By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— Pelham’s popular dessert destination, Cake Art by Cynthia Bertolone, is serving up more than sweets with the addition of new meals to go and catering options.

Bertolone and her husband, Michael, specialize in authentic Italian cuisine, including lasagna or lasagna bianca, chicken Parmesan, stuffed shells and baked ziti with sliced sausages.

“We decided that a combination of Italian food and cake is the best way to go,” Bertolone said. “We realized that there wasn’t Italian food in this area, so my husband and I just brainstormed.”

Now customers can come in and grab one of the day’s available meals to go for lunch or dinner. Each meal comes with heating instructions and a loaf of fresh-baked bread.

Bertolone said many mothers have expressed how helpful the meals have been during the week, because each meal takes no more than 30 minutes to heat up. Customers can also call ahead and pick the meal up hot if they prefer.

“I think it will promote our small business and give people authentic Italian cuisine,” Bertolone said. “They love (the food). They Facebook (message) me, they email me, they text me about how good the food is.”

The Bertolones are also serving up lunch items, such as pizzas, calzones, croissant chicken salad sandwiches, meatball and chicken Parmesan subs and tomato basil soup.

These items can also be heated up in the store if customers call ahead.

“I get comments about the taste, how delicious it is,” Bertolone said. “People come and they see the sweets and they get some cake, so that’s been really good too.”

Despite the growing list of savory items, the dessert menu hasn’t taken a backseat at Cake Art. Bertolone said she is constantly changing the sweets in her display case and exploring new recipes.

Customers will now find brownies, lemon bars, flan, sliced tres leches, apple turnovers, apple pie, cookies and biscotti in addition to the items she originally created.

“I’m always exploring,” Bertonone said. “I’m always thinking of new ways of doing something different so I won’t get bored. People can come in and say, ‘Oh that’s new, and that’s new.’”

She said she develops flavors of the month to give her customers something new to try. For Valentine’s Day, Bertolone said Cake Art is crafting raspberry chocolate tarts with lemon icing.

Cake Art’s catering menu is available online at Cakeartpelhamal.com. Bertolone said she is working on developing a lunch menu as well. For more information, visit their website or Facebook.com/Cake-Art-by-Cynthia-Bertolone.