Picture this: Santo Motta lands in the U.S. from Sicily in 1964, spends two decades elbow-deep in dough beside his father at the family’s Hartford bakery, then hauls wife Marinella and their three young boys out to pastoral Columbia in 1988, where they brick-and-mortar Motta’s Pastry & Bake Shop right on Route 6. It’s been pumping out Italian-American bliss ever since, still helmed by the Motta clan and still living its “Taste the Difference” mantra every single sunrise.

Step through the unassuming storefront and you’re swallowed by pastry cases that sparkle like Venetian jewelry: cannoli filled on demand so the shells stay shatter-crisp, flaky sfogliatelle, rainbow-sprinkled cookies, and ricotta-kissed cheesecakes that weigh as much as a kettlebell. But don’t pigeonhole Motta’s as a dessert joint, this place slings pillow-soft grinder loaves, spinach-stuffed calzones, sheet-pan Sicilian pizza that crunches then melts, and arancini oozing mozzarella. You’ll leave smelling like freshly proofed dough, and that’s a compliment.

Taste 9.7/10:

One bite of a warm ricotta cookie chased by a Popeye calzone (spinach, pepperoni, mozzarella) will have you pondering second breakfast.

Service 9.4/10:

Because whichever Motta is manning the register greets you like the cousin who finally made it home for Sunday dinner.

Value 9.3/10:

Twenty bucks nets lunch, dessert, and leftovers for that midnight fridge raid.

Atmosphere 8.9/10:

Fluorescent lights, no-frills tile, but the hum of ovens, soft Italian chatter, and the thunk of new loaves hitting cooling racks makes it feel like Nonna’s basement bakery if Nonna also ran a full deli counter. Columbia’s carb cathedral? You’re standing in it.

Bottom line: Motta’s isn’t just another roadside bakery, it’s a flour-dusted love letter from a Sicilian family to Columbia, CT. Swing in for a ricotta cookie, leave with a trunk full of calzones and a new appreciation for what “Taste the Difference” really means. Your carb quota (and your soul) will thank you.

📅 Plan Your Visit

📍 Address: 244 US-6, Columbia, CT 06237
📞 Phone: (860) 228-1226
⏰ Hours:
 • Mon–Thu 8 AM – 5 PM
 • Fri 8 AM – 5:30 PM
 • Sat 8 AM – 5 PM
 • Sun Closed
🌐 Website: mottasbakery.com