our roots

Hi, I'm Debra Nicola. By day, I’m a hard-working mother and wife as well as a successful professional in the corporate world , but I’ve recently decided to explore my true passions of baking and cooking. I’m excited to share the great food my ancestors began cooking more than 100 years ago and one of my most-prized recipes is that of our delicious Italian Ricotta Cheesecake.

Baking is my passion. Starting at 7 years old, I began working and helping in my grandparent's bakery in the Bronx, NY. My family opened their first bakery in Benevento, Italy and migrated to New York in 1935 opening their second bakery across from Yankee Stadium. We sold the family business in 1990 and began other careers and raising our families. Fast forward to now, I have decided that after much encouragement from family and friends to begin offering our family dishes that have been favorites in multiple countries for over 100 years. Excited to focus on offering my Italian Ricotta Cheesecake made from a family recipe that cannot be duplicated. I grow my own citrus zest and put much love into every dish I make!

I love to cook for others and share my heritage and that’s why I’m excited to offer catering services featuring my family’s Italian specialities. I look forward to baking for your next event, dinner party, tea party or if you just want a really amazing authentic cheesecake. Each of my cakes are made fresh for each individual customer. Check out our bakery and catering options and contact us for your next special event.

All dishes are homemade in my kitchen with recipes that have been in our family for over 100 years. Originally hand crafted in Benevento, Italy, we are proud to offer our dishes to the Greater Tampa Bay Area.

our history - it all started in benevento, italy in 1920…

Countless cakes (traditional Italian Cheesecake), cookies and other tantalizing pastries filled the cases of our family’s bakery since 1920. The sweet-smelling bake shop was originally located in Santa Croce Benevento, Italy, and this old-school, Italian bakery was a staple in the town - the birthplace of my great-grandfather and, at the time, the proprietor of the family business.

My grandparents, along with the entire family, came to the US from Italy in 1935. They started the family business in the Bronx, NY across from the old Yankee Stadium and never left until it sold in 1990. My family started working in the family business in the late 1960’s when I was just 7 years old. I remember coming home from school each day and working until late to prepare the cakes for the next day. My family always believed that the bakery was a real staple of the Bronx community.

Though the community saw a lot of change over the years, long-time clients were loyal to the family bakery and we were able to keep a lot of our older customers even after they had moved out of the community. In fact, I recall my family saying that’s what helped us grow, “We keep the old customers that move out, but we also keep the new customers that move in.”

I’m seeking to keep that passion for baking and serving local customers alive by introducing Cibo Delizioso to the Greater Tampa, Florida area. I hope that you’ll join me in keeping the legacy of our family bakery alive.