Pecoraro Bakery - Old School Jersey City

Pecoraro Bakery, located in what is now officially known as The Village of Jersey City, is a symbol of historical Jersey City. Housed in a building over 100 years old and using an oven that's served generations, Pecoraro Bakery makes just about everything they sell onsite and does so fresh every day. It's often worth walking by just to enjoy the beautiful and often creatively-shaped breads they have in the windows.

It's a classic Italian bakery which means instead of finding sweet desserts, you'll find bread. Lots and lots of bread - different types, different shapes, stuffed, plain, etc. and there's really no wrong choice. If you want to choose from the full plethora of options, I'd recommend stopping by early; they often sell out of most of their options by early afternoon, including the extremely popular stuffed breads.

The stuffed breads come in a number of varieties but two of the most popular are the spinach bread and the sausage bread, both for good reason. These loaves are quite large and can be surprisingly heavy (because they are stuffed full of deliciousness) but the bread still manages to be soft and light on the inside with a nice chew to the crust. I tend to just cut off small slices, but if you wanted to slice them lengthwise, I bet they would create some amazing sandwiches. They will hold up well for a few days without becoming stale or dry but also freeze fantastically if you wrap them well.

I've found the spinach bread to be a bit denser than the sausage with plenty of spinach baked throughout the loaf. One of my favorite parts about this bread is that you can taste the spinach although it's relatively mild and it's distributed well instead of being added into the bread in a couple of giant clumps, creating a soggy mess. There will be some slightly larger pockets but it's hard to find a piece without at least a bite of spinach so you really get to enjoy while not being overwhelmed by a mouthful of greens. Be forewarned, while the spinach bread does hold up, it's not as long-lasting as the meat breads so you should try to finish it off within a couple of days. This will not be a hardship.

 

The sausage bread is at once delicate and substantial. It's incredibly flavorful with some mozzarella baked in and filled with crumbled pieces of italian sausage, the slightly oily spiciness and mild fennel taste working its way throughout the entire loaf. While I find it to be a little less evenly distributed than the spinach, there's still plenty of sausage in the bread and you will be more than satisfied. It's a good balance of the intensity of the meat with the mildness of the bread and it can quickly become addictive.

All in All
Pecoraro Bakery has more than just stuffed breads to offer, but they're pretty hard to stay away from. They also offer all sorts of loaves including whole wheat and semolina, small pizzas, croissants, and more, all quite tasty. Nothing is very expensive; the stuffed breads are under $5 and most other items run $2-$3. It's a classic old-school neighborhood bakery with an atmospheric charm that shouldn't be missed.