Tomatinos and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest

[Flashback: It is September 1983 and I am sitting in a booth at Joe's Deli savoring a pastrami burger and noting that "Das Boot" (a German film with English subtitles) is playing across the street at the newly re-opened "Capri" (f/k/a the "Clover") under the auspices of the recently formed "Capri Film Society." My namesake, The Younger, has just turned one and lies in his "carryall" in the booth next to me asleep to the tune of a crowded delicatessen. The strami-burger is warm and tasty. All is well in Old Cloverdale....]

Today,  I sat in approximately the same exact location at Tomatinos enjoying an Italian sausage and onion pizza with the Younger while he engaged a calzone the size of a pie full of four and twenty blackbirds. I looked up and gazed across the street and noticed a Swedish movie with English subtitles named "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" is playing at the Capri. A large "O" sticker on the side of the counter facing me caught my eye.  Does it refer to President Obama? Recently vanquished Oregon? I moved closer and noticed this:

The Big-O is for Old Cloverdale. [Website under construction]

It is 2011 and all is still well with Old-Clo not in small part owing to the success of Nona Maria, Inc., the owner of Tomatinos and Cafe Louisa since the mid 1990s.  Yes, when Joe's left for "greener pastures" in Z-Red, the "AmSouth" Tower, over the wall in West Shorter and finally (and ignominiously) to the Lagoon Park Golf Shop, the space in Old Cloverdale was eventually filled by Missy Mercer's vision of future Old Cloverdale eateries.  They were the forerunner of El Rey.  Trendy, edgy, with a little hippie on the side. Although perhaps hard to accept at first, as is most change, Tomatinos and Cafe Louisa have over time become staples with a strongly loyal following of many of the same people who loved Joe's when it was in Old-Clo and serving pastrami to die for.  I confess I am one of them.



Aerial view of Tomatinos' calzone. Is Fat Clemenza in there? 

 Things do change.  The graphic sexual abuse depicted in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the last installment of the Steig Larssen's trilogy, may have been a bit too much for the 1983 Gump intelligentsia.  But, as I recall, the intensity of the depth charge scenes involving the crew of a German U-Boat forced us out of our comfort zones then also. Both films are so different and yet so similarly intense and disturbing that they cause you to consider situations you most likely have never faced.

Likewise, Joe's and Tomatinos are very different but in a similar way. Joe's was a Carnegie Deli "Jewish Rye" old school corned beef on rye type of place at what were higher than average prices for Montgomery (as it was called then). Tomatinos is all out simple Italian pizza oven fare with generous portions at fairly high prices.  In other words, they share more than a space.

Tomatinos and Cafe Louisa are open for lunch on Monday and although the total package will run you about $15 bucks (although they have a one slice, salad and drink special for $8) these are little holes in the wall we locals like to frequent.  In fact, I had a few concerns about publishing this information to the world lest they become too crowded. As always, I opted for freedom of information and the court of public opinion.  After all, the secret was out when both Tomatinos and Cafe Louisa finished in the top ten of our reader's poll last month. Now it is official.  They have been reviewed and they deserve a high recommendation.

I would not say "Joe's" would be proud Tomatinos has filled their old space with a local favorite. After all, Joe's screwed up and blew it. The former owners of Joe's probably wish they never left. Perhaps they even hoped Tomatinos would fail so they could go back to their roots.

But Tomatinos had a successful and simple game plan and has maintained high quality for many years. Tomatinos is perhaps deserving of recognition that it has surpassed Joe's and will, in another 25 years or so, be the subject of another column about why things are still good in Old Cloverdale.

"Das Boot" to "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" and Joe's Deli to Tomatinos. Change is good. Melissa Mercer is no Lisbeth Salander, but in this case her Tomatinos was the girl who kicked the status quo in Old Cloverdale to help make it the vibrant food/entertainment district it remains today. We at LITG highly recommend it even if you are not steeped in nostalgia.

The Girl Who Will Kick Your.....

Sal's Pizza Jumps to the Zelda Place League Like a Cornhusker

[Ed. Note 1/1/11: Sal's is, sadly, now closed.]

