Marjie was out of town today, so I thought I'd grab a bite to eat at a place I hadn't been before. Cafe Da Pino's neon OPEN sign caught my eye and the parking was easy.
This small cafe is crowded with 5 tables and two more outside. The room is mainly filled with a refrigerator case full of delicious looking sausage, cheeses, olives and other good things with which to make a meal.
I'd read the menu in the window and then spotted the white board inside with the daily specials. The pepper and sausage sandwich looked exactly like what I wanted and it did not disappoint. The sausage had a perfect hint of fennel and the giardiniera was mainly red peppers and onions., all served on a fresh, crispy roll.
I'll be back, especially when the sun is out, for another delight from this tiny cafe.
My wife's grandfather (Nicola Roperti, aka Nick Roberts) had a place not far from this Cafe, back in the 40s and early 50s. He was from Calabria as well (from the small town of Celico, 2 miles west of Spezzano della Sila, and 6 or 7 miles east of Cosenza).
I'm going to dig further into this and let you know the story.
Thanks for the posting.
Thanks for that little bit of history, Dennis. I always enjoy learning backstories. My ancestory is Welsh, so I doubt Nick and I would be related, but, one never knows.