When I die, I hope Heaven is exactly like Leo’s Bakery. I want to spend eternity in a place where the air always smells like apple pies, fresh-baked bread and cinnamon buns. Where a dizzying variety of hand-crafted cookies are arrayed in bakery cases that seem to go on forever, and where loaves of French bread are handed to you straight from the oven.
Leo’s is a sweet Italian bakery in East Rochester, and for generations of east-siders, it’s been the go-to place for delectable cakes made from scratch and topped with homemade frosting; pies filled with fruit cooked on site; breads made from dough mixed right in the bakery; cookies, pastries, muffins ….
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You get the idea. When it comes to baked goods, Leo’s is about as close to Heaven on Earth as you can get.
Leo’s Bakery and Deli is owned by third-generation baker Pat Bernunzio and his wife, Kathy. It’s been an East Rochester fixture since 2004, but the Leo’s legacy began long before that, ever since the Balta brothers first opened a pie factory on Atlantic Avenue 60 years ago.
Since their move to East Rochester 10 years ago, the Bernunzios have added a deli, a retail store and most recently, a café. Each addition has expanded Leo’s reputation and introduced it to a wider range of customers. People still come for Leo’s pies and breads, but now have also fallen in love with their subs and paninis, deli meats and cheeses and homemade Italian sausage.
Pat Bernunzio hasn’t forgotten about what made Leo’s famous in the first place, however, and what he’s always wanted it to be: an old-fashioned bakery just like you’d find in the home country.
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“People come in here every day to get bread, to get what they need. Just like they do in Italy.” Because, he added, “there’s no Wegmans.”
And boy, do people come for bread. Leo’s sells 200 to 400 French breads every day (customers line up and wait for these to come out of the oven), and maybe 100 other assorted loaves.
I drive by Leo’s frequently, but had never gone in. So I asked my Facebook friends what they knew about the place. I got 16 enthusiastic responses, touching on just about every aspect of the business, from Leo’s famous pies to their quality of service. It also became clear that the bakery’s reputation has reached well beyond East Rochester.
Debbie Kloss of Ontario wrote, “They have excellent wraps. The pies are awesome.”
“Their brownies are amazing,” said Grace Sandvigen of Chili, and Edna Venturo of Fairport wrote, “I love the bakery … They sell half cakes. Perfect for the empty nest crowd.”
Sandy Nagar of Webster perhaps summed it up best when he wrote, “They’re awesome. Really good food. One of those ‘gems’ in the Rochester community.”
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I finally did stop in, of course, to see what all the excitement was about. When I met Pat, I asked him what about the business made him the most proud.
“I’m proud that I worked hard at it,” he said. “When we started we had four employees including ourselves. Now we have 60. It makes you think you’re doing it right.”
All of Rochester would agree.
Read more on the East Extra Facebook page. Email Missy at [email protected] with east-side news. See more community news at DemocratandChronicle.com/communities.
If you go
Leo’s Bakery and Deli is located at at the corner of North Washington Street and Despatch Drive in East Rochester. They’re open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call (585) 249-1000. You can also “like” them on Facebook at facebook.com/leosbakery.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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