OTT: House-Made Ingredients Guarantee Nothing

MOLLICA’S ITALIAN MARKET
Rating: 2.5/5
985 Garden of the Gods Rd #A
www.MollicasItalianMarket.com
(719) 598-1088
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9am-8pm; Sun: Closed
Prices: $5.25-$11.50; Pizzas $7.95-$22.50
What you need to know: Boasting numerous house-made ingredients, this overpriced Italian deli can both disappoint and delight. Regardless, go for the imported tiramisu.

Joe McCanta, global brand ambassador for Grey Goose, once commented that terms such as “locally produced,” “craft” and “handmade” do not necessarily dictate a high quality product. While the vodka representative was dutifully representing a corporate brand, his point is nonetheless true. Just because something is advertised as “house-made” does not ensure it will be extraordinary. Such a critique applies well to Mollica’s Italian Market.

We wanted to love this place. A thirty year old, family-run eatery that makes their own sausages, meatballs and pasta? Wonderful. An Italian deli—part restaurant, part market—where you can grab either family-size lasagnas to-go, sticks of imported salamis or fresh tortellini in a ziplock, ready to boil at home? Brilliant. But sometimes the romanticized dream is rudely wakened by a jolting shake of reality.
Six bucks for a “sandwich” of two meatballs with so little provolone it can’t be found? Ripoff. Nine dollars for a salad composed primarily of romaine lettuce, with so little of the advertised capicola that the near-flavorless provolone and half of a hardboiled egg seemed like an insult? Highway robbery.

If a family if going to run an ethnic market, and boast about house-made ingredients, those ingredients must be of the utmost quality. Mollica’s does not fill this bill. But that does not necessarily mean that you shouldn’t visit.
The twelve dollar calzone, while being the priciest item of our takeout order, was actually filling and flavorful. Unlike some calzones, Mollica’s does not overstuff the patron with crust; the proportion of dough to fillings was something worth lauding. Albeit this build-your-own calzone was stuffed with three ingredients: mushrooms, Sicilian olives and house-made Italian sausage. (A single ingredient calzone—two dollars less—would likely be a mouthful of bread.) While the sausage failed to impress with any level of spice, or sweetness, the Sicilian olives contributed a lovely brininess that balanced well the overall heaviness inherent in a calzone.
Lest these aspersions and qualified appreciations entirely dissuade your appetite, consider Mollica’s for a singular dessert. With three little words our curiosities were piqued: “Imported from Milan.” Just like exotic cars and leather goods, certain things are best when created in Italy—especially mascarpone desserts. Yet, proper tiramisu is near impossible to find. But find it at Mollica’s we did. Airy and creamy layers of ethereal custard swaddle soaked ladyfingers that, delightfully, hint of that all-too-uncommon boozy ablution of brandy.
McCanta was right, handcrafted products are not necessarily the best. The labor is expensive and does not always deliver. Thankfully, there is still someone in Milan who knows how to make tiramisu, and you only have to drive to Mollica’s to find it.

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