I love it when I find something I wasn't even looking for.
In this case, I wasn't looking for the birthplace of Stromboli, but I found it. And I have to thank Rochell Heininger. Actually, I should thank Southwest Airlines for making her flight into Philadelphia 90 minutes late. Without that 90 minute delay, I would never have left the airport.
Thankfully, I did leave the airport. And if you get the chance, you'll want to as well. Because just 3 minutes south of Philadelphia International Airport, is Romano's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant.
Finding a good restaurant is nice. Finding a truly special restaurant is, well, truly special. When I travel, I'm always looking for the local joint that may not have the best atmosphere, or be located in the best part of town, but has food that makes you forget all of that. Romano's is that kind of place. Only this time I wasn't looking for it.
When Rochell called me to say she had not left Pittsburgh yet, I was already circling PIA waiting for her to walk out of baggage claim. So, the only viable option was to leave the airport. I had no idea where I was going. I was simply looking for a coffee shop, or some other place where I knew I could plug in my laptop, go online, and not bother anyone.
If you drive South on 95 from PIA, the first real exit you come to is Wannamaker Avenue. I first turned right and headed into town... nothing. No coffee shops. I turned around and crossed back over the freeway and thought, at first, that this wasn't going to be the exit. If you head South on Wannamaker, you enter a residential area that hugs the Delaware River. It was winter, so the streets were dirty with old snow and the trees were bare. It was not an inviting picture.
Just as I was about to turn around, I saw it. It was a sign, literally and figuratively. The sign read, "Birth Place Of The World's First Stromboli Sandwich." Now, it was 4 PM and Rochell and I were meeting Neal Baldwin for dinner. I wasn't even hungry. But come on, how could I pass this up?
When I walked into Romano's and told the girl at the counter that I had never had a Stromboli before and wanted her to recommend one. She stared at me in amazement and suggested the Original. I opted for the Original with sweet peppers and a Diet Coke, and found a seat.
Romano's is never going to win an prize for best location or best decor, but the Stromboli they make is award winning food. It is delivered to the table fresh from the oven in three pieces, cheese flowing from the cuts. The first bite was heaven. It was all I could do NOT to eat all three parts and ruin my dinner. So, I boxed up the remaining pieces and took them with me. I ate the rest AFTER dinner, around midnight. And I have zero guilt!
The next day, after the second speaking engagement ended, I told Rochell that we were not going straight to the airport. I kidnapped her and made her stop with me to get another Original Stromboli. I wanted to have it again, and I wanted to meet the owner.
Pete Romano is the third generation of Romano to run the restaurant. His grandfather, Nazzereno (Nat) Romano, was the originator of the Stromboli. His father carried on the tradition as well. He's proud of the family tradition and proud of his restaurant. As he should be. "I get upset," he told me, "when people come in here, order a Stromboli and then say it's not a Stromboli. You're gonna tell me what a Stromboli is?"
He understands that the word Stromboli has come to mean different things around the country, but he's not about to allow someone else's version usurp his. He told me how they make the Stromboli's in large batches and partially bake them. How their's are not made with Pizza dough, but with Italian bread dough. "It's a sandwich, not a pizza." Now that I've eaten one, trust me, it makes a huge difference. He told me that he had just put up his website, and that, yes, they do ship frozen Stromboli anywhere. If you don't think you're going to get to Philadelphia, pick up the phone and give Pete a call. He'll make sure you can experience the original in the comfort of your own home.
I'll definitely be back.
As fate would have it, I have to fly into Philadelphia again on Tuesday. I land at 2:30pm. Rochell doesn't get in until 4:00pm. This time I know exactly where I'm going to be - eating a Romano's Stromboli - and I know just where to find it. Now you do to.
Romano's 246 Wanamaker Avenue Essington, PA 19029 | 866.471.7778
31 Comments on Romano's Stromboli - Thank Goodness For Airplane Delays!
MAR
11
2007
Jeff,
Sounds like you happened to find a true Italian gem. There are tons of wonderful Italian restaurants in Pennsylvania, most notably, a little town of Old Forge that touts itself as being the "pizza capital of the world." Ah, I can just taste that pizza. Heavenly beyond belief.
Folks, it is worth the visit! And Jeff, if I have to wait at the airport for you to finish, no problem! I understand! Save me just bite, would ya??!! ;)
Rochell, I'll bring you one third of the sandwich. The thing is so big that after the first third I'm just eating for sport anyway! Want a Diet Coke to go with that?
Charlie, I am flying to your lovely town tomorrow and have 90 minutes from the time I land until I have to pick up my associate from her flight. I WILL be heading to Essington to get another Stromboli!! Guaranteed. And my mouth is already watering. Thanks for stopping by and adding your two cents!
Good to see Romano's stromboli getting noticed.....BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE....
There is pizza pie, there is square pizza pie.....and then there is Romano's Square Pizza Pie!!!
