Lombardi's Pizza

Last updated

Lombardi's
Lombardi's Pizza.jpg
Storefront in February 2013
Lombardi's Pizza
Restaurant information
Established1905;119 years ago (1905)
Food type Italian–American pizzeria
Street address32 Spring Street (corner of Mott Street)
CityNew York City
County New York
Postal/ZIP Code10012
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 40°43′18″N73°59′44″W / 40.72155°N 73.995624°W / 40.72155; -73.995624
Website www.firstpizza.com

Lombardi's is a pizzeria located at 32 Spring Street on the corner of Mott Street in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1905, it has been recognized by the Pizza Hall of Fame as the first pizzeria in the United States. [1]

Contents

History

It is believed that Italian immigrant Gennaro Lombardi started the business in 1897 as a grocery store at 53½ Spring Street, and began selling "tomato pies" (in which the cheese is put down first then covered by tomato sauce) wrapped in paper and tied with a string at lunchtime to workers from the area's factories. In 1905 Lombardi received a business license to operate a pizzeria restaurant, and soon had a clientele that included Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. Lombardi later passed the business on to his son, George. [2]

In 1984, the original Lombardi's closed, but reopened 10 years later a block away at 30 and 32 Spring Street, run by Gennaro Lombardi III, Gennaro Lombardi's grandson, and his childhood friend John Brescio. This hiatus and location change surrendered the title of America's oldest pizzeria to Papa's Tomato Pies in Trenton, New Jersey, which opened in 1912 and has sold pies without interruption since. [3] Brescio, who remains the current owner, was named as a captain in the Genovese crime family by law enforcement in 2017. [4]

The move to 32 Spring Street was because the space had a coal fired oven. When Lombardi's business suffered in the early portion of the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020s, Lombardi ended its lease at 32 Spring Street (although keeping 30 Spring Street) and the owner of the building destroyed the coal oven. [5]

In 2005, Lombardi's offered entire pizzas for 5 cents, their 1905 price, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first pizza sold at its original location. They did this promotion again in 2015 for the 110th anniversary. [6]

In 2019, suspicion was raised about whether Gennaro Lombardi was the true founder, after a search of his birth record, naturalization papers, and other supporting documents show he first came to America in November 1904 at age 17, classified as a "laborer." If he became involved with the pizzeria at 53 1/2 Spring Street in 1905, it was as an employee not as an owner. Research suggests Filippo Milone opened the pizzeria. [7] [8]

Although there is dispute over the status of Lombardi's as the oldest continuously operating pizzeria, its establishment is linked to the current $45 billion pizza industry. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizza</span> Italian dish with a flat dough-based base and toppings

Pizza is an Italian dish consisting of a flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fired oven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gennaro Lombardi</span> American businessman

Gennaro Lombardi was an Italian immigrant who moved to the United States in 1897, and known for allegedly opening the first pizzeria in the United States, Lombardi's. He opened a small grocery store in New York City's Little Italy. An employee of his, Antonio Totonno Pero, also an Italian immigrant, began making pizza for the store to sell. Their pizza became so popular that Lombardi opened the first US pizzeria in 1905, naming it simply Lombardi's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York–style pizza</span> Large hand-tossed thin crust pizza

New York–style pizza is a pizza made with a characteristically large hand-tossed thin crust, often sold in wide slices to go. The crust is thick and crisp only along its edge, yet soft, thin, and pliable enough beneath its toppings to be folded to eat. Traditional toppings are simply tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. This was a popular meal among poor Italians due to the ratio of product from the limited produce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sally's Apizza</span> Restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut

Sally's Apizza is a pizzeria in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. Sally's Apizza also has locations in Stamford, Connecticut, Fairfield, Connecticut, and Woburn, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana</span> Restaurant in Connecticut, United States

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, commonly known as Frank Pepe's or simply Pepe's, is a popular pizza restaurant in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, at 163 Wooster Street. Opened in 1925, it is one of the oldest and best known pizzerias in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Haven–style pizza</span> Regional Pizza Style from New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven–style pizza is a style of thin-crust, coal-fired Neapolitan pizza common in and around New Haven, Connecticut. Locally known as apizza, it originated in 1925 at the Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and is now served in many other pizza restaurants in the area, most notably Sally's Apizza and Modern Apizza. This geographically limited pizza style has been favorably regarded by national critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grimaldi's Pizzeria</span> American pizzeria chain

Grimaldi's Pizzeria is an American pizzeria chain from the New York City area with over 40 restaurants throughout the United States. Its most famous restaurant is under the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn at 1 Front Street, next door to its original location. Zagat Survey rated Grimaldi's the No. 1 Pizzeria in New York in 2007. With a carry-out and delivery service model in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2022 it had 43 restaurants in operation overall. It does not sell slices, only whole pies, which are cooked by coal-fired brick ovens. It also sells wines and appetizers, as well as calzones. Among desserts are cannoli and tiramisu, as well as New York–style cheesecake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of pizza</span> History of the food known as pizza

