Eatery and sweets shop offers something for everyone

Whenever 82-year-old Grapevine resident Marie Calareso craves homemade Italian cooking, she goes to Napoli's Italian Caf for lunch. And she craves it often.

In fact, Calareso has been eating there almost every day since her first visit to the restaurant in December 2004.

"They make the best pizza here. They really do, and I love it," said Calareso, whose family is Sicilian. "So I started coming here pretty often."

Lisa Kinzel opened Napoli's in May 2004 with her husband, Brett, after noticing Grapevine's historic Main Street was missing an Italian restaurant. They collected recipes from friends, family and even customers.

Kinzel remembers her regulars' names, and can put in their orders before they even sit down. Regulars like Calareso have become good friends—framed photos of her family in Italy even hang on the restaurant's walls.

"We've had regulars from the beginning," Kinzel said. "We get to see their kids grow. We get to see the mamas pregnant and then they have the babies. And here we are eight years later."

Most everything served at the restaurant is made from scratch: marinara sauce, beef lasagna, pizzas and breadsticks. The pizza dough is hand tossed, rather than pressed from a machine. Lisa Kinzel said that makes a big difference in the taste.

"You cook it with love," she said. "And you are using traditional spices. And you are using traditional ingredients. They are very important."

The Margherita pizza ($8.95–$17.95) and Napoli's Supreme pizza ($10.95–$19.95) are popular menu items.

"I order the pepperoni, the cheese and I love the Margherita pizza," Calareso said. "That is the best pizza."

Wanting to double the restaurant's seating and offer a wider selection of desserts, the Kinzels expanded in June 2011, opening Napoli's Confectionery next door.

Most of the chocolate, gelato and fudge are made on site by a chocolatier with help from Kinzel.

"I'm not a cook, but I love to help with the chocolates," she said. "I love to make the fudge. I love to package them and decorate them."

The confectionery also sells baked goods, including banana bread, tiramisu and lemon bars; an assortment of candies, such as peppermint taffy, strawberry licorice and gummy frogs; and seasonal treats such as pumpkin cheesecake and candy cane fudge. They have even offered a special flavor based on a fictional beverage made famous by the "Harry Potter" series.

"In the summer we did Butterbeer, because of the 'Harry Potter' movie," Kinzel said.

Although Calareso has high cholesterol, she cheats occasionally with a treat or two.

"Those pastries are just delicious," she said. "I love lemon bars. They are so good."

Owners' Favorites

• Appetizers

• Bruschetta with mozzarella cheese ($7.25)
• Fried calamari served with marinara sauce ($8.95)
• Entres
• Chicken Marsala ($13.95)
• Beef Lasagna ($13.95)

• Pizza

• Napoli's Supreme ($10.95–$19.95)

• Desserts

• Gelato ($3–$5.50)
• Tiramisu ($6.25)

Napoli's Italian Caf & Confectionery, 309 S. Main St., Ste. 100, Grapevine, 817-310-0385, www.napolisgrapevine.com