1930's: ORIGINAL HOME OF DELORENZO TOMATO PIES?

This is a contemporary "Google Street View" of the building at 439 South Broad Street.
It is my understanding that DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies got their start in this building at 439 South Broad street in Trenton. I will need confirmation of refutation on this unverified post. Rick, Al, John, Can you guys help me with this? Also wasn't "Pat" one of the the early 1940's DeLorenzo guys I remember as a young boy of 16 or 17?

 Anonymous said...

Tom:
A few years ago, I commented about Rick DeLorenzo's family having a "Tomatoe Pie" restaurant in this building which was Officially beyond the boudnaries of "Mill Hill" This is at the corner of Ferry and South Broad a just below what was the "famous/infoamous Eagle Tavern" Across the street was the Hamilton Hotel, and in the same building as Delorenzo's on the 2nd floor, Sam Guidotti had a fine dining establishment where I took my wife on our first "dinner date" in 1959. It was named Armondo's.
We attributed that particular block, and corner as part of our everloving " South Trento".

Fond regards

Mike Kuzma

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

 

Thanks, Mike. I removed the Mill Hill reference.

Tom

 Lee Belardino said...

Tommy
I know that you place that picture on Broad street but I could swear thatit on Hudson and Mott. My granfather had a grocery store down aways near those trees on 412 Hudson.The older guys hung out in front of Delorenzo, watching the girls pass by and chasing us kids away. We payed $.35 for a pie when we could afford it.I think thats the place.
Lee .

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

 

 JoeB said...

Tom/Lee:
That picture is on S Broad and Ferry Street. The original place was on Hudson and Mott a couple of doors down from your Grand Father store Lee. They moved from Hudson and Mott to S Broad and Ferry, then when they moved from S Broad and Ferry, Chickie opened on Hudson St and Rickie opened up on Hamilton Avenue.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

 

THANKS FOR THE HISTORY, GUYS.

TOM GLOVER

1936: GEORGE CASE'S PORK ROLL - A PROUD TRENTON TRADITION

Back in the distant past, (1955-1958 to be exact,) when I was in the U.S. Army cloak and dagger gig, the talk was usually girls, army gripes, and food. On the latter subject, Tom Glover, RA 12480163 had many conversations with my bunk mates when it came to our respective tastes in food. Lloyd Hodgkins, one of my best buddies from Jefferson Maine told of Maine Lobsters. Jimmy Herndon from Ada Oklahoma regaled us with his breakfast that always included home mad grits. Sam Steckbeck from Lebanon Pennsylvania told of his love for good old fashioned Lebonan-made Lebanon Balogna. Tom Glover? Well he was sure that Sam's Lebanon Balogna was excellent, but it could never compare to a DeLorenzo Tomato Pie or a long canvas wrapped roll of Case's Pork Roll. To my amazement, none of those guys ever heard of Tomato Pie nor Pork Roll! Well, to make a long story short, a roll of that Trenton-made pork came to Detachment "D" in Aviano Italy by air mail, and with a bit of coaxing to our cook after one of our midnight shifts, we succeeded in partaking of a Trenton made Case's Pork roll breakfast with our choice of eggs on the side. Did my buddies agree that the Trenton made delicacy was the best......even better than old fashioned bacon, run of the mill sausage, Philadelphia Scrapple, and yes, even steak? Let's just say they went back for seconds!

By the way: I can't tell you how many times I had to explain what a Trenton made DeLorenzo tomato pie was! Those guys had no idea that there was anything other than what they called a "pizza!" To this day there are those who don't know the difference, even as I explained that the pizza is a cheese-encrusted flat disk, usually very little tomato that tastes like a cheese sandwich with a just a touch of tomato. On the other hand, a tomato pie was made only by those culinary artists who knew how to blend just the right amount of tomatoes and cheese on a very thin and tasty crust! I told those guys that only in Trenton would they find restaurants who serve original Trenton Tomato Pies!

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS GEORGE CASES'S PORK ROLL. GEORGE WAS THE BIG LEAGUE BALL PLAYER BUT IT WAS IN HIS FAMILY. IT COULD HAVE BEEN CLIFF CASE. I LIVED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR YEARS AND WE ALL LOVED THE PORK ROLL. BETWEEN THEM AND THE TOMATO PIES, TRENTON STOOD ALONE IN PRODUCING TWO OF THE BEST TASTING FOOD PRODUCTS AROUND. BEST REGARDS.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

HI RALPH:

ACTUALLY IT WAS GEORGE CASE SENIOR (GEORGE JR'S. DAD) WHO WAS THE MOVER AND SHAKER AT THE "PORK PACK" FACTORY. AS I RECALL, THE FORMULA ORIGINATED FROM A FARMER IN BELLE MEAD N.J. IN THE LATE 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY. CLIFFORD CASE CAME ON LATER IN TIME.

omad said...

