Cherry Hill Italian food enthusiasts, rejoice. Westmont favorite, Bricco Coal Fired Pizza, is coming to the area this fall, reports local media outlet South Jersey Food Scene.
Vincenzo Barone, the mastermind behind Bricco’s, spoke to What Now Philadelphia about his plans for the new Cherry Hill location. Barone states that he initially had some reservations about opening the storefront at 2110 Route 70 E, explaining “I was hesitant because I thought it was too close to our original location…however, I did a lot of research and there are a lot of people living and working in the Cherry Hill area, and we had many folks say they would dine at Bricca more often if it were closer.”
Expansion was always part of Barone’s plan for Bricco. He states “I’ve been looking for years now. I just never had the gut feeling for a good location before.” The Cherry Hill spot provides Barone and crew with considerably more space than the Westmont restaurant. The restaurateur plans to put the extra real estate to good use.
Barone intends to keep the foundation that has earned Bricco so many fans, stating “We have a very successful business, and I don’t want to divert from that.” He explains that the additional space will allow for a larger kitchen, which will allow him to create a more expansive menu. Additionally, there will be a glass window that allows customers to watch staff making fresh pasta in-house.
Barone is particularly enthusiastic about introducing a superior weekend brunch option to the area, stating “New Jersey falls short on brunch and I’d like to elevate it.”
Bricco’s development is progressing steadily. Barone states that the building’s framing is up, and its wall inspection is scheduled for Monday. “Everything was really slow in the beginning, but now everything is speeding up”, he states, adding that he is optimistic for a late October, early November opening.
While Barone is focused on establishing Bricco Cherry Hill at the moment, he has expansion plans for the existing location, explaining that there is a storefront next door he hopes to add to the restaurant.
Bricco makes incredibly fresh, delicious Italian food, inspired by Barone’s own youth in Italy. Customers hoping to replicate the chef’s personal order can do no better than the classic margarita with buffalo mozzarella. Barone explains that every ingredient in the recipe is imported from Italy.
“It takes me back to Italy”, he states, adding “My goal it to replicate authentic Italian dishes-trying to give the the customers the Italian experience.”
Barone, who has been in business for more than 30 years in the area, is very hands-on. Not only does he thoroughly research potential new dishes, but he is actively involved in the day-to-day food preparation. Bricco is a labor of love for him, as he explains “I am always covered in flour. I work seven days a week. love touching dough and creating dishes.”