The history of pizza begins in antiquity, as various ancient cultures produced flatbreads with several toppings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Di Fara Pizza</span> Pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York

Di Fara Pizza is a pizzeria located at 1424 Avenue J in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City. Situated between East 14th and East 15th Streets, the restaurant was owned and operated by Domenico DeMarco (1936–2022) since 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizza in the United States</span> American cuisine variant

Pizza arrived in the United States in the early 20th century along with waves of Italian immigrants who settled primarily in the larger cities of the Northeast, such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore. After American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II, pizza and pizzerias rapidly grew in popularity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patsy's Pizzeria</span> Restaurant in Manhattan, United States

Patsy's Pizzeria is a historic coal-oven pizzeria in New York City. Opened in Italian Harlem in 1933, it was regarded as one of New York's original pizzerias for its use of traditional New York style thin crust pizza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Totonno's</span> Pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York

Totonno's is a pizzeria located at 1524 Neptune Avenue in Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. It was established in 1924 by Antonio "Totonno" Pero.

Papa's Tomato Pies is a historic pizzeria selling Trenton tomato pies in New Jersey. It was founded by Giuseppe "Joe" Papa in 1912 on South Clinton Avenue in Trenton, New Jersey. Papa's is the oldest family owned and longest continuously operating pizzeria in the United States, as well as the second oldest pizzeria in the United States after Lombardi's Pizza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juliana's Pizza</span> Restaurant in Brooklyn, New York

Juliana's is a pizzeria located in Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 2012 by Pasquale "Patsy" Grimaldi and named after his mother, in 2015 it was rated the best pizzeria in the United States on TripAdvisor. Along with cannoli and egg cream seltzer drinks, the restaurant is known for its "classic margherita" pizza with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John's of Bleecker Street</span> Pizzeria in Manhattan, New York

John's of Bleecker Street, simply known as John's Pizzeria, is a historic pizzeria on Bleecker Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Founded in 1915, the pizzeria serves coal fired brick oven pizza prepared in the style of a tomato pie. In 2015, it was ranked the 10th best pizzeria in the United States by TripAdvisor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trenton tomato pie</span> Type of Italian tomato pie

Trenton tomato pie or New Jersey tomato pie is a type of circular, thin-crust Italian tomato pie created in Trenton, New Jersey, United States, around the early 20th century in which cheese and other toppings are added on first, then the sauce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizza by the slice</span> Fast food sold by pizzerias

Pizza by the slice is pizza sold in individual portions as a fast food by a restaurant or street vendor. Some restaurants and pizza stands only sell pizza by the slice, while others sell both slices and whole pizzas. The jumbo slice is a large-sized slice of New York–style pizza made in areas of Washington, D.C. Pizza al taglio is a style of rectangular slice of pizza that originated in Rome and is typically sold by weight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucali</span> Pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

Lucali is a pizzeria founded by Mark Iacono in 2006, located in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York City. The pizzeria serves brick oven pizza and calzones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Doll Pizza</span> Pizzeria in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Baby Doll Pizza is a pizzeria in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizzeria</span> Restaurant that sells pizza

A pizzeria is a restaurant focusing on pizza. As well as pizza, dishes at pizzerias can include kebab, salads and pasta.

References

  1. Asimov, Eric (June 10, 1998). "New York Pizza, the Real Thing, Makes a Comeback". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2006.
  2. Nevius, Michelle; Nevius, James (2009). Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City. New York: Free Press. pp. 194–95. ISBN   978-1-4165-8997-6.
  3. Fox, Nick (July 27, 2011). "Trenton Pizzeria Stakes Claim to Being the Nation's Oldest". The New York Times.
  4. Maykuth, Andrew (November 28, 2018). "Pa. gaming board rejects Lombardi's Pizza for alleged mob ties". Philadelphia Inquirer . Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.(subscription required)
  5. Wiener, Scott (July 1, 2022). "Man on the Street: Losing NYC's Coal Burning Ovens". Pizza Today. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  6. Steinbuch, Yaron (March 19, 2015). "Lombardi's celebrates 110-year anniversary with 5-cent pizzas". New York Post. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  7. Bruns, Kendall (February 5, 2019). "Lost Forefathers of Pizza in America Discovered". US Pizza Museum. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  8. Gennaro Lombardi documents at Regas, Peter W. (February 5, 2019). "Who was Gennaro Lombardi?". PizzaHistoryBook.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019.
  9. Passy, Charles. "Slice of Pizza History is Disputed --- the Tale of Fabled Lombardi's – Touted as America's First Pizzeria – is Challenged." Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2019. ProQuest