Hidden Gems: Meet Cuisine Cugine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cuisine Cugine.

We’re three cousins bringing an Italian family tradition to Los Angeles. As grandchildren of Italian immigrants, we felt that the best way to preserve their story and continue their legacy was by learning to cook the food we grew up loving. Panzerotti is the staple street-food from Puglia, the region which our family is from. They’re fried, half-moon shaped pockets of dough filled with traditional Italian goodness (tomatoes, mozzarella, or whatever else you want to add). We learned the family recipe and made it extra special, and have been serving panzerotti to the westside since. We take orders through Instagram and offer a limited menu with the option for pick-up or delivery. You can choose between a dozen or a half-dozen and select from a variety of flavors that we offer. Panzerotti are delicious and they tell the story of our famiglia. That’s amore.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We set goals (big & small) and we’re doing what it takes to achieve them. It hasn’t been easy. It took us months to perfect our dough recipe, for example. If you’ve ever worked with your family, you know what it’s like. We fight and argue, but at the end of the day it’s always enjoyable and each week, we get better. We’ve had our fair share of failures, power outages, and countless other obstacles, but we always find a way to make it work. And we’re just getting started!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Cuisine Cugine is three cousins (Morris Ellis, Karlie Ellis, and Michele Campanelli) that has brought our Italian family recipes to Los Angeles. We specialize in panzerotti. We offer three flavors – OG (tomato and mozzarella), VEGGIE – tomato, mozzarella, kalamata olives, & artichoke, and SAUSAGE (tomato, mozzarella, Italian sausage, and roasted bell peppers. We recently starting offering holiday bundles which include 12 “mini” panzerotti, arugula salad, and eggplant parmigiana OR butternut squash lasange. We are proud that we get to continue our family traditions and that we are able to introduce a new food to the people. Our brand is all about sharing the love of food with our friends and family.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
We currently do our business through Instagram (@cuisinecugine) so communication is essential for our business. Every Monday, our menu is posted on Instagram, and our customers have Monday- Friday to place their order. As of now, we currently offer pick-up and delivery on Sundays. We send out friendly reminders and updates throughout the week to get our customers excited for their upcoming orders.

Pricing:

• 1/2 dozen Panzerotti – $25.00
• Mini Panzerotti – $20.00
• 1/2 sheet Eggplant Parmigiana – $35.00
• 1/2 Butternut Squash Lasange – $40.00

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuisinecugine/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cuisinecugine/

Image Credits
Jason Pebbles @okpebbs