I had to order a birthday cake for a very special person during the past weekend, so I went to a very special place in Brooklyn to get what I consider the very best, at Villabate - Alba Pasticceria, located on 7001 18th Ave, in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.
You know the cakes and pastries inside are absolutely delicious when you see sign like this on the front door of the bakery. The town of Palermo, on the island of Sicily, in Italy is renown for their pastries, and the nearby town of Villabate is where the owner of the bakery originates from. Walking into Villabate's is like taking a mini trip to Italy as the shop's sights, sounds, and even the majority of customers, are all authentic Italian.
The artistry of the design and the selection of flavors in their cakes, pastries, cookies and marzipan can't be beat. You can find: Sant'Honore - Zuppa Inglese - Nocciola and Amaretto Cassata - Caffe Zabaglione - Gianduia - Torta Spumoni - Sanguinaccio - and Sfingi ( click on each link to read a description), and they will even do special requests. 
A vast selection of pastries can be found here with delectable fillings such as zabaglione, vanilla rum, ricotta cannoli cream, custard and pudding, everything you can imagine, and more!
I always have a hard time choosing from all the pastries that are for sale.
The pre-selected pastry tray looked like it contained many of our favorites, yet there were ....
.......so many, many more that I would also like to try! Such a hard decision.
If you click on and enlarge the photo above, you can see some of their exquisite examples of the traditional Sicilian craft of "frutta martorana," which are bite-sized fruits made from marzipan. According to legend, frutta martorana originated when nuns at a monastery near Palermo, Italy worried that the barren trees in their orchard wouldn't impress a visiting dignitary, and decided to model fruit in marzipan, paint it, and hang it in the trees to give the illusion of an abundant crop. You can also see some of their cookie selections below the marzipan treats.
There are 2 and three pound cookie trays for sale, already wrapped and ready to grace your table at your next special event.
Villabate also sells an assortment of fresh Italian style bread, as bread is baked hourly, and an assortment of other savory bakery treats such as focaccias (flat breads), and arancini (rice balls), mini pizza, brioche and croissants. 
They also sell freshly made gelato and ices! Look at the flavor assortment!
How could I resist trying at least one flavor of gelato?
It was a hard decision but I went with a scoop of the caffe flavor and the zuppa inglese flavor gelato. Both were creamy and so delicious and I think it is imperative that I return very soon to sample some more flavors.
You can even enjoy a cup of hot espresso or cappuccino at the cafe bar in Villabate. The aroma of brewing coffee was very enticing and I would have had a cup if it was earlier in the day.
A decorative Carrettino Siciliano on display in the bakery.Villabate is open 7 days a week, from 7am - 9pm. On weekends and holidays the line for service can be very long, so plan accordingly if you are going to visit.
If you desire a taste of Italy it can surely be found in Brooklyn, New York, and I'll be showing a few more favorite places where I shop for Italian specialties in the next few blog posts.
Also, if you enjoy writing actual letters and receiving them, Shelagh, from the delightful blog Alice In Paris Loves Art and Tea is hosting a special event called Artful Penpals . Please click on the link if you'd like more information. Hurry, as participation in the event closes on June 14, 2009!
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