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Pumpkin walnut pies part of Fruit Bowl offerings
fruit bowl

By VINCE REMBULAT
Living in the 209

STOCKTON — The Fruit Bowl at 8767 E. Waterloo Rd. is getting ready for pie season.

Ralph and Danene Lucchetti, owners of the produce stand since 1992, just put out the word for folks to order their Thanksgiving pies.

Popular here are pumpkin, apple, berry, peach, pecan and pumpkin walnut pies.

Pumpkin walnut pie is something that the Lucchettis came up with several years ago. It's a pumpkin pie topped off with walnuts.

They've been in the pie business since 1998.

"My mother didn't make pies," said Ralph, who is the youngest son of the late Frank and Ina Lucchetti. "I liked pie and ice cream."

The Fruit Bowl also sells ice cream along with pannini sandwiches, soups, and salads.

The place is known more for fresh produce as well as jams, local honey, and even Lodi wines.

But the bake shop is the big surprise here.

The pies are baked on site, using fruits grown in the area when available or IQF (Individual Quick Frozen) fruit.

"We make our pies from scratch, using the highest quality ingredients available. We also offer sugar-free frozen pies, made on site, and cream pies, by order," according to www.thefruit bowl.com.

The bake shop, in addition, offers up pastries, cookies, muffin or biscotti, to go with Italian-imported coffee.

The Fruit Bowl got started in 1947 about two years after Ina and Frank purchased the Ben Sanguinetti Ranch.

They sold the fresh produce grown on their 9 acre site along the roadside, with Ina putting out a bowlful of fruit as samples for the customers.

That's how the Fruit Bowl got its name.

Located east of Highway 99 on Waterloo Road / Highway 88, the Fruit Bowl is open Thursday through Sunday.

Call 209.931.1196 for more information.

To contact reporter Vince Rembulat, e-mail vrembulat@mantecabulletin.com.

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