No loafing around

My mother always complains about Delaware bread. She grew up in South Philly, city of the crusty loaf, and, for years, she was convinced no one could produce bread like the bakers in her hometown.

I took her to Black Lab bread at 812 N. Union Street in Wilmington. Now, she's changed her mind. (Though, she will never, ever, turn down a loaf of bread from Sarcone's in Philadelphia's Italian Market.)

For nearly two years, Black Lab has occupied the site of the old DiFonzo Bakery. Head baker/owner is Barry Ciarrocchi, whose first cousin is KYW-TV news anchor Pat Ciarrocchi. Barry comes from a family that owns mushroom businesses in southern Chester County. He has a master's degree in plant pathology from Penn State University, but baking bread has always been his true love. The name of the business, Black Lab Breads, "goes back to my college days when I was working in labs," he said. Ciarrocchi, long interested in chemistry, said it took him several years to perfect the art of making bread. "It was always seemed like some black art."

I don't love the bakery's name - when I hear black lab I think of a big dog not a mysterious, mystical laboratory - but I do love this bread. Black Lab is a funny place. The bread sells so fast that the cases aren't always filled. Sometimes the service is downright neighborly -they recently gave my favorite 4-year-old a free roll to munch one when she told me, quite loudly, that she was hungry. Yet, sometimes it can be on the surly side. The day before Thanksgiving, we picked up pre-ordered rolls and there was no smile or "have a nice holiday" thank you. Whatever. It doesn't bother me - not when the bread is as good as this.