Where does one find dwarf pine cone syrup, truffle burrata cheese or Sicilian pistachio spread? How about Parmigiano aged 36 months, balsamic vinegar aged 12 to 15 years, or Modica Chocolate cold-pressed in Sicily?
Ambrosi & Sons is a one-stop shop for these items and many other specialty products. The off-the-beaten-path business launched in October inside an East Naples industrial park. The local store features the best small-batch, top-of-the-line Italian chocolate, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, as well as pasta, tomatoes, marinara sauce and soups, owner Rudy Ambrosi said.
“Basically, our product line has been curated by us and we’re finding the most exotic and exclusive best products from Italy, the hard to find and the best of the best,” says Ambrosi, who has operated Pro-Edge Paper there since 1998. Ambrosi’s son Alex runs Pro-Edge Paper, a wholesale company supplying paper products to places such as restaurants, schools and country clubs, while son Michael sources products imported from Italy for Ambrosi & Sons, a next-generation business expanding upon what previously had been focused on offering Sclafani imported Italian gourmet food products.
“It’s a whole new chapter to the business,” he says.
The store even carries mono-floral honey from blooms such as acacia, dandelion, eucalyptus and honeysuckle, Michael Ambrosi said. These raw products from nomadic beekeepers in Italy have distinctive flavor notes, textures and colors.
Perfect for the season, imported holiday sweets available include panettone, praline sets, amaretti cookies and Torrone chocolates. These and other items in stock also can be included in gift baskets made in the store, Michael Ambrosi said.
“We do custom and premade gift baskets, so that’s a big part of the business,” he says. “They can tell us a theme, occasion and budget. That’s the idea of the custom gift baskets.”
Ambrosi & Sons, 3910 Domestic Ave., is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. For more information call 239-304-9782 or go to ambrosiandsons.com.
