Angelo’s hopes to fill Mercer County’s cheesecake void

The Perri family shows off some of the cheesecakes available at their new shop, Angelo’s Cheesecakes, in Kuser Plaza. From left are Lauren, (cookies n’ cream), Roger (chocolate caramel pecan), Ryan (strawberry) and Sue, triple (chocolate). Photo by Diana Pichardo. “In Mercer County, everyone loves cheesecakes,” said Roger Perri, owner of the brand new Angelo’s Cheesecakes store in Kuser Plaza, 1062 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road, across from Kmart. That’s a good thing for his new family-operated business, especially after Michele Lorie, the landmark cheesecake shop on Hamilton Avenue in Trenton, shut its doors recently. “I always wanted to get into the food business,” Perri said. A mechanic by trade, he has owned repair shop for 20 years. “I thought cheesecakes, because there was only one other guy in the area,” he said. “When they closed that put the icing on the cake.” Inside Angelo’s, the walls are painted a light purple with black paint in the shape of a city skyline. There are wooden park benches along the sides. You can almost always find at least one member of the Perri clan in the shop. The store is named after the grandfather of Perri’s wife, Sue. Angelo’s cakes come from Brooklyn Cheesecakes and Dessert Company, which won the family taste test to become the brand they sell. “It’s hard to find good cheesecakes,” Perri said. “We tried at least six other companies. This company has the best.” They currently sell at least 15 flavors of cheesecake, plus a sugarless variety. Cheesecakes come in 10-inch, eight-inch and mini sizes. Each family member has a favorite. Roger likes chocolate caramel pecan while Sue likes triple chocolate. Their two children have top picks as well. Lauren, 15, likes cookies n’ cream and Ryan, 18, likes strawberry. Other varieties include black forest, made with devil’s food crumbs and port wine cherries; Italian style, with ricotta cheese and imported orange blossom water and Amaretto, topped with sour cream and toasted almonds. If business goes well, the Perris said they would like to expand to other locations. For more information, call (609) 585-1099.