Big Things Happening in Little Italy!

It all started 108 years ago now, when Salvatore & Carmella Perreca came to Schenectady from Naples and started baking their classic bread. Nowadays, their granddaughter Maria Perreca Papa has taken their vision to the next level with an array of enticing Italian cuisine and good family vibes at three Little Italy destinations: the iconic Perreca’s

Bakery and Cafe, the cozy Grandma’s-kitchen ambiance of MORE Perreca’s Italian Kitchen, and the elegant friendliness of Cornells In Little Italy, a decades-old landmark that Papa reopened in 2021 after its pandemic closure.

Let’s start, as the Perrecas did, with the bread.

Its renowned thick crust and nutty flavor have been delighting connoisseurs for decades; many reviewers describe it as the best they’ve ever tasted. “We’ve actually had people pack the bread up and fly it back to Italy, to prove to people there that there really is great Italian bread in the US,” says Papa. “My brother Tony Papa has been making Perreca’s bread every day since high school, and he’s 60 now.”

Papa herself can remember working in the bakery kitchen since she was so small she needed to stand on a box to reach the cash register. “I worked there from age 5 till college, and then went to New York City and worked in publishing for a while,” she says. After her day at Random House, she worked toward her NYU MBA -- which would stand her in good stead when she headed back up the river to raise her family in quieter surroundings.

In 2009, now co-owner of the bakery with brother Tony, she brought new life to Grandma recipes on the menu of MORE Perreca’s, with fresh ingredients, extra virgin olive oil and loads of fresh garlic. “It’s hearty, really good Italian, served in generous portions,” says Papa. “and we’ll accommodate anybody’s dietary needs; we have plenty of good dishes for vegetarians, vegans and people with restricted diets. It’s part of feeding people well, caring for them.”

With a thoughtful, extensive selection of wine and beer, great fresh pasta, salad and seafood, you can enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner in the casual ambience of MORE Perreca’s -- or their signature Eggs in Purgatory at brunch-time. In the mood to kick it up a notch? Just steps away is Cornells, a Little Italy classic that has been serving fine steak and seafood since the 1940s.

“Growing up in a typical Italian family, we rarely ate out,” says Papa, “but when we did, it was always at Cornells. I never dreamed I’d own it one day.” After purchasing the restaurant in 2021, she was able to offer delighted former employees their old jobs back. Complimenting the original Cornells menu favorites, she added an elevated selection of steaks, seafoods, and single malt whiskey, and a trendy photo wall perfect for your next Instagram post. A catering menu is offered to the whole Capital region through MORE Perreca’s, providing every choice from picking up a pan of lasagne to having the pros take over your event . “We’ll show up seven minutes before your party, set you up for complete success, and disappear into the woodwork,” says Papa, “so you can enjoy your own party.” Cornells also features a private event space, for weddings, work events, memorials, and birthday parties.

Papa is having a blast growing her own sturdy shoots from the family tree, and at the center of it all is still that wonderful bread -- and love. “My mother’s gone now,” she says. “But after I opened MORE Peracca’s, I overheard her tell a customer, ‘My daughter -- everything she touches turns to gold.’ I don’t even care if that’s the case or not; what I will treasure forever is hearing my mother, the OG businesswoman in the family, say those words.”