When I first thought of opening this store, I thought about all the different kind of vendors I would like to contact. The more I call and talk to different vendors the more I realize how much of a waste distributors really are! It seems that something that cost cents to make turns to dollars to buy. So many hands in the cookie jar makes products expensive. At one point, I really thought I should go to Italy and just buy the items myself. Not much is the gathering of vendors you can call but, the fact that sometimes they take days to return calls. In any case our product list is almost finalized and we have narrowed down the local store. As much as I wished to be open now, offering Baci and Mon Cheri chocolates for Valentines, we will have to wait a couple of weeks to open our online store! Hope to see everyone there. Happy Valentines Day!! 

Welcome all to the Marchese Italian Market. I want to take a few lines to talk about the beginning of this idea. As an Italian married to an American, I have traveled to many places, from Japan to Tunisia. Although I experienced great cultures, like a good Italian, I always missed my native cuisine. Living in Europe for many Europeans I think, is fairly easy in terms of finding products of countries within the European Union, but once you travel abroad your native cuisine becomes a luxury. Everywhere I searched for ingredients to make pizza, tiramisu, lasagna, and many other typical dishes. What I found was that many products were not imported or the cost was about the same as a trip back to Italy! So my trip around the world finished here in the U.S. Where I have experienced the greatest mix of cultures and wonderful events such as the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Superbowl Sunday! I know the last one is not a holiday but given the togetherness of people, it might as well be Christmas. The greatest sculptor would tell you that they did not complete their sculpture, but just chipped away the edges. Opening an Italian store online seems more like a mosaic that I have to put together; which makes putting together the pieces sometimes difficult. The world of Italian cuisine outside of Italy is seen through different views. Everyone has their own opinions, where you can find thousands of vendors, but few original Italian products. On my travels, I have met many Italians and Americans alike that visited Italy. Each person had their own stories and experiences, but the one thing in common that I found was how they wish they could find some things they had in Italy. So the idea for the Marchese Italian Market was born!