Next year, a Sicilian-inspired Italian bakery will debut in Cumberland County.
In late January, Bella Sicilia Bakery & Deli will operate at 79 Erford Road, a former T-Mobile store in East Pennsboro Township.
Along with a deli that specializes in imported Italian meats and cheeses, the 1,400-square-foot eatery will serve Italian breads, pastries, and gelato.
“When people taste our food, they think it’s from Italy,” said bakery manager Nicholas Faraone.
It is a spinoff of La Bella Sicilia Bakery & Gelateria, which was located on Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township until it closed in 2023. If the name seems familiar, it is.
Ornella Russo, Faraone’s mother and the 25-year veteran of Dillsburg’s Millennium Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant, is creating Bella Sicilia primarily to provide her son a chance to follow his love. Faraone grew in love with Italian culture and cuisine, especially gelato, when traveling to Italy as a child with his parents and grandparents.
Faraone’s father, Giampiero Faraone, was a partner at the original La Bella Sicilia, where Faraone worked. Faraone, the older, will help out at the new bakery.
Bella Sicilia will draw both new and returning consumers, including people with Sicilian ancestry who are familiar with the cuisine, according to Russo.
Cakes, bread, and real Italian delicacies like cannoli, macaroons, lobster tails, and the arch of happiness will all be available at the store. Gelato, one of the specialties, will be offered in a dozen varieties, such as chocolate, hazelnut, tiramisu, and pistachio.
The deli at Bella Sicilia will focus on sandwiches created with exotic cheeses and meats, such as burrata, stracciatella, porchetta, mortadella, and prosciutto. Spreads including pesto, red pepper, artichoke, and cream of pistachio will be available on a variety of breads, including gluten-free and handmade focaccia.
There will also be homemade lasagna, arancine rice balls, and sfincione, a Sicilian pizza topped with sauce, breadcrumbs, and anchovies.
Every day of the week, Bella Sicilia will be open.
Stories by
Sue Gleiter
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