Italian Bakery A Tradition Worth Traveling For

By Benita Zepeda
Hapless Intern

I’ve found it’s sometimes difficult to justify traveling out of my way to get something I could walk a few blocks for, but some food shops are worthy of making a special trip. In this case, it’s to Allegretti’s Bakery in Norridge.

With equal parts customer service and flawless old family recipes, the Italian bakery nearing its 50-year anniversary is more than just that—it’s a family tradition and a neighborhood institution.

”People from all over come here for the sense of tradition of a small bakery,” said Linda Ahern, one of the Allegretti sisters who helps out at the bakery during the holidays. “It’s a sense of neighborhood and family – the sisters all work in the front.”

One of the top sellers is their chocolate-covered pound cakes, which Ahern says they sell by the hundreds each week. Take one bite and it’s easy to see why: each one has the perfect amount of milk chocolate coating on the outside that covers an incredibly light, moist and buttery cake underneath.

The bakery offers zeppole – a fried, donut-like Italian dessert with powdered sugar  – once a year for St. Joseph’s Day, when locals will pair them with chocolate or honey. Ahern says people from all over the region travel to the bakery to get their hands on the legendary Italian dessert. My favorite from the regular lineup so far has been the pumpkin cheese pie, which is Bakery Owner Michael “Ace” Allegretti’s modification on the traditional recipe, including a thin layer of cheesecake before you reach the crust. Coming in a close second are the butter cookies, with dabs of chocolate and butterscotch on top.

Then there are the doughnuts, the wide assortment of Italian cookies, the cannolis and cannoli “chip and dip,” which provides all of the components of the cannoli on a tray for easier eating—think chips and salsa for sweet tooths. They also have cute seasonal creations like holiday cookies and pastries.

Aside from the exceptional food at Allegretti’s, I was struck by the consistency in ownership. After their father’s unexpected death 38 years ago, Ace, with the help of his brothers Tom, Anthony, and sisters Linda and Carol, took the reins and kept the business going through several successful decades, watching neighborhood children grow up through their birthdays, graduations and weddings.

“We’ve seen about five or six bakeries come and go in Norridge throughout the years,” Ahern said. “What keeps us going is the individual attention we give our customers from the family business.”

Allegretti and Ahern said that because their father’s death was so unexpected, it was up to them to figure out which ingredient he would intentionally leave out of each recipe, just in case they ever were stolen or lost. They said it took a lot of trial and error, but they eventually got it right.

Allegretti’s dedication to service, quality and community is a rare business practice that many establishments seem to lack today. For me, this bakery has become more than just a place to get your specialty desserts or tin of cookies. It tells a story. I’ve already encountered co-workers who grew up in the area, and after taking one bite of the chocolate pound cake, they knew exactly where it came from. Each person had his or her own intimate connection with the bakery.

So when you’re looking for the next holiday dessert, wedding cake, or perfect butter cookie, take a trip right outside Chicago’s city limits to experience exactly what I’m talking about. I guarantee you won’t find another place like it.