S. WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – A destination for fresh pasta, premium olive oil, made-on-site mozzarella and other Italian specialties is set to open this week in Lehigh County, and many foodies will recognize the operators.
The Assante family, who has operated Assante Ristorante Italiano on Main Street in Northampton for 21 years, is planning to open another tasty business – Assante Italian Market – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 4210 W. Tilghman St. in South Whitehall Township.
Assante Italian Market is coming soon to 4210 W. Tilghman St. in South Whitehall Township.
Assante Italian Market will offer a variety of fresh Italian specialties, including breads, cheeses, pastas and pastries, along with a wide array of Italian-imported groceries, including rice, pesto, canned tomatoes and balsamic vinegars.
“As excited and anxious as we are, please bare with us while we iron out all the kinks in the first few weeks,” the owners announced Monday on the business’ Facebook page.
“This week will essentially be a soft opening week since we are gradually going to keep adding more products including ready meals, fresh pastries, Italian wines, and much more. Tomorrow we will have tastings of some our products including our homemade mozzarella, burrata, and stracciatella. Come and see us, we can't wait to welcome you all!”
Nicola Assante, who runs both businesses with his parents and siblings, told 69 News that he and his family are “super excited” to bring this new concept to the Lehigh Valley.
“It’s been a labor of love for the past couple of years, but we think it’s something that the community will really appreciate,” Assante added.
Assante’s parents, Mario and Luisa Assante, founded the Italian restaurant in 2003 on Main Street in Northampton.
With help from their children – Rosanna, Giulio, Nicola and Nunzia, they’ve made Assante one of the Lehigh Valley’s most popular dining establishments.
Customers continue to return for the friendly service, relaxing atmosphere and savory, made-from-scratch dishes.
Nicola labels the ravioli d’oceano, gnochetti di mauro and chicken Isabella as top-selling entrees.
“Our customers are the greatest, and we are so appreciative of their support,” Nicola said.
“With our market, we want to serve the community even more with unique Italian imports. We’ll have everything from Italian cookies, crackers and other snacks to high-quality Italian olive oils, balsamic vinegars and coffee. Over the years, a lot of customers have told us that whenever they want really fresh Italian imports, they go to Italian markets in Philadelphia or New York. So, we wanted to create an option much closer to home.”
At Assante Italian Market, individuals will be able to shop a wide assortment of dry and fresh pastas, including cavatelli, orecchiette, pappardelle and tagliatelle, along with snacks such as breadsticks, taralli and pesto potato chips; and sweets such as almond cookies and puff pastry cookies with hazelnut cream.
Dozens of jarred vegetables, fish and other foods will include popular picks such as artichokes, capers in vinegar, grilled onions, marinated garlic, seasoned asparagus, hot crushed olives, tuna fillets, broccoli rabe tapenade with anchovies, sun-dried tomato tapenade and baby peppers stuffed with tuna.
Customers also will be able to shop deli meats and red meats, including various steaks, soppressata and prosciutto di parma, along with fresh breads, Italian pastries and desserts – including sfogliatella and cannolis – from bakeries in New York and New Jersey, Nicola said.
A highlight will be fresh cheeses, including mozzarella, ricotta and burrata, that will be made in a production facility at the market.
Also available will be fresh, made-to-order sandwiches, including a "Bomba Maradonna," featuring fresh bread, homemade mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, cherry tomatoes and homemade stracciatella.
The Assantes already make fresh mozzarella for a few dishes - including mozzarella caprese and margherita pizza - at the restaurant, but they’re excited to make a variety of cheeses on a larger scale at the market, Nicola said.
“One of the main reasons for opening the market is because we wanted to make a variety of our own cheeses,” Nicola said.
“We saw that the Lehigh Valley really could use that, especially after the Calandra’s Cheese business in Nazareth closed a few years ago. So many people were upset by that closure, and we saw a void that we could fill.”
The Assantes purchased the Tilghman Street property in 2021 and have spent the past two years renovating the space, which previously housed a kitchen remodeling business, Nicola said.
The family added new electrical work, plumbing, flooring, lighting, counters, refrigerators and display cases, among other enhancements.
They’re excited to offer a unique shopping experience – featuring a mix of freshly prepared items and premium Italian imports – in a clean and welcoming space.
The market’s also located near major grocery stores, including Wegmans, which could make for a “convenient stop” for some shoppers, Nicola said.
“We’re so excited to finally open the doors, and we’re pretty sure the community is excited as well,” Nicola said.
“For the past several months, we’ve had people either stopping in at the market location or calling us at the restaurant to ask about it. It’s so heartwarming to have the community behind us.”
For the latest updates, follow Assante Italian Market on Facebook.
