Moschella's Italian Eatery & Market — Attraction in Wesley Chapel

Ciao! Born and raised in southern Italy and now a proud resident of Tampa! My American friends have challenged me to find all the best and worst places that offer Italian foods. Here is what I think of this place. I don’t know where to start with this place. I called before I made the drive over because Google and Yelp and Facebook all had different hours. The girl that answered the phone was pleasant enough, but didn’t go out of her way to even tell me what the hours were for the day, other than to say they were open. Then I got irritated when I get there and realize this place is not an eatery. It’s just a market. Which is fine but don’t call yourself an eatery. There are no tables or a bar or any kind of seating. The market itself is nice looking, but kind of too nice looking. It kind of looks like a Wawa, Starbucks, and a Panera came together in one building but didn’t bother to offer anyone a place to sit. I agree with another reviewer who said it didn’t have any personality. I looked around and there’s a lot of options, but nothing really stood out. Cheese and wine is where I would expect an Italian market to really come through, but I saw brands of both I can get elsewhere. I saw sandwiches available, and their website has a menu, which is even more confusing because it’s clearly take out only, but that’s not mentioned anywhere. Again, it’s not an eatery. I thought maybe my English wasn’t as good as I thought it was and looked up the word eatery and it’s defined as a place to purchase and eat food such as a restaurant of café. I don’t understand the sandwich menu either. Cuban? Corned beef and pastrami? Chicken Salad? Is this place Italian or a regular deli? I left without making a purchase but checked out their website again. I hate being so harsh on the place but the about section on their website was enough to seal it for me. Two guys go to Italy and see a market in Rome and think they can duplicate it in the states? And Rome? The tourist capital of Italy is their benchmark for authentic Italian? I’m not saying what they saw wasn’t, but Rome does not define Italy. It’s arrogant of them and even demeaning to people like my mother and grandmother who spent their lives constantly learning the art of Italian cooking and the joy that comes from it, to think they can simply bring the foods they enjoyed on vacation to the states and immediately be granted the status of authentic Italian. Having a vowel at the end of your name doesn’t grant you an automatic pass into the club of Italian authenticity when it...

This is a hard review to write. I wanted to love the place. I don't. But I don't hate it either. From the website and everything I had heard, I was expecting Mazzaro's. That was my mistake. There is no place like Mazzaro's. This place is more like a cross between a scaled down Aldi that's very cold and uninviting, and one of the really nice deli's at the nicer location Kroger stores I've been to around the country. The store is super clean. That's a plus, but you'd expect that from a place that just opened. But from the minute I walked in though, it just felt very cold and corporate, even though I know it isn't. They surely spent a lot of money making the place look like something that could be a chain, and maybe that's the vibe they want, but for me, I was expecting some personality. There are big LED screens that go across the store, making it look more like a counter service restaurant at Disney World. Total turn off. The cheese, meats, and take home foods all looked great. I'm a little suspect that some of the foods, especially the desserts may not be made there, but that's because the store lacked a certain smell that comes from making the foods. Again, I'm making a comparison to Mazzaro's which you have to be near the bakery or deli or coffee bar to get that smell, or at a place like Quality Foods that's really small, where the whole place just smells Italian when you walk in the door. The store wasn't all that busy, which is also a plus, because Mazzaro's can be a zoo most days, but I expect their business will pick up as they become more known. In all fairness, I did not buy anything while I was there, and you will definitely find foods you aren't going to find anywhere else in the area unless you make the drive over to Cacciatore Brothers or Mazzaro's. I was however disappointed in their wine selection, but again, I am comparing to Mazzaro's where I almost always get a bottle of whatever they are sampling, and Quality Foods, where the owners there really know wine and get some of the most random Italian gems. The big questions is will I come back? Yes, I will definitely come back. I have a weakness for good soppressata and I'm always looking for aged balsamic. But what I really want is an experience, and right now, that's just not what you're going to get here. You're going to get a specialized grocery store with a great deli. If I get that experience, or at least an upgrade on my next visit, I will certainly update and revisit...

Second visit to this really nice store. They have everything you can imagine that reminds you of everything you had growing up in our great Italian heritage. Prices are a little more than you expect them certain items but the cost of things lately are all up high in the cost of importing these great items and having them available makes sense.

It's the second time I've had an issue with their sandwiches. The chicken's spody I got the first time came with chicken tenders and not chicken cutlets which is obviously not very Italian it was disappointing and very difficult to eat in a sandwich.

Today I go to order a sandwich I find the ingredients that I like in the case I asked the gentleman to make me the sandwich in the first thing he says is I can only order a sandwich from the menu and I told him that as a customer should be able to choose what I like I didn't think that was a far-fetched concept.

When I told him that I think he should focus on customer service and trying to give me what I want he told me that I shouldn't talk to him like that and he had quite an attitude which I had to work him down on which is ridiculous.

Simple grilled chicken broccoli top and fresh mozzarella three ingredients staring right at me in the eye that this gentleman had a hard time doing for me. In front of me he consulted a blonde lady both he and she were the only ones not wearing a mask, complaining to her about what I ordered or at least it sounded that way so I approached them and said I'm simply just trying to order what I want as the customer especially at $16 for a sandwich which we could agree it is quite a premium price but I'm willing to pay for what I get.

Anyway everybody else in the store was A1 courteous respectful helpful the Italian lady from Calabria who makes the pasta is always so sweet and the gentleman that works there with her we're very cordial to my mom and I speaking Italian making us feel very welcome.

So to the management team I recommend that you speak to the people in question you'll know who they are by the date and time of this posting review reminding them that the customer comes first especially customers that really aren't asking for anything that difficult.

Thanks and good...