Two to four times per month, I stop at Mazzaro's Italian Market (http://www.mazzarosmarket.com/) in St. Petersburg, Florida. It has lots of Italian goodies that I like. It is very easy and quick to reach from I-275. It's just about a mile west of Exit 24 of I-275. Among the items they carry are:
1. Fresh, homemade pasta, both plain and stuffed. The fresh pastas are made daily and change daily. Some examples are - ravioli filled with lobster or pumpkin or local wild boar or cheese or spinach and ricotta; manicotti, linguini, fettuccine.
2. A very large selection of dried pasta, including some difficult-to-find varieties.
3. Handmade pasta sauces
4. Handmade pizzas - ready to cook
5. A nice selection of olive oils and vinegars
6. A butcher section with beautiful meats, including their own sausages, meatloaf, etc., and seafood, some local.
7. A terrific cheese room staffed with cheese experts who are happy to help. They have many, many specialty cheeses from all over Europe and the U.S. This is where I have found several Tuscan pecorinos for a Tuscan dinner I prepared.
8. A very nice wine department with emphasis on Italian wines, but with many other international and domestic wines. The prices tend to be higher, but they have many wines that are difficult to find elsewhere. An example of a higher price is the Antinori Peppoli. They charge $26.99, but I can find it elsewhere for as low as $19.99. An example of a wine that's a bit different is the Sangue di Giuda (Blood of Judas), from northern Italy for $11.99. It's a slightly sparkling red wine that's a bit sweet. Normally, we don't care for that type of wine, but we like this one. They usually have a selection of decent, inexpensive wines like various Stemmari wines.
9. An excellent baked goods section with sinful desserts. My wife loves their tiramisu. They also carry a variety of breads and rolls baked there. I've tried a couple of the breads, but they don't excite me. One item I love is the chocolate-covered bacon, which they sell by the piece for $1.50. When I first heard about chocolate-covered bacon, I thought it sounded terrible. However, when I tried it at Mazzaro's, I was hooked.
10. A large deli and sandwich counter with a nice variety of prepared salads, sides, and entrées, and with sandwiches to order. They also carry lunch meats and cheeses, including San Daniele Prosciutto, Prosciutto di Parma, Serrano Ham, Pancetta, and a number of dried Italian sausages. Some items, such as stuffed rice balls (arancini) are hard to find elsewhere. I occasionally buy some of the salads or arancini.
11. A gelato section with about 10 types of gelato.
12. A nice coffee bar with a selection of fresh roasted coffee. They also carry a variety of coffee beans for $9.99 a pound.
13. A section with a wide variety of spices.
14. Seasonal Italian specialties such as a number of different brands of Panettone at Christmas time.
In another building on the property is Casa di Mazzaro, which carries culinary equipment, home décor, ceramics, etc. It's a nice place to look for a gift.
The address is 2909 22nd Ave N.
The hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Fri, 10 to 2:30 on Sat, and closed Sun.
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