Pappalecco's fourth coffee house has softly opened in Kensington, where the Italian-inspired gathering place features a new pizza component. Brothers Francesco and Lorenzo Bucci make everything from scratch for their locations, from gelato to panini and pastries, so added another Italian staple to the menu just made sense.
The 1,700-square-foot space houses a brick oven, which is baking up "Tuscan-style" crisp-crusted thin pizzas; the 12-inch pies range from classic Margherita to four-cheese and the signature Pappalecco pizza, topped with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, grape tomatoes and basil. Available starting the afternoon and through dinner service, the pizzas are also offered with gluten-free crusts or as vegan variations. A large open kitchen means the cafe was able to expand its menu even further, offering more salads and build-your-own plates, and make the gelato for this store on site.
Eventually, Pappalecco hopes to bring its brand of homey hospitality to every neighborhood; a fifth outpost is planned for Cardiff, at 2101 San Elijo Avenue, which will include a pizzeria and should be open by June. Urban Strategies Group's Pasquale Ioele, who along with Michael Burton and Tommy Gibbs is working with the Bucci brothers on Pappalecco's expansion, says "This Kensington location and the soon-to-open location in Cardiff are representative of the company’s plan for bringing Pappalecco to all of San Diego’s top, urban communities."
