As a child, Al Abbatantuono would sample his mother’s pasta, making sure it was cooked to perfection and salted just right.
These days, the 63-year-old Arlington Heights cook performs such taste tests in his own kitchen in his combination store and restaurant known as Pizza Kits and a Bit More.
Al and his wife, Josephine, have owned the store for the past 18 years and believe they have found the recipe for success that comes from their hometown of Modugno Bari, Puglia, in the southern part of Italy.
“Combining the right ingredients and preparing them in the right way makes for good cooking,” Al says simply, adding that the right ingredients are those that are the freshest.
Al drives his van directly to the nearest bakery to pick up freshly baked crust, which is virtually the only items he and Josephine don’t make at their shop.
Unlike supermarket pizzas that may have been lingering on frozen food shelves for weeks, Pizza Kits guarantees fresh pizzas with the prepared kits that can be taken home. Just spread sauce on the crust, add optional ingredients and top with cheese. The finished pizza is then baked in the oven for 5 minutes.
“Neither the sauce nor the cheese will run off your crust,” Al says. Because of the quality of the ingredients, he says, “no one can miss.”
In addition to pizza, the Abbatantuonos offer a variety of pasta dishes.
“We make it, you bake it,” is the couple’s motto. From a large freezer, customers can select homemade soup, baked mostaccioli, lasagna, tortellini, gnocchi and four sauces, including marinara, alfredo, meat and meatless. Mostaccioli for two to three people is $4.25, and a party pan of lasagna that serves 10 to 12 runs about $25.
But the Abbatantuonos encourage customers to dine in. Space is limited, but six booths draped in red and white checkered tablecloths are available for people who will receive personalized attention from the owners.
“Our customers come to be our friends,” Josephine says. “It’s like a big family here.”
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Pizza Kits and a Bit More, 820 E. Rand Rd., in the Southpoint Shopping Center, Arlington Heights. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. Closed on Sundays. Call 708-392-9090.
