Italian Bakery's Mercato is getting ready to whet your appetite with fresh Italian baked goods, gelato, sliced meats, cheeses and pasta. Adamo Rossi, owner of the bakery and marketplace, says the doors will be open in the beginning of November. “We’re getting really close to being open, we’re excited,” he says. “St. Albert needs a place like this. St. Albert is really cultured and now this is a great addition.” Both of Rossi’s parents moved from Italy. He says he knew from a young age that he wanted to stick to his family’s roots. When he turned 16, he applied to work at the Italian Centre in Edmonton where he worked for 25 years. “I left in 2014 to find myself, and this is where we are today,” he says. Rossi says the owner of the Italian Centre, Frank Spinelli, was a mentor to him. “He was like a second father to me. His idea was that he wanted to put my face on the packet of pasta one time,” he says, smiling at the memory. “It didn’t happen but I still have the photo.” Italian Bakery's Mercato is the first location to offer both a bakery and a marketplace in Alberta. He says he originally wanted to keep the market small, but changed his mind and added the café. Bringing on master baker and long-time family friend Romeo Frattin, he says the bakery will offer fresh baked goods at the café. The bakery and marketplace will also sell freshly made gelato and freshly made pasta. There will be several types of fresh pasta people can choose from: spaghetti, linguine, lasagna, tortellini, tortiglioni, penne rigate and small shells to name a few. The building has 10,600 square feet of space to its name. Around 2,000 square feet makes up a large kitchen and café, which will seat 44 people. Entering the café, patrons will be met with a 22-foot long display case featuring fresh pastries. The café will have two high tables seating 10 people and six tables seating four people. The marketplace takes up the rest of the space. Rows of shelves feature fresh pasta, pesto, sauces and spices imported from Italy. The building has been under construction since 2015. Once completed the building will have a parking lot on each side, with 70 parking stalls in total. Rossi says the parking lots will be open to the rest of the Shops at Boudreau complex, located on Bellerose Drive and Boudreau Road. “I am really excited to get this open,” he says. The business will have from 35 to 50 employees, and Rossi says they haven’t been short on applicants. With over 400 resumes to sift through, he says only one position remains vacant: the pasta maker. He says the bakery is finishing the final touches on the building, such as putting tables and chairs in and stocking the shelves. Once open, Italian Bakery's Mercato café will be open from: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the market 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. For more information visit the website at http://mercatofoods.com.