Cheese on the bottom, sauce on the top and a nice crispy crust......I got turned on to it about 5 yrs ago from my son. "Mom, ya gotta try this square pie thing at Romano's...its, like, sooo good....something about the sauce".....
and so I did and boy, what a great pie....ad some sauteed mushrooms and life doesnt get much better:)!
Linda, I was back at Romano's on Tuesday and had to order another Original Stromboli! Sorry, but I can't get past the Stromboli. I'm sure if I lived close enough I'd try something else, but since I only get to Philadelphia rarely, I may be hooked. :)
Jeff, next time you are in Philly, let me know ahead of time. I live less than 10 minutes from the airport! I will take you to see (and/or eat) some real Philly Phood.
Jeff, I just read your other post that sent me here. Why does my brain work so slowly? It seems like the most simple thing, and yet... I love the way you think.
I was a student, living in Essington in 1950 and remember the "hoagie/pizza shop on the corner of Wanamaker Ave and the "Industrial Highway" in Essington, Pa where everyone went for pizza and hoagies. One day, when I was in the shop, there was Mr. Romano (Nat) and several local guys having a conversation about this baked sandwich Mr. Romano was making and was selling very well, but had no name. The conversation was that the sandwich should have a name. What to call it?. At the time there was a scandal in the news about the married actress Ingrid Bergman and her affair with Roberto Rossolini on the Isle of Stromboli, Italy. Someone, I now know it was Bill Schofield, said "why don't you call it a Stromboli. So that's what Nat (Nazzereno) Romano named the sandwich. With the passage of time, almost 60 years, I have been telling and re-telling this story to more than a few raised eyebrows. By now there must be thousands of pseudo stromboli's. Seems you can sell anything and call it stromboli. But, I know the real deal, I was there.
All these years I thought the sandwich was named after the location Stromboli. I didn't know that was also the name of the move they were making.
When I read the article on Google I was concerned that a mistake had been made in some ones memory of events. I remember Ingrid Bergman and most of her movies and Stromboli wasn't one I remembered. So, I went to Google to her biography and found reference to the "scandal" and that the movie was called "Stromboli".
It was only after that I could e-mail Pete Romano (my son, of whom I am very proud,) that the account he had been told all his life was, indeed, accurate.
What inspired William Schoefield to use the word "Stromboli" as a name for the sandwich Nazzereno Romano had created in 1950?
This sandwich has since become known as " Romano's Original Stromboli" . The world's first stromboli sandwich..for more than 57 years..see this at http/:www.romanostromboli.com Here is the event that lead to the inspiration.
Thought you might be interested. I've been having a problem and just wanted to check it out, since this story seems to be going national!!
Got this on Web of Bergman's Biography and now I feel better.
Scandal and Exile (Ingrid Bergman) In 1948 Ingrid had seen Roberto Rossellini's "Rome - Open City". The effect the film had on her shaped her life for years to come. She wrote to Rossellini and offered her services as an actress in one of his films. He eventually agreed and Ingrid and Petter met him in Paris. After preliminary discussions, no contract had been signed, so in January 1949 Rossellini visited Ingrid and Petter in California.
The film they were to make was called Stromboli. However, financing it was problematic. Samuel Goldwyn had offered at first, but later reneged. The problem was solved by Howard Hughes. He had previously telephoned Ingrid to inform her that he had just bought RKO studios for her. This came to nothing but she later contacted him. He agreed to finance the picture without hesitation. Ingrid's marriage to Petter was already under some strain, and the forthcoming events did nothing to help this. In March 1949, Ingrid left America for Rome. She was not to return for seven years. Rossellini's film-making style amazed Ingrid. There was no script, and the leading actors were picked from the street by Rossellini.
Shooting on Stromboli began on April 4th. By this time Ingrid had already written to Petter informing him that their marriage was over. Meanwhile, the press was rife with speculation about Ingrid and Roberto. On April 22nd, Ingrid received a letter from the Motion Picture Association of America, requesting that she deny all rumours as soon as possible, otherwise her career would almost certainly be over. She ignored their request.
Stromboli was not completed until August 2nd. Meanwhile, there had been discussions with Petter about divorce, threats from RKO to cut off funding, and intensified speculation about Ingrid's private life. She had also issued a press release to the effect that she was leaving the movie industry with the completion of Stromboli. To compound matters, Ingrid was pregnant. This event was soon headline news all across America. In February of 1950, Ingrid Bergman gave birth to a son, Robertino. On March 14th, Ingrid was denounced in the American Senate by Senator Edwin Johnson, who stated that she should never again be allowed to set foot on American soil. Over the next five years, Ingrid made four more films with Rossellini, all commercial failures. In 1952 she gave birth to twin daughters, Ingrid and Isabella
Nice to see the word of Romano's stromboli's spreading:) Romano's Pizzeria has been my fav for years!!!
I love all of the stromboli's! One of my favorite is actually Romano's Pepperoni Bread......made the same way as the stromboli, baked in the same italian bread but stuffed with layers of pepperoni & three different cheeses.....yum!!!