The fruitbasket turnover of restaurant leagues in the Gump has a new player: Sal's Pizzaria in the Zelda Place Shopping Center. Already the home of one of the best places to eat in town-Michael's Table (and a chain called Moe's), Zelda Place will soon also boast the reincarnation of Nancy Paterson's and a new semi-chain Zoe's perhaps becoming a third star in the local restaurant league. We already have the Inner League which revolves around the Alley Station: Olive Room, Nobles, Lunde's, Sa-Za's, Dreamland, Bama Bistro and the Brew Pub. Then there is the Cloverdale League: Chophouse VY, Derk's Filet and Vine, Jubilee Seafood, Sinclairs, Bud's, El Rey and Tomatino's. With the addition of Sal's, the new Zelda Place league will boast: La Zona Rosa, Down the Street Cafe, Country's Barbecue (a semi-chain) along with MT, NP and Zoe's. It looks like the competition for the hottest restaurant district is heating up like a pizza oven.

Tonight Toadie and Tayteese decided to take me to the newly opened Sal's Pizza in a nondescript location on the ditch side of the Zelda Place center. No sign on the door, no sign above the door and broken A.C., but full tables, happy customers and yummy pizza. Pizza that could go toe to toe with Tomatino's at a lower price. Throw in $2 PBR tallboys and you are teetering on a bargain. Three semi-adults in and out for less than $35 including tip.

We ordered the Salsiccia Pizza which comes with house made fennel sausage, caramelized onions, panna, mozzarella ricotta, and thyme. The personal size is $8.75. A medium is $13.5 0. The large is $17. The large fed three and Toadie took two slices back home to the Ham. It was "butter pizza" if that makes any sense.

Yes, that is a PBR in the shadows where it belongs.

We also ordered "Nancy's Salad" as an appetizer and one serving fed all three with a particularly tasty homemade and fresh Caesar dressing.

The patrons were all from the Gump and many knew each other which meant for a collegial atmosphere despite the presence of lots of fussy baby humans who were obviously cuter to their parents than to us. The waiters seemed to all be related or friends of the proprietor: John Burns Paterson who is the son of Burns and Nancy P. All were polite and attentive tonight despite the problem with the A.C. (which will be fixed in the a.m.). The old classic video games in the corner were a nice touch.


Like Nebraska switching to the Big-10, this new competitor in the Zelda League may cause a shift in the balance of power and/or some movement in other Gump restaurant leagues. Only time will tell. All I know is as far as Sal's is concerned, so far so good! Especially when they have a sign on the door and real air conditioning. I sense some synergy developing, or, is that a squirrel?

Cuts in the Gump: Fronduti's

No, they don't serve food. But I did go during lunch hour.

Maybe someday, when this recession has receded, I'll splurge on a haircut and food on the same day. But that day's not here yet, so you're getting a review of the place where I get my hair cut. With the economy in the crapper and all, I've pretty much put hair care down near the bottom of my top 100 things to accomplish this fall, somewhere behind "catch up on the mortgage" and "get that funny-shaped mole looked at." But my head had become shaggier than the carpet in the back of a '74 Chevy Van so I called up my friend Mark Fronduti, of Fronduti's fame, to get this situation nipped in the bud before anybody else asked me if I used to be in Metallica.

I also want to look sharp at Binion's funeral. See Wednesday's post. Sad.

So here's the deal: When you go to Fronduti's you understand why your mom went to the beauty parlor every week. It's just a damn fine place to get your hair cut, is what it is.

Today's coif was at noon, but I really like to go for the twilight triple-header when I can swing it: a haircut, a couple of scotches and some takeout pizza. Fronduti's has the perfect location for this on East Fairview between Bud's and Tomatino's. They'll even bring you a pop for while you wait. Hell, you can have another drink while they cut your hair (it's not like you're at the dentist or something). Oh, and there are usually better-looking women at Fronduti's than at Bud's, unless you want to wait around Bud's until midnight then go home all shitfaced and smelling like the bottom of an ashtray. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Anyway, back to the haircut. My wife told me it looked good, which, considering the material Fronduti's had to work with, is a pretty smashing endorsement.

Call 265-3003 for an appointment. When you get there, tell them Lunch in the Gump sent you and you'll get a blank stare, absolutely free with your excellent haircut.