STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Elvira Russo was 14 when she first stepped behind a bakery counter in Brooklyn. These days, she’s the one calling the shots.
At Rispoli 2 Pastry Shop & Cafe on Hyatt Street—just steps from historic Borough Hall and about a block from the Staten Island Ferry—the St. George storefront buzzes with conversation and a steady ebb and flow of customers. Courthouse workers drift in among cases, while food tourists stop in for a caffeine fix.
The tasters are drawn by the bakery’s place in the middle of several St. George destinations—the St. George Theatre, the Saturday morning Greenmarket and Enoteca Maria, the borough’s much-talked-about “Nonnas” restaurant—bringing a steady stream of curious visitors and Netflix-inspired gawkers through its doors…