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The block across Bryant Street from Town Hall is about to get more tasty, as Giuseppe and Marcella Musto get ready to open Vincenzo’s, an Italian delicatessen and specialty store that will sell imported pastas, oils, and chocolates.
The Mustos met with Dedham Transcript assistant editor Edward B. Colby on a recent Friday afternoon for a conversation around the counter of their still-under-construction shop, which they expect to open in late March. They sold Giuseppe’s, a restaurant on Kings Court, in 2007. Afterward, Giuseppe Musto worked as the head chef at Traditions of Dedham for about three years. But he said his dream has always been to have a salumeria, or Italian deli – a place where people can go every day to buy cold cuts, fresh bread, and more.
Q: It’s cool to see all the work – see the place half-built. Can you tell me what kind of work you’ve been doing to get ready?
GIUSEPPE: Pretty much everything from painting, cleaning, tile –
MARCELLA: Built it all out, completely.
GIUSEPPE: Pretty much I do anything – pretty much all the work.
Q: (gesturing to one wall) Was that painting there before?
GIUSEPPE: I borrowed this mural – it represents my hometown. I’m originally from a city called Avellino, which is about 20 minutes away from the Amalfi Coast. That’s the Amalfi Coast over there. So it represents my town right there.
MARCELLA: That’s where the tables are going to be, so customers can grab their food here (at the counter) and if they want to eat there or have some pastry or something, they can have a seat there and enjoy it.
GIUSEPPE: Pretty much every year we go on vacation over there. That’s the Amalfi Coast. It’s beautiful.
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge getting this store ready?
GIUSEPPE: Going everything by the code, because it’s a brand-new place, so you got to follow the rules and go by the code. So this means you got to go buy a new fire-alarm system …
MARCELLA: Trying to get new vendors, interviewing vendors and bakeries. It’s a lot of work.
GIUSEPPE: Getting people that bring imported stuff from Italy. Because my place, I want it to try to bring all the stuff right from Italy, like real prosciutto diParma, even imported pasta, imported olive oils, water, stuff like that.
The block across Bryant Street from Town Hall is about to get more tasty, as Giuseppe and Marcella Musto get ready to open Vincenzo’s, an Italian delicatessen and specialty store that will sell imported pastas, oils, and chocolates.
The Mustos met with Dedham Transcript assistant editor Edward B. Colby on a recent Friday afternoon for a conversation around the counter of their still-under-construction shop, which they expect to open in late March. They sold Giuseppe’s, a restaurant on Kings Court, in 2007. Afterward, Giuseppe Musto worked as the head chef at Traditions of Dedham for about three years. But he said his dream has always been to have a salumeria, or Italian deli – a place where people can go every day to buy cold cuts, fresh bread, and more.
Q: It’s cool to see all the work – see the place half-built. Can you tell me what kind of work you’ve been doing to get ready?
GIUSEPPE: Pretty much everything from painting, cleaning, tile –
MARCELLA: Built it all out, completely.
GIUSEPPE: Pretty much I do anything – pretty much all the work.
Q: (gesturing to one wall) Was that painting there before?
GIUSEPPE: I borrowed this mural – it represents my hometown. I’m originally from a city called Avellino, which is about 20 minutes away from the Amalfi Coast. That’s the Amalfi Coast over there. So it represents my town right there.
MARCELLA: That’s where the tables are going to be, so customers can grab their food here (at the counter) and if they want to eat there or have some pastry or something, they can have a seat there and enjoy it.
GIUSEPPE: Pretty much every year we go on vacation over there. That’s the Amalfi Coast. It’s beautiful.
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge getting this store ready?
GIUSEPPE: Going everything by the code, because it’s a brand-new place, so you got to follow the rules and go by the code. So this means you got to go buy a new fire-alarm system …
MARCELLA: Trying to get new vendors, interviewing vendors and bakeries. It’s a lot of work.
GIUSEPPE: Getting people that bring imported stuff from Italy. Because my place, I want it to try to bring all the stuff right from Italy, like real prosciutto diParma, even imported pasta, imported olive oils, water, stuff like that.
MARCELLA: The best stuff. All the good stuff is imported. We’ll have it here. (laughs)
GIUSEPPE: People, I think they will understand – I’m going to try to get the best stuff, and then I’m going to try to bring some domestic (items), because not everybody wants to spend (a lot).
Q: And the menu?
GIUSEPPE: The menu is going to be fresh cold cuts – no pre-made (subs). It’s got to be fresh rolls, with the cold cuts sliced by order. Made to order. And even the lettuce and tomato, whatever you want on it, has got to be sliced by order.
MARCELLA: We’ll also have panini on focaccia bread grilled on the spot, roasted eggplant, roasted zucchini, marinated artichokes. We’ll have everything. We’re going to make it all in house.
GIUSEPPE: All of the vegetables, all made in the house. I got a charbroiler just for that. So I’m going to have roasted eggplant, zucchini. And then I’m going to do my own homemade mozzarella … fresh mozzarella, pretty much made every day.
And then pastries – most Italians cook pies and pastries like cannoli, ricotta pie, lobster tail imported from Italy, stuff like that.
MARCELLA: Easter’s coming, so we’re going to have a whole specialty on chocolate eggs from Italy, all those cakes and stuff, so we’ll have a lot for Easter.
Q: Your ricotta pie – does it give away secrets to tell me how you make your ricotta pie?
MARCELLA: (joking) Oh, we can’t tell you that!
GIUSEPPE: It’s a simple recipe. The way I cook, it’s all simple stuff, like my grandmother used to do, and my mother still does in Italy. It’s only fresh ingredients, and then the ricotta pie has a little orange zest, lemon zest, and a little sambuca for a little flavor. So that’s the way I do it.
MARCELLA: You hungry? (The reporter indicated that he was at this point.) He’s hungry. (laughs)
GIUSEPPE:The crust I do, I don’t do it very heavy. It’s pretty much a plain pasta crust that’s only made with a couple eggs, flour and water, and just baked. It’s pretty fluffy, (so) not heavy at all, and nice taste to it and nice bite to it – it’s crispy when you eat it.
