For this months interview produced in conjunction with Kevin Moriarty’s Sky Dog Media, we visited Papa’s Tomato Pies and spoke with owner Nick Azzaro.
Azzaro is the third generation to run the business started by his grandfather in 1912. His son, Donnie, is the fourth generation working in the family business…a rarity in any field. Although the restaurant has changed location a few times in it’s nearly 100 years of existence, it remains in the family. This fact allows Papa’s to legitimately claim to be the oldest, continuously operated family owned pizza restaurant in the country. And to that we say, “Complimenti!” Congratulations!
Nick Azzaro: Thank you very much.
Trenton Downtowner: This discovery, if you will, has generated some press for the restaurant. You’ve been interviewed on National Public Radio, the newspapers have run stories. How has the excitement changed your business?
NA: We have many new customers from all over the state and Pennsylvania. As soon as it hit the paper, many people came in. They wanted to see the oldest pizza restaurant in the United States. I’ve had phone calls from New York arguing with me; other people wanting to argue with me, but it stands: we are the oldest pizza restaurant in the United States.
The original Lombardi’s (in New York City) opened in 1905 and closed in 1984. Somebody else bought it in 1994. It was closed for 10 years. And he claimed to be the oldest.
Well, I think even if you’re missing for seven years, you’re declared dead, so…
I think he’s done with it and I’m the oldest pizza restaurant in the United States.
After the National Public Radio piece, we got a call from California to do a reality show. It’s up in the air right now. I always tell people, “I was asked to go to the prom, but I haven’t gone yet. But I was asked.” So, we don’t know what is going to happen. They are still debating about what they are going to do.
TD: People from the Trenton area tend to take the whole tomato pie thing for granted. Would you explain to the uninitiated the differences and the similarities between a tomato pie and a pizza?
NA: Well it was called pomodoro pizza in Italy. Pomodoro means tomato; pizza means pie. So when they came to the United States, the called it tomato pie. They changed the pomodoro to tomato and pizza to pie. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, they had neon signs made with Tomato Pie on them. The letters got more expensive so to save the cost, they shortened Tomato Pie to Pizza. The difference between tomato pie and pizza was to save on the cost of the sign.
The Trenton-style of pizza is a little different. We put more love into our pizza. The construction of the pie—we spread out the dough. We put the cheese on. Then we put the tomatoes on the top.
I can’t tell you why, because I’d have to either marry you or kill you.
TD: Speaking of Trenton-style, you are one of the few places around that still makes a mustard pie. In fact, it is one of your nightly specials. Can you describe that and give us a little insight into how that came about?
NA: It started with this guy named Schuster who bought one of my grandfather’s pizzerias on Whittaker Avenue. He made mustard pies.
I’d never heard of them until they closed down and one of the workers came here to work for me. They were telling me how to make it. So I took a shot and I made it. People like it. Brown mustard first, tomatoes and then the cheese. That’s a mustard pie. It’s a special on Monday night. We drop the price on it to introduce it to our regular customers. Some of them like it; some of them don’t.
TD: Although I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like tomato pie, you do offer other items. What are some of your non-pizza specialties?
NA: Fridays we have spaghetti and crabs. I make it the old fashioned way like my grandmother showed me how to do it, 40 years ago, I guess. We sell maybe a dozen orders.
We have lasagna; it’s a special on Tuesdays. We have vodka rigatoni on Thursday. Our chicken parmesan on Wednesdays, it’s enormous! We run out every Wednesday.And we have the regular macaroni: rigatoni, gnocchi, ravioli, spaghetti, meatballs and sausage. Not too many dishes, but everything is fresh. We run out and its done.
TD: Coming in here, for me and for many other Trentonians I’m sure, is not just about the pie. It’s a trip back in time. The décor, the antipasto with the sliced beets, the red cream soda, locally made ice cream for dessert. It’s about tradition, comfort and hospitality. You don’t offer just good food here; you are offering a slice of what Trenton was.
NA: Yeah. We haven’t changed this place since 1963 and people don’t want me to change it. I added the chandeliers. We have thousands of pictures of our customers, some are {still with us}, some are gone. They love to see the pictures. “There’s my aunt; there’s my grandmother.” They love to see these pictures.
TD: You’ve got the atmosphere, you’ve got the menu, you’ve got the quality. This is what has kept Papa’s going for 99 years. Here’s hoping Papa’s is around for another 100 years. C’ent Anni!
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