Stallings gets an Italian market

Enzo LoRe had the silly idea he was going into semi-retirement when he and his family moved down from New York. Wife Josephine (that's her, with the pretty smile) had a different idea.

They opened an Italian meat shop in Stallings, outside Matthews, three months ago and now they're both working hard.

Small world: Both Josephine and Enzo were born in Sicily, but they met in New York. She moved here at age 5, he moved here when he was 11 or 12.

Even smaller world: When Enzo had a meat shop in New York, one of the distributors he worked with was Tony Stafford, who now owns Ferrucci's, the popular Italian market in Cornelius.

They moved south because Josephine wanted a place that was warmer and had a slower pace of life. She's been startled by both winter and the Charlotte pace. ("They lied!")

OK, so to the food: Some Italian products and pastries (cannoli, of course) but mostly a long case full of braciole, skirt steak, housemade Italian sausages in a half-dozen or so flavors, prepared dishes like the "Parms" -- eggplant and chicken -- lasagnes and more. When I stopped by Thursday, the wonderful smell turned out to be rice balls being fried up in the back.

Between Enzo's, Ferrucci's, Pasta & Provisions and Derados, another new market in Cornelius, our Italian shopping list is getting filled.

Enzo's is at 4420 Potter Road. The number is 704-684-0478. (If you're coming from Matthews, take East John Street past Trade and go about 2.5 miles, past I-485. Turn right on Potter Road and they're in the shopping center on the right.)