Bellino’s Market
By Marci Lutsky
Over the past year I’ve been writing about great things happening in Smithville Square with the opening of Smithville Eats and The Play House & Café. I’ve been patiently awaiting the arrival of Bellino’s Market. I visited recently and knew instantly that it was worth the wait.
While owners Suzanne and Chris Bellino have never operated a supermarket, they both have impressive backgrounds in the culinary arts. Suzanne is a trained pastry chef who attended the Culinary Institute of America and Chris trained at Baltimore International Culinary College. With a wide range of experiences, they saw a perfect opportunity for a mom and pop supermarket in Smithville.
Bellino’s is a specialty market where you could pick up all the ingredients needed to make a fabulous meal. Fresh produce first greets you when you enter the market. Other departments include prepared foods, bakery, and a deli counter. The shelves are stocked with unique marinades, sauces, local honey and pastas. Breads come from Le Bus and Formica Brothers.
Many things stood out to me when I visited Bellino’s. To shop at Bellino’s is to support a small business. When I asked Suzanne to describe the market she said they are not an Italian market, but instead are more of a mom and pop supermarket. Suzanne and Chris are present and visible in the market working hard while interacting with customers. Their presence is known not just as the owners, but as people who are interested in making connections with their customers. It is a family affair at Bellino’s. Their mom and dad can be found working the bakery counter and stocking shelves while their daughter can be found working at the cash register when not at school.
As someone who values high quality food, Bellino’s is a dream. Everything is fresh and appealing. I overheard Chris telling a customer about his fresh made soups and they all sounded so good. As I’ve been following them on social media, I see they make their own sausages and their meals to go look just fabulous. The bakery alone is worth a visit with enticing items like Jewish apple cake, eclairs, bread pudding , muffins and baklava. The sandwich counter was bustling when I was there with people picking up lunch. You definitely wouldn’t be hungry after eating one of their sandwiches!
Bellino’s is located in Smithville Square at 45 South New York Road. They are closed on Mondays and otherwise are open from 8:30-6:30 Monday through Saturday and from 8:30-4 on Sundays. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Stop in and welcome them to the neighborhood!
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
