Black Lab Breads update; 2 Fat Guys close Wilmington site

Finding answers to reader questions can sometimes take much longer than I expect. For months, readers have been asking about the status of Black Lab Breads,  a much-loved Wilmington bakery that plans to relocate its shop. We have some information to share today.

Reader misses 'excellent bakery'

I was just wondering if you have any new word on Black Lab Breads move to Kennett Square? The Wilmington bakery that was on Union Street? I was looking forward to it, but I've heard nothing more. It was an excellent bakery. I miss it.

Jack Yeatman

Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

It's hard to believe it's been almost exactly one year since Wilmington’s Black Lab Breads closed up shop. The Union Street bakery, known for its crusty Italian loaves, flavored baguettes, rye pullman and terrific tomato pie, had been a part of the community for 10 years. 

Owners Barry and Sandy Ciarrocchi told The News Journal they decided not renew the lease at the 812 N. Union St. location, which had formerly been DiFonzo Bakery. DiFonzo is now at 724 Old DuPont Road in Wilmington.

The Ciarrocchis want to relocate the bakery and have not yet found a suitable space.

Head baker Barry Ciarrocchi told The News Journal in 2015 he has looked at sites in the Wilmington area but hasn't been shown any building that will fit the growing bakery's needs. He said then it was likely he would move the business to the Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, area where he and his family live.

We recently checked in with Ciarrocchi and, earlier this week, he shared some news.

"Black Lab Breads is still about a year out, unfortunately," he said.

Two restaurant closings and another deli suggestion

Ciarrocchi said he is now working in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and is supervising Pizzeria Vetri Square Pie. It's a new eatery owned by famed Philadelphia chef/restaurateur Marc Vetri. Visit www.pizzeriavetri.com

The pizzeria features square pies that are inspired by traditional Roman pizza. The crust is light and airy and toppings change with the seasons. The dough is made with a mixture of artisan grains and cooked in a steel sheet pan at a slightly lower temperature than traditional Napoletano pizza.

Pizzeria Vetri Square Pie is in the King of Prussia Mall in the common area between the Anthropologie, Free People, and Urban Outfitters stores on the second level of the Pavilion.

We'll keep checking back with the Ciarrocchis about the return of Black Lab Breads. Stay tuned.

2 Fat Guys close Wilmington eatery

What has happened to 2 Fat Guys restaurant at 3205 Concord Pike in Wilmington, Delaware? Their phone is disconnected, and when I drove there last evening, the space appears to be empty.

Is this yet another Wilmington-area restaurant that has closed permanently?

Thanks in advance,

Nancy J. Wolf

Talleyville

Nancy, I contacted Jeff Cook, one of the "2 Fat Guys," and he said "we have closed our [U.S.] 202 location."

In 2015, 2 Fat Guys 2 Go opened in the old Pizza Dough Factory location in Gilpin Plaza. It served the same food as its well-known locations at 701 Ace Memorial Drive in Hockessin and in the Greenville Center off Kennett Pike.

Here's more from Cook on the closing: 

"After a year and a half of serving north Wilmington, 2 Fat Guys is sad to announce that we are closing our location on Concord Pike.

2 Fat Guys 2 Go was created in response to our popular take-out business at our first two locations. The store was designed to focus on the needs of busy families and businesses in North Wilmington. The store was successful in that it attracted new customers as well as providing another convenient location for our faithful followers.

However, despite our best efforts, and the loyalty of our customers, we were not able to make ends meet. The restaurant business is always a challenge even in the best of economies and we learned that this was just not the right time and place for this concept.

But not to worry because our flagship location in Hockessin and always popular Greenville location are still going strong. You can expect to see familiar faces in new places as we rearrange our staff to accommodate our team members from the Concord location.

We’ve exciting things planned and look forward to being able to spend more time back in the dining room doing what we love: providing our guests with a great dining experience."

Looking for a restaurant delivery service

I was wondering if there's a service in the north Wilmington area that delivers food from restaurants? It would be so nice for seniors to have a good meal delivered occasionally. 

Ann Schultz

Ann, I think you're looking for a different service, but I just want to make readers aware (if they're not already) about Meals on Wheels Delaware, a nonprofit organization which provides eligible seniors with hot nutritious meals in their homes. For more information about the meal delivery service, visit mealsonwheelsde.org or call (302) 656-3257.

You could try Takeout Taxi, a multi-restaurant delivery service serving the Wilmington-Brandywine Hundred area. The restaurants include Stanley's Tavern, Mexican Post and Charcoal Pit, among others.

Review: Olive Tree Café celebrates the Mediterranean

You place an order online or by calling (302) 793-1905 and then a driver goes to the restaurant and gets the meal. It can be delivered to a home, office or hotel room. There's a $10 minimum food charge and a delivery charge between about $3.75 to $4.75. This is dinner-only Monday-Saturday from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Visit www.totde.com

Grubhub is another online and mobile food ordering company that works with local takeout restaurants. You pay for the food and the restaurant charges a fee for delivery. The fee is set by the restaurant. Visit www.grubhub.com

A third service is Bring Me That, which acts as a service for restaurants. The food is delivered by restaurant themselves or a third party delivery service  The minimum order and delivery fees are set by the individual restaurants. Visit www.bringmethat.com.

The News Journal/delawareonline.com reserves the right to edit letters for clarity, length and accuracy. Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico