Italian American Bakery Cafe in Prospect Heights

Ciao, Gloria is a bakery cafe in Prospect Heights at 550 Vanderbilt Avenue, serving fresh sandwiches on house baked bread with Italian American pastries. Baker Renato Poliafito, formerly of Baked in Red Hook, draws on his heritage for biscotti, amaretti, and crostata. American classics like cinnamon rolls and layer cakes share the counter. The bright room has large tables and ample seating, a comfortable fit for weekday remote work. On weekends the cafe enforces a no laptop policy across the room, a shift from the weekday work crowd. Doors open at 8 AM on weekdays and 9 AM on weekends, and the cafe closes at 5 PM daily.