|

Delizioso Bakery + Kitchen on Witherspoon Street in Princeton holds grand opening celebration

Mayor Mark Freda cuts the ceremonial ribbon Thursday at the grand opening of Delizioso Bakery + Kitchen, surrounded by the Guzzo and Weshner families. Baker Ralph Guzzo is also holding the scissors with the mayor. Far right is Jack Morrison, head of the Princeton Merchants Association.

Two couples with New York City roots have opened an Italian bakery and eatery at 205 Witherspoon Street that offers a variety of fresh baked goods, breakfast items, salads, sandwiches, pizza, beverages, and more.

The new Delizioso Bakery + Kitchen, which has been open about a month, is already a big hit with locals. Many of the Delizioso’s biggest fans showed up to celebrate the grand opening of the eatery on Thursday morning. Mayor Mark Freda and Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros also participated in the event, with Freda cutting the ceremonial ribbon to celebrate the grand opening.

Ralph Guzzo and his wife, Giuliana, are partners in the new venture with Eric Weshner and his wife, Lynne. Weshner is a retired New York City police detective. Guzzo has been a baker for more than three decades. The couples met through one of their children. One of Weshner’s daughters, Ilyssa, worked for Guzzo several years ago as a teen, and introduced her parents to the Guzzos. The families hit it off and became close friends, later deciding to go into business together.

Three years ago, the couples decided they wanted to open up a bakery and eatery on Nassau Street in Princeton, but they couldn’t find a suitable location. Princeton architect Josh Zinder, who designed the other Delizioso location in Jersey City that will open soon, told them about the available space at 205 Witherspoon Street, and the couples liked the feel of the area.

The new eatery at 205 Witherspoon Street and offers both indoor and outdoor seating.

“We’re glad we ended up here in this location,” Lynne Weshner said. “We just love the neighborhood, and everyone is so nice here.”

Guzzo stepped out of his busy kitchen for a moment Thursday to chat about how he became a baker and his vision for the eatery. He began working in a bakery when he was a kid growing up in Brooklyn. His father ran two traditional Italian bakeries, and taught him the business from the ground up. First, his father had him work as a dishwasher. He later did deliveries for the bakeries, then learned how to bake breads, and later pastries. “He taught me in baby steps,” Guzzo said, noting that his father wanted to make sure he learned how to do each thing well to understand what it takes to run a bakery.

Delizioso Bakery + Kitchen offers all those traditional Italian favorites Guzzo learned to make from his dad, but the full-service kitchen also offers many items with a modern twist. For breakfast, you can order pancakes or french toast either plain, with Nutella, or cannoli filling, for $12.95. Breakfast offerings also include eggs, omelettes, breakfast tacos, and avocado toast. Lunch items include green and arugula salads, chickpea salad, and tuna salad, open-faced sandwiches, and traditional sandwiches. The popular open-faced blueberry sandwich with blueberry spread, goat cheese, and basil is served with a house salad for $10.95. The Mamma Mia sandwich includes fried chicken, arugula, roasted peppers, and prosciutto with basil pesto, and comes with french fries for $14.95. Pizzas can be bought by the slice for $5.99 or the pie for $16. The lemon zest pizza is topped with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and arugula.

Croissants and other baked good are prepared daily.

The kids’ menu includes chicken fingers, peanut butter and jelly, pizza, and mac-n-cheese bites, all for $8.95, which includes a dessert treat and water bottle.

Baked goods include scones, croissants, pistachio cookies, pignoli cookies, cannoli, eclairs, ricotta pies, and more. The owners hope to find a good source for gluten-free baked goods to offer at the eatery.

Guzzo said baked goods are made fresh daily. “I want people to have the same great experience every day they come in here, and keeping everything fresh is an important part of that,” he said, adding that items not sold by the end of the day will be distributed to local food pantries. The owners have already reached out to groups like Share My Meals.

Delizioso Bakery + Kitchen, located at 205 Witherspoon Street near the intersection of Franklin Avenue, is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sundays. The eatery has indoor and outdoor seating. For more information, visit https://deliziosobakerykitchen.com/.

Traditional Italian treats like cannoli are sold at the bakery.
Inside Delizioso Bakery + Kitchen
Italian cookies galore are sold at Delizioso Bakery + Kitchen
Hal English, president and CEO of the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, with (l) Eric and Lynne Weshner, and (r) Ralph and Giuliana Guzzo.
The Weshner family celebrates the grand opening with a champagne toast.
A view of Delizioso Bakery + Kitchen from the street.