Dining
BY KAREN CHANEY
Spicy Mama hot grinder ($9.95, $16.50) includes spicy capicola ham, calabrese salami, provolone, hot calabrian mayo, lettuce, red onions, pepperoncini and Italian dressing.
Pizzas are cooked in a wood- red oven called “Big Red” at Mangiamo Italian Market & Deli.
PHOTOS BY KAREN CHANEY COMMUNITY IMPACT
Mangiamo menu showcases Italian culture in Celina When designing the concept for Mangiamo Italian Market & Deli, father-and-son duo Bob and Jason Algiere not only gathered family recipes for the menu but they also tapped into their New England roots by adding the market and deli. The Algieres opened Mangiamo Italian Market & Deli in Celina on Jan. 24, 2025. On the menu what sub sandwiches are called in New England, Jason Algiere loves it when he hears customers pronounce the word minus the inal ‘r.’ “We’ve had a bunch of New England folks come in and say ‘you got grindahs?’” Jason Algiere said. “Then there’s the whole conver- sation about street names. One lady knew my grandmother.”
Cannolis ($4.95, $9.95) are stu ed with housemade sweet ricotta, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios and chocolate chips.
A variety of meats and cheeses, which are sliced to order, can be purchased from the deli section. The market is stocked with 98% imported items from Italy including wine, pastas, spices and teas. The backstory Prior to opening Mangiamo Italian Market & Deli, Jason Algiere said he worked for his dad in the construction ield for 17 years. However, throughout his life, he spent summers working side-by-side in his large Italian family’s homes and restaurant kitchens in New England. In 2020, when the construction industry signi icantly slowed down, the Algieres started building a new path allowing them to embrace and showcase their heritage. Wielding their years of construction experience, they were able to convert the building that was once a gas station in the 1950s into what it is today. ”Growing up, every meal we’d say grace real quick then everyone said ‘Mangia, mangia’ [meaning] ‘eat, eat,’” Jason Algiere said. “My grandparents said it, my parents said it: ‘Mangi- amo!’ [meaning] ‘let’s eat’.”
Jason Algiere said their doughs, sauces, dress- ings and desserts are all made in house. Pizzas are their top selling menu category with their “Big Pig,” which is like a supreme pizza, being the top requested pie. “Instead of a hamburger or sausage crumble on our supreme, we crumble our house-made meatballs, which are a hamburger-sausage amalgamation,” Jason Algiere said. “It just kicks it over in the most phenomenal way.” Breakfast options, which are available Fri- day- Sunday from 9 -11 a.m., include a breakfast sandwich, bacon taco plate and the Italian breakfast salad—a surprisingly popular dish, created by lead chef Blake Bayne, that changed Jason Algiere from skeptic to believer. “The Italian breakfast salad—when [Blayne] did that one, I thought he was nuts—but it’s insanely good,” Jason Algiere said. “It’s basically the market salad—red onions, olives, all of the good stuff with two over easy eggs and a side of toasted focaccia bread.” When customers order a ‘grinder’ which is
Jason Algiere said he likes having access to a commercial kitchen and meeting people at the restaurant.
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203 W. Pecan St., Celina www.mangiamocelina.com
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PROSPER CELINA EDITION
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