Fisichelli’s
By Meera Bhan
Known for their 100 year-old brick oven, popular Lawrence bakery Fisichelli’s Pastry Shop recently opened a second location in downtown Andover. The Italian outlet has been baking crunchy, cream-filled pastries since 1915 in its flagship store in Lawrence, Mass.
The shop is renowned for its fresh and authentic Italian baked goods that include cannolis filled with fresh-made cream, over 30 types of Italian cookies, custard-filled pasticiotti, crunchy sfogliatelle pastries and delightful nut-sprinkled bars.
“The chocolate chip cookie bars with cream that I had when I stopped by Fisichelli’s were excellent but maybe [had] a little too much cream. Once I started, though, I couldn’t help but finish it,” said Thomi Pamplin ’14.
Fisichelli’s is a family-owned business that is currently run by a third generation Fisichelli, Nina Fisichelli-Gaffney, the granddaughter of the pastry shop’s founder, Orazio Fisichelli.
The decision to open a second location was driven by the increasing number of customers from all over the North Shore. The Lawrence flagship store will remain open as it has always been one of Lawrence’s landmarks, according to Fisichelli-Gaffney.
“I liked [the Andover location] because it was cozy and homey. It was the kind of feel I wanted for the bakery. The on-the-street Andover location will also have more foot traffic than [the location] in Lawrence,” said Fisichelli-Gaffney in an article on Andover Patch, an Andover-based news website.
Fisichelli’s Pastry Shop, Inc. is located on 46 Main Street. The store is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. everyday except Mondays.
Pink Tree Sweets
By Scarla Pan
A sweet addition to Andover’s growing culinary scene, Pink Tree Sweets officially opened its doors to cupcake enthusiasts last November.
Pink Tree Sweets is the first cupcake bakery to open in downtown Andover and serves assorted baked goods, such as its signature buttercream-frosted cupcakes, as well as gourmet beverages, soups and paninis.
Fresh baked daily with natural ingredients, the cupcakes are available in 25 different flavors, including “New Carrot,” an old fashioned carrot cupcake mixed with crunchy walnuts and chocolate ganache, “Japan Green Tea,” a moist cupcake stuffed with mochi and flavorful red bean paste and more adventurous flavors such as “Bacon and Egg.”
“The [original] cupcake [that I had] was fantastic! I really like the bittersweet chocolate frosting, and the cake was very moist. It’s nice to have a sweet treat to look forward to on the weekends,” said John Gorton ’15.
To complement its cupcakes, Pink Tree Sweets also serves the popular Taiwanese bubble tea, a chilled beverage that is available in flavors such as mocha and watermelon and contains chewy tapioca bubbles.
“I’ve always wanted to open a cafe and noticed that cupcakes are trendy desserts recently. There was a lot of homework that needed to be done [before I could open shop.] It has been a long process, including getting all kinds of permits. But it’s worth it because I pursued my dreams,” wrote Annie Wu, owner of Pink Tree Sweets, in an e-mail to The Phillipian.
Wu also mentioned that a special 10 percent discount on all cupcake purchases is available for Andover students if they show their BlueCards.
Pink Tree Sweets is located on 89 Main Street, Suite 123, tucked inside the courtyard of Andover Village Square. The store is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Pizza Connection
by Andrea Yepez
Downtown Andover welcomes The Pizza Connection, a new pizza joint that offers novelty pizzas such as the “Taco Pizza,” which blends Mexican and American flavors through a tastebud-tingling combination of salsa, ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream.
“The Big Mac Pizza”, one of The Pizza Connection’s most popular specialty pizzas, consists of Thousand Island dressing, hamburger meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato.
Located on Park Street, The Pizza Connection also prides itself on a full menu featuring pizzas, calzones, subs, wings, salads, an assortment of fried snacks and tasty desserts.
“Other than specialty pizzas, we also have a lot of fried foods that you really can’t find at other places. We have a sub, the ‘Fried Heaven,’ which is basically mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers and French fries with sauce,” said Jeff Wise, one of the owners of The Pizza Connection.
At the moment, The Pizza Connection offers only takeout and delivery services, as the business is focusing primarily on food quality and delivery speed.
The restaurant is co-owned by Wise and brothers Joe and Ryan O’Leary. The three previously worked at Domino’s and have had over 40 years of experience in the food-service industry, according to “The Eagle-Tribune.”
The Pizza Connection offers a special menu for Andover students with reduced prices on selected pizzas.
