When it’s time to treat yourself, or the people you love, there’s no better choice than La Deliziosa Italian Pastry Shoppe in Poughkeepsie.
Sometimes you just crave something sweet, and it only makes sense to satisfy that craving with something special. When it’s time to treat yourself, or the people you love, there’s no better choice than La Deliziosa Italian Pastry Shoppe in Poughkeepsie.
People have been savoring the flavors here for over half a century, back when Mt. Carmel Place was the center of Poughkeepsie’s Little Italy. Step through the door, breathe in deep, and you’ll understand exactly why: fresh-baked is a lot more than just a slogan here. It’s a passion project.
“Wow, what a delightful find!” a Google reviewer writes. “We were driving through from NYC and stopped for an afternoon bite to eat and came across this little bakery. We were overwhelmed on all they had to offer. So we just grabbed a few things but everything that we chose was absolutely scrumptious.
“The bakery itself is like a step back in time, classic. Although there’s no place to sit and enjoy your treats, but still, no big deal. We walked down by the water and had some of our cookies. Can’t wait to try more things this summer.” (When they return in the summertime, this reviewer will be happy to find that La Deliziosa does in fact have outdoor cafe seating open during the warmer months.)
La Deliziosa was the place to go for New York City-caliber Italian delicacies without having to make the drive. These days, he says, the bakery is a destination in itself.
La Deliziosa was opened in 1974 by Mike Buonaiuto, and the following year he hired a young teenager from across the street who’d already been elbow-deep in flour with his mom for years. Frank Cordaro was about to start high school that September. “The neighborhood was very Italian back then, with some rough edges,” he recalls. “I used to go shopping with my mom to the Italian grocery and the Italian fish market. And we didn’t go down by the train tracks at night, because the vagabonds who rode the rails would be camping there. Now everybody wants to live down here— rents are through the roof, and we’re sort of the standard bearer for the Little Italy era.”
In high school, Cordaro studied baking at BOCES; even then, his talent and experience were showing. “By the time I was a senior, they had me doing a baking demonstration. The instructors were great with cooking, but not so much with baking, and by that time I’d been working at the bakery for four years,” he says.
In 1984, with the help of his parents and grandparents, the Cordaro family purchased La Deliziosa Italian Pastry Shoppe. Frank continued to refine his craft, dedicated to preserving the artistry of traditional Italian pastry. He earned his first major recognition in 1988, becoming the first pastry chef to win Taste of the Hudson Valley (at the time an American Culinary Federation Sanctioned Competition), outshining his CIA-trained competitors.
It was the first of a long string of well-earned recognitions. Cordaro went on to win the Taste of the Hudson Valley nineteen times in all. Today, La Deliziosa is the top-ranked baker in Poughkeepsie on Yelp. They've earned a Traveler's Choice Award from TripAdvisor and are ranked first on there as well.
Cordaro soon earned the affectionate nickname of “Mr. Cannoli,” and kept on getting the word out: La Deliziosa was the place to go for New York City-caliber Italian delicacies without having to make the drive. These days, he says, the bakery is a destination in itself.
Customers who’ve moved away to California and Connecticut come in to grab some goodies to take home, and locals planning milestone celebrations know exactly where to go for the perfect cake, whether it's a baby shower, a birthday, or a celebration of a loved one’s life. “We’ve got you covered from birth to the grave, and everything in between,” Cordaro says.
When New York City banned trans fats, Cordaro saw the writing on the wall and recalibrated his recipes accordingly. “I worried a little that if we advertised ourselves as ‘trans fat free,’ people would think it wouldn’t taste the same,” he says. “But most of the regulars just kept coming back for their favorite cookie, week after week, no complaints. There was one guy that said he could tell there was something different about his cookie, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. The flavor is the same as always; it’s just a slightly cleaner mouth feel.”
With a kitchen staff of three in a smallish space, Cordaro no longer attempts gigantic cakes, like the one he made for the first birthday of the Poughkeepsie Galleria in 1988. “It was massive,” he recalls. “Ten full sheets, and it had the logo of every store on it. I really don’t have time to do stuff like that anymore, but we did a few.” Another memorable moment was Cordaro’s invention of the cannoli chip in 1999. “I tried to keep the recipe quiet for as long as I could, because cannoli chips really started catching on,” he says. “I never did find a way to mass-produce them or try to get a patent on the idea. My competition called me up and said, ‘People keep asking about cannoli chips, how do you do that?’ and I was like, ‘Figure it out.’ I’m not gonna tell you you can’t—I have no standing to do that—but I’m not giving you permission either.” Cordaro hires local high school and college kids, educating them in the finer points of customer service and maintaining a family feel. “We really are like family in here,” he says. “I’ve got young women working here now whose mothers worked here back in the day.”
“People love sharing their memories of how they used to come in with their grandmother and get to pick that one special cookie, and now they’re bringing their own kids. They rely on us for so many celebrations, and it’s a joy to be part of that.” – Owner Frank Cordaro
There are many families, from Poughkeepsie and beyond, for whom a La Deliziosa cake or cookie platter—or both—is what makes the holiday complete. “People love sharing their memories of how they used to come in with their grandmother and get to pick that one special cookie,” Cordaro says. “And now they’re bringing their own kids. They rely on us for so many celebrations, and it’s a joy to be part of that.”
Specials you will find at La Deliziosa for the holiday season include traditional gingerbread houses, 3-D Christmas trees, traditional struffoli (fried dough balls glazed with honey), and cookie trays. “I think we have the largest selection of Christmas cookies you’ll find anywhere,” Cordaro says. “Businesses like to have a tray out for loyal customers during the holidays, and the trays are great for parties.”
So the next time you’re anywhere near Poughkeepsie, treat yourself to the delicacies of La Deliziosa—or call to order a very special cake or a cookie tray—and enjoy the sweetness. History and joy are baked into every bite.
La Deliziosa
10 Mt. Carmel Place, Poughkeepsie
845-471-3636 ladeliziosany.com
