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Pizza has a
long, complex and uncertain history that often inspires heated
debate. The origin of the word "pizza" is unclear, but
it first appeared in 997 in Medieval Latin, and it was in Naples
in the 16th century that a galette flatbread was referred to as a
pizza.
At that time, the pizza was a baker's tool, a dough used to verify
the temperature of the oven. A dish of the poor people, it was
sold in the street and was not considered a kitchen recipe for a
long time. Before the 17th century, the pizza was covered with
white sauce. This was later replaced by oil, cheese, tomatoes or
fish - in 1843, Alexandre Dumas, père described the diversity of
pizza toppings. In June 1889, to honor the Queen consort of Italy,
Margherita of Savoy, the chef Raffaele Esposito created the
"Pizza Margherita", a pizza garnished with tomatoes,
mozzarella cheese and basil, to represent the colors of the
Italian flag. The exact sequence through which the many flavored
flatbreads of the ancient and medieval Mediterranean became the
dish popularised in the 20th century is not fully understood. |
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PIZZA
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(209) 333-9295 |
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514 W. Lodi Ave., Lodi,
CA |
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Hours:
10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10:30
a.m.-11 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Saturday; 11
a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday. |
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Feature
Article |
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TONY'S
PIZZERIA |
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Tony's was started in 1976 when now
owner Rick Darone's father, Tony Darone, established the
business on Cherokee Lane, near Locust Street. |
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It was about 1980 when
they decided they didn't have enough room and moved the business
to Lodi Avenue, where it has remains to this day.
Rick Darone has always felt like the business has been home.
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"I like people. I
generally always have a smile on my face. I love the customers
coming in. I'll talk to just about anybody, I like the
atmosphere and I'm good with food," Rick Darone said.
"So it's an avenue for me to make money and enjoy doing
it." Rick Darone is also well known in our community for
all of his generous donations and involvement with supporting
our local sports clubs and youth activities.
Rick Darone grew up in the restaurant business and gained his
experience from several different establishments. Among the
positions he's held — some of which were a bartender, an
assistant manager and a general manager — all have contributed
to his education in the industry.
"I took what I could learn from here, and I took what I
could learn from there and tried to compile it in the way I run
(Tony's)," said Rick Darone.
Tony Darone decided he wanted to retire in 1995 (his partner
Steve Fetzer wanted to expand other businesses) and offered the
business to Rick. Rick then returned to Tony's Pizzeria after
working in other establishments for the previous 11 years. It's
a situation he said worked out well for everyone involved.
Nowadays, the family tradition
continues as Rick's son (one of three), Patrick Darone, works at
the restaurant.
Other than a few menu changes over the years (they used to serve
burgers until a neighboring business started offering a bigger
selection of burgers) and some changes in the decor, Tony's
Pizzeria has remained the same. And
that works for the new and returning patrons.
"We sell a ton of calzones," Rick Darone said.
"We go through anywhere between 30 and 50 in a day."
The dough for the calzones and pizzas is made fresh daily, as
are the sauces and salad dressings.
The numbers of this family establishment say it all: a recent
party went through seven racks of pork ribs, 144 hot wings and
six supreme pizzas.
Tony's is always busy and fun with
families and couples enjoying themselves.
Rick Darone says, "I enjoy people having a good time"
and it's obvious he loves his job. |
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Article by Becky
McAfee |
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