Luisita represents a family history of passion, commitment, and also sweetness. It all began as the courageous initiative of Luisita Imperiali Casati who, in 1921, opened a small dairy in Via Dottesio, in the Como neighbourhood of San Martino, at what was a particularly difficult time for our country. About 20 years later her son Antonio, together with his wife Virginia, took over the reins. World War II was upon us and once again it would be a woman's tenacity that carried the business forward amidst a myriad of obstacles and difficulties. From World War II Luisita began to expand her business by offering ice cream and small pastry products. In the 1960s, bolstered by close friendships established within the neighbourhood, Antonio began to work with the historic Ferca bicycle store, setting up three petrol pumps, now long gone, close to the pastry shop.
With the arrival of her three sons, Alberto, Maurizio, and Milo, Luisita's business grew further to offer more sweet recipes, as well as savoury pastries, such as the pizzettas, appetizers and savoury brioches. In 1988 a second store was opened on Via Boldoni, just a stone's throw from the Duomo and the lakefront. Open through from breakfast time, with the famous fluffy brioches, through to aperitif time, Luisita's two outlets welcome dozens of loyal customers every day and, especially in summer, also numerous tourists following the scent of cakes and pastries and the still exquisitely vintage atmosphere of the interior.
Since the 1970s the workshop has been located on Via Dante, and it is there that cakes, cannoncini, cream puffs and the much-loved ice cream take shape according to the recipes and ways of preparation that have been handed down from generation to generation. The delicacies are based only on the freshest products that are supplied daily from a network of trusted suppliers who, together with the Casati family, have made the history of Luisita's pastry shop. “The first pastries were meringue shells, and these are still in great demand today”, Alberto and Milo tell us. Luisita's workhorses also include the stracciatella ice cream, that has become an institution in Como, and Resta, the typical Como dessert.
According to legend, the origin of this leavened cake was a mistake arising from a moment of distraction on the part of a cook in Como who, in the early 19th century, regularly served his guests a particular cake enriched with raisins and candied fruit. One fine day, however, during the preparation of the cake, the cook poured too much yeast into the dough, which caused it to mushroom in size. To prevent it from overflowing the ingenious cook made use of an olive branch, which ended up in the dough itself. At Luisita's pastry shop you can still buy Resta di Como, prepared according to the original recipe, with the ever-present olive twig as a reminder of its amusing origins.
This historic pastry shop, which celebrated its 100th anniversary two years ago, has become over time a gathering place for generations of Como residents. Today there are many people who stop by the pastry shop every day for a quick coffee or just to greet friendly owners, who will always be ready to welcome you with a smile. The two stores feature pastel colours and still retain the retro charm of the old creameries of yesteryear. Since grandfather Antonio first built the first kitchen machines by hand, with makeshift tools such as the juicer, the cream whipper and the yolk separator, Luisita has come a long way. Now it is the turn of Luca, Valentina and Matteo, who, with their lifelong passion and the resourcefulness of youth, carry on the sweet story of their great-grandmother Luisita.