European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Not Carmel d Arienzo left and Elizabeth Nicolosi partners in Carlies in Florence Italy which specializes in american baked goods like chocolate cake muffins and  attraction in Florence by Florence fabricant new York times or Many americans living abroad and especially students homesickness often shows up in cravings for brownies or chocolate Chip cookies. Elizabeth Nicolosi and Carmel do Arienzo who had spent their Junior year of College in Florence Italy with the Smith College program in 1982 and 1983, were familiar with these pangs. By 1988, after being Back in the United states for five years they had their own cravings a for Italy they decided they could find happiness for themselves and provide it for their compatriots by establishing an american bakery in Florence. Carlies which opened last september was the result. Quot it was one of those ideas you get at 3 in the morning and i suppose its kind of a Miracle that we could pull it off Quot said Nicolosi 27 years old who is originally from Jericho . Her partner also 27, is from Forest Hills . It did not take a Miracle but nearly two years of persistence and determination to create the Small Bright High Ceil need bakery with its handsome Brick Arch near the Church of Santa Croce. A a in America you can buy a copy of entrepreneur Magazine and they la Send you a kit with All you need to know about opening a cookie store Quot Nicolosi said. Quot not in Italy. Because the system Here tends to favor the worker not the entrepreneur the perception is that doing something like this is  but the problems the team ran into had nothing to do with their being american Nicolosi said. Quot it takes two months to get approval to hire somebody Quot she said. Quot you could be italian and still have to Deal with the red tape the different jurisdictions in the City that regulate things like where you can build a Kitchen and How it has to  originally the women wanted to be Able to bake the cookies right in the Selling area but florentine Law prohibited it. So they installed a Glass window to allow customers to watch the baking. They were limited in placing their Enterprise because zoning rules prohibit bakeries in some areas. After five months of searching they found a former Button factory that had suitable space. Because the building had been under water during flooding in 1966 that was particularly severe in the Santa Croce Quarter the renovation involved elaborate structural work and became much More complicated and costly than originally expected. The necessary financing was pieced together through Loans from family friends and a Branch of Citibank in Florence. Quot we knew we d have to fix the place up and install a Kitchen but we did not anticipate completely restoring a florentine building Quot do Arienzo said. Quot it s done wonders for our vocabulary. Want to know How to say cesspool or heating duct in italian Quot at the same time the vocabulary of their Ever increasing italian clientele has been expanded with terms like Brownie muffin and chocolate Chip cookie a they come in and say a Che Cosa what a that when they see these things Quot do Arienzo said. A then we give them tastes and try to teach them How to say  on a recent sunday morning they were describing a Cupcake As a Piccola Torta Little cake to a customer. Do Arienzo graduated from the hotel management program at Cornell University after obtaining her undergraduate degree and worked briefly As a management trainee at the Excelsior hotel in Florence. Her experience there made it easier to obtain the proper equipment for the Kitchen As Well As ingredients for baking. Quot i was purchasing from the Best purveyors when i was at the Excelsior and we Are still buying from them Quot she said. Nicolosi had worked in the new York offices of some european banking and advertising companies after College. Neither of the women had done any professional baking. The partners spent about eight months perfecting recipes finding that the Basic formulas for brownies and cookies had to be changed because of differences in the ingredients in Europe. Quot the flour and butter Are very different Quot Nicolosi said Quot we use Perugina chocolate and it s excellent but we have to chop it by  one of their biggest problems is that the Philadelphia Brand Cream cheese they use for their creamy new York style cheesecake is not available in Large commercial size packages so they have to unwrap dozens of Small packages every Day. Instead of Graham crackers the crust of the cheesecake is made with their own crushed cookies. Old fashioned devils food cake Strawberry Shortcake Carrot cake and Apple pies in several sizes Are some of their other specialities. Quot last thanksgiving when we were open Only about six weeks we had such a run on pumpkin and Apple pies that we had to pull an All Nighter to meet the demand Quot d Arienzo said. They have started Selling their deliciously fudge brownies to the Excelsior to serve at Tea time. Another restaurant ii a Frullo orders their muffins and brownies for an american breakfast served every morning. They would like to be Able to sell Coffee in the shop to go with the muffins and cookies. Quot but that would take another whole set of licenses Quot miss Nicolosi said birthday cakes Are also a specially. They obtain the Home addresses of Many of the american students in Florence and Send fliers to their parents suggesting that birthday cakes and Holiday gifts be ordered from Carlie s. Evelyn Winters from Newport Beach Calif who has taught at the american school in Milan Italy for 12 years was in the shop one morning stocking up on baked goods. Quot they remind me of the Way my Mother used to bake Quot she said Carlies 12 r via Delle Brache in Florence is open every Day except tuesday 10 a m to 8 pm. The shop will be closed in August cookies and muffins Are about 75 cents each brownies and cupcakes Are $1.25 each and cakes and pies Are sold by weight about $20 a Halo 2 2 pounds Friday july 13, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13