'Savor the Flavor'

Here is profile of a local businessman. I welcome comments.

It takes an extreme man to make extreme biscotti. Ernie Cioto is just that man. Cioto is the owner of Extreme Products which has recently begun baking a new delectable version of the traditional Italian cookie. Ernie’s Biscotti Bites are softer and smaller than conventional biscotti.

Ernie’s new biscotti bites are as intense as the baker. A visit to the bakery is an aromatic adventure. The anise, lemon, and orange biscotti’s are flavored with pure oils from Boston’s North End.

“I’m definitely a man who know food, just look at me,” joked the robust Cioto. “Really, I love to eat and I appreciate good food. You could say I savor the flavor.”

The development and production of the biscotti bites were a labor of love for Cioto.

“They are from an old family recipe that I have adapted for contemporary tastes and lifestyle,” he explained. “So far they have been well received.  Everybody has their own favorite flavor and we are adding new retail outlets all the time.”

While creating the product was fun for Cioto, getting all the behind the scenes approvals was more difficult.

“I certainly had to learn the ropes,” commented Cioto. “You can never imaging all the behind the scenes work involved until you are in the middle of it. There was FDA approval, UPC codes to create, nutritional information to be established, permits, packaging decision, and more…”

Cioto is no stranger to business. He may be better known locally as the owner of Extreme Plumbing.

“I’m just a plumber from a long line of hardworking blue collar people,” he modestly noted.

In fact, he is more a plumbing contractor with multiple employees and trucks. One day he may be replacing a single faucet, the next he is overseeing all the plumbing for a 100 unit condo complex in Boston or for a new restaurant in Norwood, Mass.

Cioto projects endless amounts of energy and enthusiasm. He delights in naming all the places that now sell his beloved biscotti from Polcari’s in the North End to the Crosby’s Market chain. He makes sure to praise his wife Lisa and their four kids for their extreme patience and support while he began his new enterprise.

Never a man to sit still for long, Cioto is already adding a new pumpkin spice flavored biscotti to his line up and has plans for a cherry one in time for the holidays.  He also has expansion plans in mind for his building on the Merrimack River.

“We are going to open a small self-service espresso café and a retail outlet,” he said. “After all, nothing goes better with a good cup of coffee than Ernie’s Biscotti Bites!”