Fante's Kitchen Wares Shop
1006 South 9th Street
Founded in 1906 by immigrants Domenico Fante and his son, Luigi, Fante's is a nationally known cookware and bakeware business, selling thousands of gourmet and hard-to-find culinary tools. Fante's was originally a home furnishings store, but the Fante family continually adapted the business to the changing needs of the community. During the shortages of World War II, the Fantes purchased hard-to-find kitchen goods at auction and repaired and resold them. After the war, Jeanne Fante (daughter-in-law of founder Luigi) helped Fante's branch out into china, cutlery and unusual Old-World baking implements. By the 1960s it had established a thriving mail-order business selling specialty kitchen gadgets ranging from pasta-makers to cactus peelers. Jeanne also published cookbooks and offered baking and cooking classes out of the shop. Operated by the Giovanucci family since 1981, Fante's remains a destination for chefs and food lovers from 9th Street and beyond.