When Artie and Marie Basciano opened Cammareri's Famous Brooklyn Bakery and Cafe, they did so with one simple goal in mind. They wanted to bring a taste of their native Brooklyn to New Jersey. 

Tucked away in the Quail Creek Mall on Ramtown Greenville Road, Marie said having lived in Brick for the past 21 years they were happy to bring high quality baked goods to the local area. It helped that Artie's family can trace its history in the baking industry back to 1921.

That includes the original Cammareri's in Brooklyn which has made a name for itself over the years as one of the best bakeries in the area. The original location became even more famous when it played a prominent part as a site for the popular movie Moonstruck. 

Marie said after all these years living in the Monmouth and Ocean County area, they knew their business could succeed. "We needed a good bakery out here," she said. "We would go to Brooklyn to get our pastries and every holiday we were in Brooklyn to get our pastries and bread."

Being in one of the more residential parts of the town has been an advantage for the bakery according to Artie. "The name Cammareri's, we're known for our breads and being that there's a lot of people down here are from New York we figured it would be a good area to open up a satellite," he said. 

Since they opened four years ago, Marie said they have worked hard to continue the traditions that the bakery in Brooklyn started and include the family traditions of their Italian heritage. That includes popular treats like pizza rustica and struffoli. Artie said other popular items include the cannoli and sfogliatelle.

Marie said having those specialties is something that is not lost on the customers. "People come in here and they say 'I remember my grandmother used to make that,'" she said. "They come in here on the weekends and we have Italian music playing. It brings back a lot of memories." 

In these modern fast moving times, she said a place like Cammareri's play an important role in the community. "We lost tradition as time goes on. We lose a lot of that Italian family tradition. That's what we try to bring back to people."

In addition to the fresh baked breads brought in from Brooklyn on a daily basis, the Basciano's have recently added a deli counter to further serve their customers. "What we strive to do here is we try to accommodate all our customers," Marie said. "If our customers say could you get this we bring it in." It is that commitment to customer service that Marie said helps make the business what it is.  

It is also the customers that make them put the effort they do into the bakery. "We're here every day. When you get a customer that comes in and says thank you you brought so many memories back, that makes you feel good and gives you tons more energy to go on," Marie said. 

When they opened the Ramtown location, theirs was the only satellite location of the popular establishment. A new bakery opened in Hoboken over the summer. The main location in Brooklyn now serves as the base for the company's wholesale operations including providing the baked goods for the smaller locations. 

For more information on the bakery and the services they provide you can call them at 732-202-8952.