Here's the skinny on this one === Pork roll is a type of sausage-like meat product commonly available in and around New Jersey and Philadelphia. In North Jersey it is usually called Taylor Ham.[1] The product, as it is made today, was developed in 1856[2] by John Taylor of Trenton, New Jersey, though several firms produce their own versions. Got this from Wikapedia. When I first left NJ and moved out west, the two things I insisted my son bring when he came out to ski were Pork Roll and Tastycakes. HI OMAD: TAYLOR (JHN TAYLOR) WAS A SEPARATE ENTITY WHO ALSO MANUFACTURED PORK ROLL.

Sally Logan Gilman said...

Hi Tom: We also load up on Tastykakes and pork rolls when we come to Trenton. My sons and grandson love the pork roll but the Butterscotch Krimpets are an acquired taste -- but that means more for me. We also bring back Krispy Kreme doughnuts from Acme Mrkt. on Route 1. They box them for us and have them ready when we stop by before heating north. Oh how I miss all my favorites from NJ. Regards

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Anonymous said...

Hi Tom, how about fresh versus smoked pork roll to separate the men from the boys. If you are not a Trenton native you may be aware of Taylor since they now ship to retirement venues. A fellow on an auto site gave himself away with his avatar of Taylor's logo. He wondered how I knew where he had roots. Sadly, I think the old fashioned pie is going to fade. Much of what we loved had to be in the quality of the cheese and such. The big companies dominate the market anymore.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Mack said...

Hi Tom::) NOW I know why my Grandma always called it prepared Ham. Thats what it was once called:) ALSO: The BREAKFAST only theme of Pork Roll did not exist in my house and I have only come across that after starting the blog. We might have pork roll for lunch or supper as well:)

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Bob said...

Stop with the food! It's driving me crazy. There were so many small places that knew how to make a great tomato pies in the Trenton area. Taylor smoked pork roll was the best, especially with baked beans and home fries. And I lived on Tasty products all through high school and college. Whenever I get down there I stock up but now it's time to start having them shipped to me, hell with the expense. And yes, it has be difficult to explain tomato pies and pork roll to people in Mass and Maine.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Aww, c'mon Bob. Go back and read your comment above. You're making me crave a Taylor Provision Pork roll and egg sandwich for lunch today, a DeLorenzo's take out tomato pie for dinner tonight, topped off with a TastyKake "TandyTake" peanut butter delight. Thanks for being a visitor......I hope you return often,

Tom Glover

Omad said...

Nothing like food to bring out lots of discussion. My son, who lives in Morris County, is a true Pork Roll devotee and has his three boys all addicted to it. I'm a little confused, is Charlie Gaudette, Nancy's dad, also Mike Kuzma's uncle? Nancy and I are still in regular contact, especially since I moved back to NJ from Seattle.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

No Omad,Nancy ( "Dell") is my cousin, daughter of my Uncle Charlie and Aunt May. I lost contact with Nancy. I had a computer replacement and lost all my email addresses when Verizon fouled up when I signed on to Verizon WiFi., and cancelled Verizon DSL. In cancelling Verizon DSL, I lost all my email contacts. I assumed that Verizon WiFi was the same as my Verizon DSL and they never told me they were the same name but a different company! The bottom line, I lost all of my email contacts and had to start from scratch. Nancy and I were in regular contact, and I assumed that Nancy lost my email address as I lost hers.

Tom

2010: TOMATO PIES: ONE MORE TIME!

 A RICKY DE LORENZO TOMATO PIE

Ask any Trentonian, Hamiltonian, or any other Mercer County area person to name his or her favorite tomato pie and you will get an answer that depends on not only the taste and quality, but also the logistics of partaking in this delightful Italian food. Judy tells me I should have been born Italian with my craving for the Italian cuisine. My daughter Julie lives in Tabernacle and there is a place in that area called Roselli's that hand craft frozen lasagna, tortolini bolognaise, and ravioli that is beyond delicious. These dinners come out of the Glover oven as fresh as if one were being served in a restaurant.. Another South Jersey lunch that is unknown here in the Trenton area is a panzarotti; (SPELLING?) a delightful deep fried delicacy filled with cheese and tomato that makes a perfect lunch. Over the years I have visited my daughter, I have tried to find a local Tabernacle/Medford south Jersey tomato pie that can compare with the Trenton Tomato pie. The result is always a pizza, never called a tomato pie with thick crust, minimal tomato buried under a layer of thick cheese. Tasty, but not what I enjoy in what I consider a true tomato pie.

(IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OBSERVATIONS ARE  MY PERSONAL OPINIONS AND OBSERVATIONS. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT DELORENZO'S HUDSON STREET, AND PAPA'S (THE OLDEST) AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD PIZZARIAS SERVE A GENUINE QUALITY TOMATO PIE. I AM A "TO GO" OR "PICKUP"  CUSTOMER AND WANT MY PIE TO BE NICE AND HOT WHEN I GET IT HOME; RICKY DELORENZO'S IS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS FROM MY ATLANTIC AVENUE HOME.)

Tom, no need to explain yourself, pal. DeLo's on Hamilton BURIES the rest. ;) Jerry Foley

Monday, November 01, 2010