Photograph by Chad Pilster

Soda Lightful: Jenny Xuyen Nguyen serves up a cold Lime Italian Soda at the Classico Deli off of Bascom.

Vietnamese cousins' dreams come true

Classico DeliCafe brings back the Italian ice cream that once made it a favorite sweet-stop

By Shari Kaplan

In more ways than one, the Classico DeliCafe is a dream come true for co-owner Amy Luu, who runs the classy cafe with her cousin Jenny Nguyen from its vantage point on busy Bascom Avenue.

A native of Vietnam, Luu settled in the area some 15 years ago without knowing a word of English. A quick learner, she now speaks with only the slightest hint of an accent. Initially an administrative assistant for the Inn at Saratoga, Luu later took the job she still maintains today--that of residency program coordinator at Valley Medical Center.

Life itself is a juggling act for Luu, who opens the cafe each morning and runs it in the evening hours. During the day, she works at VMC and leaves the shop in Nguyen's capable hands. As if that weren't enough, Luu is also a mother of two and is completing a business degree at DeAnza College in Cupertino.

Pooling their time, talents and money, the cousins took over Classico DeliCafe a little over three months ago after eagerly searching ads to see if there were any local businesses for sale. "At first it was kind of scary opening the cafe. We both had no experience, but for many years I'd wanted to have my own business. And I love working with people," Luu explains.

"Business is much better than it was the first two months, but we still need to spread the word more," she says, adding that in the past two years, the previous owner did not carry gelato, which caused much of the shop's original customer base--from the days it was once part of the Gelato Classico franchise--to seek the sweet treats elsewhere. Luu and Nguyen have brought the thick, creamy Italian ice cream back in all its 20-flavor glory--and just in time for the heat of summer.

"I love gelato! That was the first thing that attracted me," Luu admits with a grin. "Our customers love it too. One man comes from East San Jose with a cooler and buys five or six containers to take home!"

Among the shop's best-selling gelato flavors, Luu says, are vanilla bean, Bavarian mint, tiramisu, burgundy cherry and stracciatella, which is an Italian version of cookies-and-cream. Among the icy and juicy natural fruit sorbettos, mango is a definite favorite.

Living up to the DeliCafe part of its name, the shop offers a spread of dishes. Health-conscious visitors appreciate homemade tossed salads such as Chinese chicken, grilled chicken salad, Caesar and Cobb salads, as well as deli-style salads such as potato, pasta, tuna and egg. There are also several hot soups each day, chili, and an assortment of sushi.

Among the hearty sandwiches, served with choice of fixings, are selections like French dip, hot pastrami, grilled chicken, turkey and avocado, ham and cheese and the classic B.L.T. There are also four vegetarian sandwich selections.

Rounding out the menu are cookies, bagels, pastries and cakes and plenty of beverages to wash them down with, including a full espresso bar, soft drinks, iced tea, fruit juice, Italian sodas and the cousins' specialty--robust Vietnamese coffee. Breakfast is also served daily.

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Classico DeliCafe 2080 S. Bascom Ave, Campbell. Open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Phone and fax orders taken; catering also available. 377-5364.

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