Italian round loaf, Paramount Bakery
And what bakery was chosen to appear in an episode of “The Sopranos”? Paramount. Season 5, episode 3 (”Where’s Johnny?”), to be exact. The scene with Feech LaManna (Robert Loggia) and Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) was filmed in Paramount’s original location, on Davenport Avenue. Watch closely; you’ll see Shraga and Linda Zabludovsky in the background, rolling dough. Calandra’s and Teixeira’s instantly come to mind when you say “Newark bakeries,” but Paramount is much older than either (Calandra’s opened in 1962, Teixeira’s in 1976).
When the TV show asked how much it would cost to film in the bakery, Linda Kiesel Zabludovsky’s response was, “We’re so excited, we’ll probably pay you to come here.” Those familiar with Paramount’s Davenport Avenue location wouldn’t recognize the bakery today. It’s a 50,000-square-foot facility spread across three floors. Baking is done 24/7; the bakery shuts down just four days a year. There are about 100 employees. Sub rolls come in in nine flavors, including semolina, pumpernickel, stone-ground whole wheat, and 11 sizes, from six inches to 20 inches. Dinner rolls, in eight flavors. Ciabatta in three sizes and four flavors. And so on. You’ll find Paramount breads at ShopRite, Kings, King Kullen (often referred to as America’s first supermarket) and other stores in five states, plus markets and delis, including Town Hall Deli in South Orange, which uses Paramount bread to make their famous Sloppy Joes. The Newark facility is wholesale only; you cannot walk in and buy bread.
The Zabludovsky family
HOSPITALITY NEWS JUN | Page 07
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