When I left to attend college at IUP (Indianna Univeristy of PA, near the Pittsburgh area), my mom would over-night me "care packages" with a couple of strombolis & pepperoni breads. At the request of my friends, I began bringing a handful of strombolis & pepperroni bread back with each return from home. Needless to say, Romano's has many fans in the PIttsburgh area!!!
It was after a beer league softball game about 10 summers ago, and a bunch of us were supposed to meet at Lou Turk's in Essington. For some reason, I missed a turn and ended up at Romano's on Wannamaker Avenue. Greatest stromboli ever made! Those other guys don't know what they missed!!
I live in the Upper Montgomery area, an hour away from Essington. I have been known to take stromboli orders from some of the locals up here and driven to Essington, picking up as many as 30-40 strombolis for friends and family. I have been eating Romano's Stromboli for years and also in search for a comparable product nearby. No one comes even close, in this area or the surrounding Delaware County area where Romano's is located. Keep it up!
I was thinking what a shame it would be if most people , people who like good food, never take the time to visit us or call us to try our famous stromboli sandwiches. For the Romano family, stromboli making is a passion, it has to be, we go thru more time and labor to make a stromboli than anybody in the world , and that is a fact. To other businesses doing this , stromboli is just another item they can have on there menu so , when you come in they can say...Oh! yes.....I have stromboli..( not really stromboli,,,just something they call stromboli )....
We at Romano's can't and wouldn't want to do that . I have a personal , and a historical responsibily to make Romano's Stromboli the exact same way , My Grandfather Nazzereno Romano did more than 57 years ago . that's 6 decades of experience baking strombolies. If you like Italian food, and especially if you like Italian bread, you owe it to yourself to try the original. Romano's Stromboli " the world's first stromboli sandwich." Have a great day. pete
What an interesting bit of history Jeff, thank you incredibly much for sharing your experience and writing about this wonderful family business. How truly touching that you connected with so many 'non-rain' people. I'm really, truly, truly touched.
I LIVE IN UTAH AND HAVE TRAVELED AS AN AIRLINE STEWARDESS FOR OVER 30 YEARS. AS MANY TIMES AS I WAS IN PHILA, I NEVER MADE IT TO ROMANO'S.....UNTIL THIS LAST TRIP.....AND NOW IT WILL ALWAYS BE A STOP BEFORE GOING HOME!
LAST MONTH I WAS IN THE PHILA AREA VISITING MY STEP-DAUGHTER AND SHE TOOK ME TO ROMANO'S FOR LUNCH. JUST AS YOU DID JEFF, I NOTICED THE SIGN "BIRTHPLACE OF THE WORLD'SFIRST STROMBOLI......AND SAID, "WELL, I GUESS I HAVE TO GET A STROMBOLI!"
TO THE ASTONISHMENT OF MY STEP-DAUGHTER, NOT ONLY HAVE I NEVER HAD A STROMBOLI, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT ONE WAS .....AND I AM GLAD THIS WAS MY FIRST, THERE IS NO GOING BACK....NOTHING CAN COMPARE TO ROMANO'S STROMBOLI!
THE MEAT, THE CHEESE, THE ITALIAN BREAD, THE WAY IT ALL CAME TOGETHER, I NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE IT.....AND, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I BOUGHT SEVERAL FROZEN STROMBOLI'S BACK TO UTAH WITH ME TO SHARE WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS!!!
I TOO JEFF, WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE OWNER AND GET THE HISTORY AND THE "DETAILS" OF THE MAKING OF A STROMBOLI.... THE TIME, EFFORT & CARE THAT GOES INTO IT SAYS SO MUCH....AND TO SEE SUCH PRIDE IN PETE ROMANO'S EYES, WELL, THAT SAYS IT ALL FOR ME:)
NOW I KNOW WHAT A "REAL" STROMBOLI IS......AND THE ONLY PLACE TO GET IT IS ROMANO'S!!!
PS..... ROMANO'S PHONE NUMBER IS A DEFINITE "SAVE" IN MY CELL FOR FUTURE ORDERS VIA FEDERAL EXPRESS!!!
I agree with all of you. Romano's is the best in the country. And I should know,I grew up around the corner from Romano's and am still freinds of the family. Great food and Great people! I live in Florida now and I still get frozen strombolis sent to me and when I visit I have to have a great cheesesteak sandwich. I miss them too. The square pizzas are the best, everything on thier menu is the Best. I can't wait to visit again to eat and visit with the family espessialy my best friend forever Bonnie!
Jeff, and friends...just thought I would let you all know..that I recently got married...aug 23rd, 2008...you can view a short 2 min video of the day...on you tube under the heading " romano wedding" enjoy..oh...my bride' name is Linda.....in the pics you will see my best man...charles rodgers....and our children....actually had to close the restaurant for 2 days!....
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Jeff,
Sounds like you happened to find a true Italian gem. There are tons of wonderful Italian restaurants in Pennsylvania, most notably, a little town of Old Forge that touts itself as being the "pizza capital of the world." Ah, I can just taste that pizza. Heavenly beyond belief.