhat like a cross between the French croissant and brioche. Similar to croissants, it is made using the “lamination” process in which butter is folded and rolled into the dough in several steps to give it a flaky characteristic. However, unlike croissants, cornetti tend to be richer, denser and sweeter due to the addition of eggs and sugar (like brioche).
Our cornetti undergo a special leavening process particular to the Campania region and serve as the perfect compliment to your traditional Neapolitan espresso or cappuccino.
CORNETTO CON NUTELLA
Unlike in the U.S., in Napoli, as in the rest of Italy, breakfasts tend to include sweet pastries or biscotti (cookies) rather than savory eggs or sandwiches. One such popular pastry is the Cornetto con Nutella. While created and originally popularized in Italy by the Ferrero family, Nutella has become a household name around the world and has even earned its own holiday, “World Nutella Day,” (February 5). Needless to say, our menu wouldn’t be complete without the ever-popular Cornetto con Nutella. Enjoy our special version, starting with our fresh-baked-daily cornetto stuffed with a generous amount of creamy, chocolatey, hazelnutty goodness. Devour by yourself or become the office favorite by bringing in a dozen to your next work meeting!
BRIOCHE
The classic fluffy, buttery and slightly sweet French bread made primarily of flour, eggs and butter has become a staple pasty in southern Italy and in particular, Napoli. Our brioche dough recipe is that of our Pizzaiolo, Giuseppe, who prepares the dough in-house and bakes it fresh, daily. If you have tasted his pizza dough, you can only image how delicious his brioche can be!
BRIOCHE CON GELATO “FIOR DI LATTE”
Like a softer, fluffier version of an ice cream sandwich, Italians took the popular French pastry, brioche, and made it even better with the addition of creamy, cool gelato. Enjoyed in the summers as a refreshing treat (morning or afternoon) or as a dessert, this sweet specialty can’t be missed.
Of course, at Mozzarella Store, we had to put our own spin on it. You may appreciate it in its simple form with our perfectly creamy “Fior di Latte” gelato (made purely of organic, sustainable milk, cream and sugar—with no added flavors), or you can make it “Americano” with the addition of your favorite syrups and toppings, like chocolate sauce, Nutella, crushed nuts or amarena cherries.
CANNOLI
Originating in the nearby island of Sicily, cannoli are made of tube-shaped fried pastry dough filled with a sweet and creamy filling made primarily of ricotta. It didn’t take long for these popular Sicilian treats to make their way north to Napoli and now can be found in a number of bars and pasticcerie in the area.
Our cannoli are made of crispy pastry dough filled with our whipped, organic and sustainable fresh “Fior di Ricotta” (our best ricotta), cream, sugar and other seasonal flavorings, then dipped in crushed pistachio or chocolate. If you’re craving something sweet with a crunchy-creamy contrast, our cannoli are perfect to satisfy your desires!
