When Vito and Rose Croce came to the United States from Italy, both at the age of 15, they had no idea they would end up in Tucson, owning and operating an authentic bakery and Italian restaurant.
The former Milwaukee couple came to Tucson 30 years ago and opened a bakery that would offer authentic Italian fare. Rose’s family operated a pastry shop in Italy, so they already had plenty of recipes from which to work. When they expanded the bakery 10 years ago to its current location at 8301 E. 22nd Street just over 10 years ago, the kitchen got bigger, and they decided to add a full dining menu to the business.
“We were always back in the kitchen cooking for ourselves, so we decided to start cooking for our customers as well,” Vito says.
His uncle, who had owned a restaurant in Milwaukee, would let young Vito watch him in the kitchen, and occasionally he “got his hands dirty.” When the Croces moved to Tucson, it was his uncle who encouraged him to open his own place.
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Today, Viro’s Real Italian Restaurant & Bakery includes a bakery, deli and the restaurant. They also bake breads and other goods for Tucson restaurants. The importance of “real” in the company’s name speaks to how they prepare their food, Vito says.
“We cook for our customers the same we cook at home,” he explains. “We don’t use other people’s recipes, or anything we would find in other restaurants.” For example, one dish they offer is Pasta Carrettera, a dish that, as far as he’s been able to determine, is made only in Italy. “It’s the kind of dish you would find on a farm in Italy,” where all of the ingredients are brought in fresh from personal gardens.”
Combining simple ingredients to produce Italian dishes from home is what Vito and Rose enjoy most about their business.
“We make food as fresh as we can,” he adds. “About 95 percent of the things on our menu are what we produce and prepare. We love the people we meet, and the people who love our cooking.”
We had a couple of other questions for Croce:
What are the three must-have ingredients in your kitchen?
“Garlic, basil and tomatoes. With that, you can prepare almost anything.”
What is your favorite comfort food?
“Pasta with a cream sauce and mushrooms.”
What is your favorite kitchen tool?
“The frying pan. There’s a lot you can do with that.”
There are a lot of great Italian wines. What is the one wine you would recommend to pair with Italian food?
“Nero Vavola. It’s a dark grape, not too dry, fruity and goes well with the tomato sauce.”
