Panificio Malafronte In Gragnano

Panuozzo takeaway porchetta, mozzarella and mushrooms excellent products very good we spent 14 euros per panuozzo

We sat down at 9:30 pm, ordered after 15 min, the sandwiches arrived around 10:30 pm. A slightly long wait, the staff was kind anyway with the requests (napkins drinks flavors of panuozzi and cold air). The panuozzo was really good, we also tried the pizza made with the same dough (or very similar) and it was also very good. Too bad for the wait.

In truth, when we go to Gragnano, we usually first stop at Pompeii, which is fairly close by as the crow flies, to attend Mass at 7:00 PM in the Cathedral on Saturday evenings, or at 6:30 PM on Sunday evenings in the small hall of San Bartolomeo Longo. Then, we head straight for panuozzo. We usually head straight to Mascolo 1, located across from the local hospital, but it's easier to get there on Sunday evenings than on Saturdays, when crowds of young locals flock to this famous and excellent panuozzo shop, specializing in its specialty. Unfortunately, last Saturday was one of those nights when the place in question was packed, and stopping there would have meant waiting in line for several hours, with hundreds of people queuing up, since the place doesn't take reservations—on purpose, knowing that doing so would only allow a small number of customers into a rather small space. So, I'm sorry to admit, it was a last resort that we ventured to find another nearby place that served panuozzi. By chance, and also because four of us, with two cars, managed to find street parking nearby, we stopped at this "Piccolo fornaio" (Little Baker), which we didn't know was owned by the Malafronte family, whose name is well-known there. Initially, it wasn't a great experience, due to the limited space between tables and the rather long wait, with only two tables occupied before us, and only one waiter taking orders as customers arrived, without even offering drinks or water to pass the time. After a good half hour, our turn came, and we were at least able to have a drink. Luckily, we noticed—I especially, who hate burnt floury products—that they were serving overcooked, almost burnt, panuozzi, so we specified that we preferred not to overcook them, not even raw. So they served us a Tommaso, which, however, was missing mushrooms from the filling that called for them, in addition to pancetta, mozzarella, and a bit of spicy sauce. Still, it wasn't "Mascoiinian" level, but it wasn't bad, except for the omission of that crucial ingredient. Since we were still a bit hungry, we also ordered 4 croquettes + 4 arancini, which should have been 3 white (like supplì) and 1 red, but we received them the other way around: 3 red + 1 white. Finally, we finished with a generous portion of French fries. When it came to the bill, I have to be honest, we paid a very reasonable amount, considering that the total of 37 euros (split by 4) included 2 large beers, 1 large Coke, and service. Overall, the dinner was fine, if not excellent, considering the price and the kindness of the staff.