7 Italian American-Owned Food Businesses in the Carolinas

Here is a list of some of my favorite local food products and food trucks in North Carolina and South Carolina owned by Italian Americans.

Nellino’s Sauce Co.–A pasta sauce company started in Raleigh, North Carolina, by Italian-American Neal McTighe based on his mother’s and great-grandmother’s recipes for classic sauces like marinara or tomato and basil made with good ingredients.

 

Melina’s Fresh Pasta–Italian-American owner Carmella makes classic fresh pastas like spaghetti and linguine as well as many creative ravioli like roasted red pepper & feta or goat cheese & honey. There’s even the pimento cheese ravioli. She also teaches pasta making classes in Durham, North Carolina.

 

 

Barone Meatball Company–Serving up classic Italian meatballs as well as fun creations like buffalo chicken meatballs and vegetarian ricotta balls. Owned by Italian-American Stephen Dewey, based in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina.

 

 

Oak City Amaretto–An Italian-American amaretto made by Italian-American Anthony Scalabrino from a recipe inspired by his grandmother’s homemade amaretto, made in Raleigh, North Carolina.

 

Benny T’s Vesta–The first dry hot sauce available in five grades of heat made from a variety of fresh chile peppers grown in North Carolina, created by Italian-American chile enthusiast Ben Tuorto.

 

Charleston Bloody Mary Mix–A bloody Mary mix made by Italian-American Ryan Eleuteri that has all good ingredients and no horseradish–its distinctive flavor comes from a habanero mash, made in Charleston, South Carolina, found throughout the East Coast and Midwest.

 

Mr. A’s Beignets–A food truck serving delicious beignets and coffee with chicory New Orleans style in Apex, North Carolina, owned by Italian-American Arlton Cangelosi.

 

All photos in this article were used with permission of their respective owners.

–Dina Di Maio

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The Italian Pantry: Orange Blossom Water

Orange blossom water is a flavoring added to baked goods. You can find orange blossom water or aroma fior d’arancio at an Italian specialty grocery or at a Middle Eastern or Lebanese market.

What is it used for? Italians use this in baked goods. For example, in the Neapolitan pastiera or in the Easter rice pie. It’s also used as a flavoring in fillings for pastries like sfogliatelle.

–Dina Di Maio

Peaches in Wine

Peaches in wine is a simple snack or dessert that we Italians serve during summer when peaches are in season. It’s very easy to do. I take organic peaches, washed and sliced (pits thrown away). I use a food-safe glass container to soak my peaches in wine, but you can use a pitcher or bowl too. You can also slice only one peach if it’s just for you, but we do a bunch and let them soak. I prefer to use Chianti or another red wine, but you can use any wine you’d like. I keep the container in the refrigerator and eat them as a snack until they are gone.

Peaches in Wine

8 small organic peaches or 6 larger organic peaches

1- 1 1/2 bottles Chianti or red wine, enough to cover peaches

food-safe glass storage container or pitcher

Wash and slice peaches, throwing pits away. Put peaches in clean glass jar and cover with wine. Cover container. Refrigerate–usually for a few hours to a day and then enjoy!

–Dina Di Maio

The Italian Pantry: Anchovies

Anchovies are little fish that you find in tin cans or small glass jars in the grocery store either in the Italian section or the canned fish section. They are packed in olive oil (or should be). Usually they come from somewhere in the Mediterranean.

What is it used for? Our most popular and frequent use of anchovies is as a base for a pasta sauce. You put them whole from the can into the pan with olive oil and garlic and they will dissolve (even the little bones). And this is the sauce you use for a macaroni like spaghetti. It’s similar to an aglio e olio sauce with the addition of the anchovies.

–Dina Di Maio

Two Different Breads Baked in Old World Style Ovens in North Carolina

I should preface this post by saying I love bread from the “old country,” that is, bread made from good ingredients in a traditional manner. It’s very hard to find bread like this, at least Italian bread, anymore, as the neighborhood bakeries closed. In New York City, the bakeries still exist in the Bronx on Arthur Avenue. Italian bread is traditionally crusty. Some places like Whole Foods replicate Italian breads, but they just don’t hit the mark. Luckily, I got to have bread from some great bread bakeries around the NYC area before they closed. So I’m always on the lookout for good bread, and I have great respect for the tradition of bread baking.

In my North Carolina travels, I found two bread ovens, one constructed a long time ago and one constructed recently, but that both make traditional breads.

Le Phare des Alpes is a men’s club in Valdese, North Carolina, that was started as a mutual aid society by the Italian Waldensians who founded the town in 1893. A few years ago, I wrote an article about a traditional Waldensian sausage called soutisso for Primo magazine (scroll down the link for the recipe). I met some of the men at the men’s club during one of the bocce tournaments they host there. I was privy to a special treat that happens only once or twice a year, the baking of bread in the old oven. I feel honored to have gotten to try this bread since it is a traditional food done on rare occasions. The oven was made by Waldensians out of the local field rock. It is a gorgeous sight to see.

The bread is hard and crusty and was used in the way Italians use bread–for dipping in coffee, wine and soup.

Now, being Italian, I am familiar with Italian breads. I am not, however, familiar with Middle Eastern breads, and was introduced to the diamond-shaped samoon by a trip to Baghdad Bakery in Cary, North Carolina. The shop sells other types of bread as well and is open all week except Monday.

When I walked in and saw the oven a few years ago, I knew I had found something special.

–Dina Di Maio

The Italian Pantry: Bay Leaves

What is it used for? Bay leaves are hard, dry leaves that are used to flavor soups and tomato sauce/gravy. You can add one or two to the soup or sauce and let it cook. Remove before serving because no one likes to get the hard leaf in their bowl.

–Dina Di Maio

The Italian Pantry: Onions

Onions are a staple in the Italian pantry. We use any and all onions.

What is it used for? We slice them and add them to salads like summer tomato salad or orange and onion salad. (For this, we’d use red onion.) We stuff large onions. Some Italians add sliced or chopped onions to their tomato sauce/gravy. My grandma used to like to chop green onion (the white part) and add it to her salad. We pickle small onions called cipollini. I like to eat the cipollini in a sweet sauce like Antonio Carluccio recommends, but this is not how my family traditionally ate them.

–Dina Di Maio