Josie’s Bakery, a sweet new arrival in Wilmington

WILMINGTON – Cannolis? Check.

Macaroons? Those too.

Mini cheesecake? Yep.

The menu at Josie’s Bakery offers a mix of Italian classics and American favorites.

Open and airy, the new bakery invites customers right up to the glass counter where rows upon rows of colorful deserts and pastries beg you to grab a spoon and dig in.

Josie’s Bakery opened on Lowell Street in May. It is the second business for Woburn resident Rick Lowe, who owns nearby Tremezzo Ristorante.

The idea for the bakery arose at the beginning of the year when the space at 2 Lowell St. became available. Having previously housed Edible Arrangements, the space required little work to accommodate a bakery. It was a great opportunity, Lowe said.

Led by head pastry chef Alex Breau, the team at Josie’s is a mixture of Tremezzo alums and new additions. Now a few months into operation, the team has settled into a groove that has allowed for the creation of such treats as Pistachio Ricotta cake, small panna cottas and blueberry lemon cupcakes.

This mixture of classic Italian desserts and modern flavors is what Breau and pastry chefs Tatum Corrente and Mel Spaulding are about. Much of what Josie’s has on offer comes with an extra touch, like adding a little orange zest to the homemade pastry cream.

“Italian is typically very basic and very static so we like to use new flavors like lime and coconut,” said Breau.

The modern flavors combined with high quality ingredients like a special imported Italian cheese give Josie’s an edge, according to Breau.

“Alex has all the talent in the world,” Lowe said.

In addition to its classic offerings, the bakery also makes and sells its own bread and provides most of Tremezzo’s desserts. Lowe is in the process of opening a pizzeria on Shawsheen Avenue and plans to have Josie’s provide the pizza dough.

“This place has opened a lot of doors for us,” Lowe said.

Since opening Josie’s has been warmly received. Breau expected summer to be a slow period for the bakery, but demand is high and already Josie’s is exceeding projections. Breau attributes this popularity to the need for a local bakery. One that Josie’s now fills.

So what should customers try?

Marketing and social media manager Tayla LeGrand is partial to the chocolate croissants, but the light and fluffy Pistachio Ricotta Cake and gigantic Monster Cookie are crowd favorites.

The mini cheesecakes and 8-inch cheesecakes are also crowd pleasers, Breau said, but it is hard to go wrong with the gourmet cookies. The Brown Butter Chocolate Chip cookie is “a ringer,” Breau said.

Gesturing around the room Lowe observed that while he has years of restaurant experience, baking is a very different skill set.

“This stuff here, this is an art,” he said.

Josie’s offers a few gluten free items in store and can also accommodate call-ahead orders for gluten free and vegan cake, LeGrand said.

The inspiration behind Josie’s is Lowe’s grandmother-in-law, Josie Ciampa.

The motto on Josie’s sign reads “Leave happy…” It is a tribute to the welcoming environment Ciampa created in her home where visits were full of food and full of life.

“When we went to Josie’s home she was always cooking, always baking,” said Lowe.

The bakery does not use Ciampa’s recipes – most everything she made was from memory. But Lowe and the Josie’s team paid tribute to Ciampa in other ways through the bright decor and welcoming atmosphere. A photo of Ciampa surrounded by Lowe’s three children sits on a long wooden table in the front of the bakery. Little touches, like a sign reading, “Donut worry be happy” and woven coffee sacks re-purposed as wall decorations soften the atmosphere.

So far Josie’s seems to be delivering on its motto. LeGrand sees it daily when she works with customers.

“It’s just that happy feeling of how happy everyone is, even if it’s their first time in,” said LeGrand.