From its horse-and-buggy beginnings in 1917, this New Jersey bakery-turned pizzeria has been thriving for nearly a century. When Constantino DeLucia arrived in the United States from Naples, Italy, as a teenager and went to work at a bread bakery, little did he know he was honing skills that would set the course for generations…
This Sacramento-based pizza franchise has the unusual distinction of being featured in the American Banjo Museum’s Hall of Fame. In April 1954, Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson and partner Ed Plummer opened a new concept, then called Shakey’s Pizza Parlor & Ye Public House, in Sacramento, California. Johnson, a jazz enthusiast, filled his parlor with music, featuring…
This family-run pizzeria evolved from a Sicilian immigrant’s dream to a San Diego success story. After Sicily native Salvatore “Sam” LoMedico emigrated to Detroit in 1939, he worked in the restaurant/bar biz with his brother—and knew immediately that he wanted to open his own place. Finally, after starting a family, serving in the military and…
This Twin Cities icon strikes an amazing balance between heritage, modernity and innovation. After Italian immigrant John Spallacci opened a bar in Minneapolis in 1953, he decided to cook up a little finger food for hungry patrons—and what better pick than pizza? Eddie Peck bought the operation (and the now-beloved cracker-crust pizza recipe) in 1961…
