Speaking to Pierluigi Mazzella about his Westport-based eatery feels more like conversing with a rock star than with someone who bakes bread for a living. “People have been craving for us to open, it’s been overwhelming. We can barely keep up,” says Mazzella, who recalls that on a recent Sunday, the shop was so crowded “people were literally everywhere. It was beautiful, but it was also a little scary.”
Mazzella, who’s from the Italian island Ischia, has become a darling of the local food scene since moving to the U.S. in 2021 and winning the 2022 Baker of the Year Award from the Connecticut Restaurant Association, while crafting his treats from home. In 2023, he appeared on Martha Stewart’s Roku cooking show Martha Holidays, where he prepared his famous panettone, which takes him four days to make. “After that, it was even more insane,” recalls Mazzella.
Following nearly four years of drawing long lines at the Westport Farmers’ Market, in February, Mazzella opened his own bakery, market, and café, Fatto a Mano, at 1835 Post Road East. “The market gave me lots of exposure and appreciation, and when I realized that I could not keep up [baking] from my house, I started to look for a space,” says Mazzella. “Since then, things have been moving extremely fast. I try to make small steps, but the people have been going crazy.”
Fatto a Mano sells fresh baked breads every morning along with breakfast pastries such as cornetto, which is the Italian version of a croissant that Mazzella says is richer and more flavorful. Other popular options include his entremets, olive oil cake, and focaccia. He says he’ll soon be adding antipasto and sandwiches to the menu, which already includes excellent soups. Fatto a Mano’s market section also features a “high-end selection of Italian imports that are very hard to find, such as San Marzano tomatoes and flour from Italy,” says Mazzella. “We also make our own spreads.”
Fatto a Mano sells fresh baked breads every morning along with breakfast pastries such as cornetto, a richer, more flavorful Italian version of a croissant.
Most of the goods are produced at a nearby Westport kitchen that Mazzella says is now running “24 hours a day, seven days a week” to keep up with demand. Going forward, Mazzella hopes to offer on-site classes focusing on making fresh pasta and coffee, and wine and cheese tastings. The baker also has plans to open more Fatto a Mano locations, possibly in Westchester. “Our goal is to expand while always keeping the quality,” he says.
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