If you grew up as part of Nina Balducci’s clan, the rhythm of the week was set by meals orchestrated with equal parts panache and tradition. Friday night supper, in keeping with her Roman Catholic faith, was fish. Saturday was steak night. Sunday was pasta and red sauce.

And always there was bread, whose wrapper was stamped with the green Balducci’s logo that she had helped design for the family grocery that was once the most important specialty food store in New York City.