Mozzicato's II: New Look, Same Cookies

If you or your parents grew up in Hartford, no doubt you've heard of Mozzicato's Bakery & Cafe on Franklin Ave, the area's Little Italy, or have been to a birthday party that's served their peaches and strawberry cake or have nibbled on their amaretti cookies that someone left in the break room during the holidays. I especially love hearing my father talk about the nights he spent there in college when apparently Hartford actually had things to do. Perhaps it's a sign of the times then that Mozzacato's has opened a second location in Plainville, your standard Hartford-area suburb, for those who don't or can't make the trip into our capitol city.

Do NOT mess with this dude. He wanted some biscotti real bad.

But, it certainly seems a testament to Mozzicato's reputation that the place was PACKED on a random Sunday afternoon. I went in at 2 and left because I was supposed to see a movie and figured it would be less crowded afterwards. Nope. Even at 4:30 the place was still hopping. The inside was shiny and new with lovely tiled floors and rows of display cases--or whatever the food equivalent is. All your favorites were in stock: a delightful selection of gelato, trays of delicious pastries, and freshly baked breads. I went a little overboard and got a bag of cookies, a spinach & potato calzone, and experimented with a Baba, a rum-soaked pastry I didn't particularly like but which made the bus ride back to Boston rather enjoyable!

I'll take one of everything, please.

Unlike the Franklin Ave location, the cafe isn't separated from the bakery. Instead, tables and chairs line the walls, which is fine. I did however kind of miss the bald guy with the mustasche who waits tables in the Hartford cafe. Sure, the service was slow and he didn't really speak English, but it just made you feel like you were in Italy. Plus, it's just one of those classic Hartford spots that everyone's been to at least once. And perhaps that's what Plainville was missing: the feel of an authentic European cafe mixed with a neighborhood hangout. Still, it's a great bakery and a nice thing to have in the area. I just hope this doesn't spell the end for yet another Hartford landmark. As much as I complain about the city, there are some great things about it and maybe we should all make more of an effort to take advantage of them before they disappear.