Ciao, Gloria, which opened its doors this fall in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, is more than just another café. For starters, it offers a sparkling case of premium pastries and cakes, alongside a list of savory, made-to-order breakfast and lunch items. It also sports a sleek yet welcoming design by Nina Kinoti-Metz at Studio Parallel that channels the Mediterranean. And perhaps most importantly, the man behind the menu is Renato Poliafito, the acclaimed baker who was a founder and, for 14 years, owner of Baked, one of New York City’s most beloved bakeries.
Renato Poliafito, the former co-owner and co-founder of Red Hook’s iconic bakeshop Baked has reunited with former Baked Head Baker Ginger Fisher Baldwin as Culinary Director at Ciao, Gloria (ph. Noah Fecks)
But while Baked is known for impeccable cakes inspired by American classics, Ciao, Gloria honors Poliafito’s Italian heritage. “My parents are Italian immigrants from Sicily, so my diet growing up was very Italian,” says Poliafito. “But I’m also known for American desserts. I thought, ‘What if I married these together and came up with things that were really familiar to Americans, yet pulled from the things I loved eating as a kid?’”
Ciao, Gloria location (ph Noah Fecks)
With that in mind, what you’ll find in Ciao, Gloria’s case of baked good changes often, especially with the seasons., but there will always be some version of ciambellone bundt cake, a classic Italian torte (recently it was filled with plums), and a crostata (currently apricot, for the fall). And if you see the pistachio cream-filled croissant, nab it. Also in the case is more inventive fare like the Coffee Coffee Cake—a classic American coffee cake with a stripe of actual espresso running through it—and the Limoncello Bar, a reworking of a classic American lemon bar made with a pistachio shortbread crust and a limoncello filling.
The ciambellone bundt cake (ph Noah Fecks)
Perhaps the most clear-cut reference to the owner’s Italian American heritage is the Tricolore Rainbow Cookie, Poliafito’s version of the notorious rainbow cookie found in every Italian bakery in New York. But instead of a dry, neon-colored crumbly cake, his recalls Italy with Neapolitan flavors: moist chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla almond cake layers are separated by stripes of raspberry jelly and enrobed in rich dark chocolate.
The mortadella and ricotta salata focaccia sandwich (ph Noah Fecks)
Excited to experiment with food items other than dessert, Poliafito made having a sandwich and salad menu a priority. “At Baked, I was never able to play with a lot of savory,” he says, adding that there are also plans for a monthly pasta night. The regular savory menu includes an Italian play on the classic bacon egg and cheese sandwich (which is also available), offering it with prosciutto, Scamorza, and Calabrese mayonnaise, a creation that has been dubbed the “PEC.” And instead of bologna and cheese sandwiches, there is mortadella and ricotta salata on housemade focaccia. “I wanted to make something more familiar to me, more Mediterranean,” says Renato. “I want to have my stamp on everything.”