Prato Bakery is now open at 150 Bay Street. Last month, the family-owned cafe announced it was taking over the space formerly occupied by Bucket & Bay. The new location is Prato’s third bakery joining their current Jersey City location (371 Fourth Street) and their Hoboken cafe (201 Washington).
The Tuscan bakery, operated by Simone Bertini, originally started with Il Cantuccio in New York’s West Village. Bertini then moved his bakery to Jersey City and opened at 61 Erie Street (currently home to Scram JC) before moving to 371 Fourth Street (just off Newark Avenue). In 2018, Prato Bakery expanded to Hoboken and now it’s expanded yet again with a new location in the Powerhouse Arts District.
Prato Bakery offers a mixed menu of sweets, focaccia sandwiches, breads, cookies, and Italian-style coffee. Sandwiches range from a spicy porchetta to their signature Prato sandwich made with Prosciutto Rovagnati (ham) and fontina cheese. On select Sundays, the bakery is also known for its taste bomboloni.
Prato Bakery at 150 Bay also appears to have a small “Mercato Italiano” section that’s currently in the works. Currently, the mercato offers different types of Italian olive oil, but that could expand to other Italian offerings in the near future.
Prior to the pandemic, Prato would also host Tuscan dinners showcasing the food of Tuscany.
