Food for Thought: The Zappi's Menu
Food and Family: A Zappi's Tradition
For Al Zappitelli, owner of Zappi's Pizza & Pasta, Italian food is more than just cuisine, it's a way of life. Zappi's famous signature dishes carry with them pieces of Al's memories of childhood and his treasured heritage, which are as familiar to him as the traditional Italian recipes he has been recreating for the past five decades.
Each item on the Zappi's menu has an origin story which revolve around the core of what Zappi's is all about: Family.
The Zappitelli Family |
In the Zappitelli family, food has always been a family affair. Whether it was watching his Aunt Lucy prepping her famous stuffed mushrooms at her kitchen table, or coming home from school to prepare his father's highly secretive pizza dough recipe, Al's connection to his family is indisputable. His childhood is as embedded into the rich tapestry of Zappi's as much as Zappi's itself has become intrinsically woven to the local culture of Niagara Falls.
In recognition of Zappi's 50 year anniversary, we're taking a trip down memory lane with Al by sharing with you the inception stories of five of Zappi's classic signature dishes.
1. Fried Mozzarella Sticks:
Macri's was known for it's cozy, intimate charm and delicious Italian food served with big smiles. It was also the home of the best fried mozzarella sticks the two cousins had ever tasted. This classic appetizer consisting of sticks of mozzarella cheese coated in seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, then fried to a golden brown was a popular Italian favorite, but no restaurant had mastered them quite like Macri's did.
Many years later, the memory of Macri's fried mozzarella sticks dipped in a marinara tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes, garlic & herbs still stayed with them. So Al and Johnny made the trip to Lewiston, New York, where Macri's had newly relocated, to plead with the owners to tell them their secret. Fortunately the owner, Gary Macri, a third generation restaurateur who had multiple family recipes of specialty Italian dishes passed down to him, was happy to oblige. He shared with them how to achieve the mozzarella stick's perfect, ooey-gooey goodness. That recipe is still used at Zappi's today.
2. Stuffed Peppers:
The Zappitelli family first arrived in North America in the 1950's, settling in their hometown of Mentor, a small suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Cousin Anthony opened Zappitelli's, a popular 'Ma & Pa'-style Italian restaurant.
Anthony became known for developing the perfect recipe for stuffed peppers. Using hot banana peppers with their tangy, sweet taste and stuffing them with a mixture of creamy ricotta cheese, grated mozzarella cheese, fresh garlic and homemade tomato sauce, Anthony's stuffed peppers became his signature dish. He generously passed the recipe on to Al and now Anthony's famous stuffed peppers are a regular staple on Zappi's menu. (Zappi's stuffed sweet peppers are a popular vegetarian option). Anthony continues to successfully run the original Zappitelli's in Ohio which remains open today.
3. Stuffed Mushrooms
Aunt Lucy's famous stuffed mushrooms inspired her to open a restaurant called "Wild Mushroom" on Victoria Avenue in Niagara Falls. Although the restaurant is now closed, Aunt Lucy's legacy lives on as a classic staple on the Zappi's appetizer menu.
4. Zappi's Pizza Dough
Being raised by first-generation Italian immigrant parents, Al's early childhood consisted of hard work and discipline. Al's father, highly protective of his pizza dough recipe never wrote it down, he only whispered it into his son's ear. At 15 years old, Al would return home from school and his father would lock him in "the dough room" to ensure no one could watch him and steal the recipe.
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