Yesterday afternoon, I met twin sisters, Deb and Sam Fanelli, of Fandessa Gourmet based out of Clementon, NJ. They reached out to me on Instagram asking if I wanted to sample some of their food. I accepted without hesitation because they are local and I’m always happy to support small businesses. We arranged a pickup in Haddonfield.
They left me in suspense as to what I would be getting. Their website prominently features baked goods such as pies, cookies, cakes, bread, muffins, etc. However, they told me that they would also have some “savory goodies” too. My interest was doubly piqued!
Let me just tell you that I was smitten with these ladies from the start. These two ladies are as sweet as can be! I asked them about their story and how they came to start their food-based business. They were singers in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, but as their careers wound down in the late 80s they decided to do something different and Fandessa Gourmet Baked Goodies was born. At first it was a home-based business, but demand for their goodies made it necessary for them to start renting commercial kitchen space so they could make enough to sell at local farmers markets such as Haddon Heights Farmers Market and Westmont Farmers Market.
Their dream is to open their own commercial kitchen and grow the business into more of a catering operation. Which is where savory meals come into the picture. They figured in order to expand the business, they would need to offer more than just sweets and baked goods. So, they tried their hand at Italian specialties such as minestrone soup, lasagna, meatballs, chicken parmigiana, and more. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Going forward they will be known as Fandessa Gourmet To Go offering both sweet and savory specialties.
Many of their customers are new homeowners, new moms, busy professionals, and others looking for Jersey Fresh home-cooked meals. They can also handle food orders for small holiday parties and family gatherings.
Here’s what we got:
From left to right, bottom to top: Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffin, Cherry Cobbler, Lasagna, Eggplant Parmigiana, Dark Chocolate Covered Coconut Macaroon, and cookies.
Last night we had the Lasagna and Eggplant Parmigiana for dinner. Straight-up homemade Italian cooking; so tasty and perfect for a Sunday supper! You really taste the love in this food.
Lasagna and Eggplant Parmigiana by Fandessa Gourmet To Go
I also treated myself to a piece of the Cherry Cobbler for dessert. This is as good a cobbler as I have had. Sweet and tart with a perfect, buttery crust! Sam told me to try it with French Vanilla ice cream. I was happy eating the cobbler by itself, but can see it being absolutely delightful served warm with a scoop of ice cream, too.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffin and Cherry Cobbler by Fandessa Gourmet To Go
The dark chocolate covered coconut Macaroon is history as of today. My sweet tooth knows no limits; this confection did not disappoint! It was pretty big so I got a lot of nibbles out of it. Will have to try the pumpkin cheesecake muffin sometime this week and report back, but I’m sure it’ll be great.
This is just a very small sampling of everything they offer, of course, but we were pleased and can confidently give Fandessa Gourmet To Go an enthusiastic endorsement. You can’t go wrong with delicious, homemade food and sweets by the charming Fanelli sisters.
I took pictures of their menus so you can see what else they offer since they don’t have the savory stuff listed on their website just yet. Place your order soon to ensure Thanksgiving delivery!
When you contact them and place an order, please tell them Philly Grub sent you! And then come back here and tell me all about it!
Email: fandessa@comcast.net
Call: 856-784-6870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fandessa-Gourmet-549782351808177
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandessa/
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