Fatto A Mano All Day Cafe & Market Opens TODAY in Westport

Westport, get excited. The highly-anticipated opening of Fatto a Mano is happening this Wednesday, February 12. If you’re not familiar with Fatto a Mano already, we’re guessing the name rings a bell. The Italian bakery moved to Westport about two years ago and sells at the weekly Westport Farmers Market and directly out of their kitchen space located at 971 Post Road East (next to Pop Up Bagels). 

The new storefront has been a long time coming for founder Pierluigi Mazzella, who originally started Fatto a Mano out of his home kitchen under the Connecticut cottage food operation license back in 2022. Since then, Mazzella has quickly made a name for himself and his artisanal bakery; Mazzella was named the 2022 Baker of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association, his Panettone was featured on Martha Stewart’s Roku channel series, and Forbes even dubbed him the “Prince of Panettone.” 

Mazzella’s attention to detail and unwavering commitment to high-quality ingredients is what really sets Fatto a Mano apart. Born and raised in Italy, Mazzella learned the importance of buying fresh and local food from a young age. At Fatto a Mano, they only use natural levain, refuse to use preservatives or stabilizers, and source as much as they can from local farms. In fact, we could hardly keep up with Mazzella as he rattled off a long list of farms they partner with, mostly from the Westport Farmers Market. This time of year, they use Beaver Brook Farm’s feta pesto spread on their focaccia sandwich, Fort Hill Farm’s greens in their sandwiches and salads, Riverbank Farm’s potatoes on select focaccias and pizzas, and the list goes on and on. As for their beverages, the tea is sourced from Aroyga in Westport and the coffee from Ilse in New Canaan. And, of course, everything is made by hand, or ‘fatto a mano’ as the Italians would say. 

The new storefront will have all of the beloved favorites, like sourdough bread, sfogliatella, cornetto Italiano, cornmeal olive cake. Everything will be freshly baked in their production kitchen—just three minutes away—and delivered warm to the shop each morning. In addition to sourdough and dulci, Fatto a Mano will serve specialty coffees, matcha, soups, and focaccia sandwiches. The weekend menu will include specials, like a Roman style pizza, handmade fresh pasta, and seasonal salads inspired by the Westport Farmers Market. 

If it’s your first time stopping in at Fatto a Mano, Mazzella recommends trying his famous panettone and a cup of their coffee. Another one of his favorites is the semifreddos, which in Italian translates to a partially frozen Italian dessert. “You get the crunch, the softness, acidity from the raspberry, sweetness from the cocoa,” he says about their Valentine’s Day special. 

The storefront is mostly going to be grab-and-go, but there are 10 seats for those looking to dine-in. There’s also a high-end market section with housemade spreads (e.g. hazelnut, coffee, pistachio) and some of his favorite Italian food items: San Marzano tomatoes, fancy olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, castelvetrano olives, and San Carlo chips. Lastly, there’s two refrigerators, one stocked with an assortment of local and italian style drinks and another with fresh handmade pasta. 

“We were only able to bake from the kitchen and sell at the farmer’s market. Now that we have the space, we can finally gather the whole community to share the quality and authenticity,” Mazzella says. “My lovely dream is to actually run cooking classes in the space, as well.”

Mazzella has plans to expand their education curriculum come spring. Currently, Fatto a Mano offers a sourdough bread class, but they will introduce new classes on pasta making, brewing high-quality coffee, and wine and cheese pairings. 

Located next to Fjord, at the intersection of North Bulkley and the Post Rd, Fatto a Mano will be open Wednesday through Sunday 8am to 3pm with breakfast and lunch options, available for takeout or limited dine-in. Fatto a Mano will continue to be at the Westport Farmers Market each week.

Fatto a Mano 1835 POST ROAD E, WESTPORT