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:

As a 15 year old boy, Al would frequently visit his aunt Jenny in Niagara, New York. Often accompanied by his cousin Johnny, they would walk past Macri's, one of their favorite Italian restaurants. 


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

As a young boy, Al loved to watch his aunt Lucy prepare her stuffed mushrooms at the kitchen table. It was a painstaking process, having to break off the stems of small white button mushrooms and individually stuff each one by placing a small teaspoon of mixture into each cap. The mixture consisted of finely diced green and red peppers, minced onions, bits of freshly fried bacon and grated cheese. The mushrooms were rubbed in olive oil and baked to sizzling perfection. 

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. 
From an early age, Al learned all about the importance of aging the dough. Pizza dough made same-day has no flavor; it needs to be refrigerated in order for the yeast to grow, which is what creates its unique taste. He also learned the value of a quality stone deck oven. 

Today, along with his head cook Ray, Al still gets up every morning at 5:30am to prep his father's pizza dough recipe, which is a big part of what makes Zappi's pizza so flavorful and delicious.

5. Zappi's Tomato Sauce

Just as important as the dough, the tomato sauce significantly contributes to the distinctive flavors you can expect to find in any of Zappi's pizza and pasta dishes. Using a mild sausage for the meat base, Al uses exclusively California-grown tomatoes, widely recognized by top chefs for their exceptional quality and freshness. Because their signature sauce is used for so many recipes, the Zappi's prep team can go through forty cases of tomatoes in one week.
As a young boy, Al learned the importance of steaming the tomato sauce. If you cook it and burn one tomato even slightly, the entire sauce has a smoky aftertaste and the flavor is ruined. Al also understands the importance of allowing his sauce to cure and settle in order to bring out its rich, exuberant flavors. 

Al continues to make his tomato sauce recipe daily, using only high quality, fresh ingredients to maintain the integrity of his family's traditional homemade recipe.

"If it's not broke, don't fix it." 


This is Al's motto when it comes to the recipes that his parents, aunts and cousins have passed down to him through multiple generations of Italian culture and tradition. He respects their old-world value and is inspired every day to maintain their legacy by consistently cooking simple but authentic Italian food for Niagara locals and tourists alike to enjoy.

We are proud to be entering our 51st year of serving you, Niagara!. We hope you'll pay us a visit soon!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The History of Zappi's

From Our Family to Yours