What it takes to get a menu item named after you in Philly

Danny DiGiampietro, owner of Angelo’s Pizzeria in South Philly, occasionally delegates the duty of naming his latest culinary creation to social media. DiGiampietro will be bombarded with suggestions — and more than a few requests from customers convinced he should just go ahead and name it after them.

“People get excited about it,” DiGiampietro said, of the allure of having a sandwich named after you. “I’m not giving a presidential pardon, but people wear it like a badge of honor.”

In Philly’s food and restaurant scene, naming a sandwich, drink, or dish after someone is rarely an honor doled out willy-nilly. These appetizing appellations are more often reserved for loved ones and lost ones. For patrons who not only fill a stool but fill out the character of a corner bar. Often, it’s a matter of tradition. Sometimes it takes a betrothal.

» READ MORE: The 2023 Inquirer Dining Guide

DiGiampietro, who opened his shop in 2019, turned to the internet because he had run out of family members to name his food after.

On his menu, there’s the “Big Lou,” a white pie named for Louis Sarcone Sr. of Sarcone’s Bakery, the late grandfather of DiGiampietro’s wife, Lauren, and a mentor. The “Looch,” a spicy chicken cutlet sandwich, named for his daughter, Luciana. The eponymous Moms and Pops hoagies. (His son, Angelo, already has his name on the sign.)

“By this point, pretty much everyone on both sides of the family are represented in cured and fried meats and pizza,” DiGiampietro said.

At Pastificio Deli in Packer Park, owners Anthony Messina and Frankie Sangiuliano adhere to an “only family” rule. Almost. An exception is “The Cug.” This mozzarella and eggplant sandwich is named after Danny Mondello, a Staten Island food influencer whose “Meals_by_cug” TikTok account has over a million followers. In 2022, Mondello posted a get well video for Messina’s son, Salvatore, 21, diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but now is in remission.

“He’s just a really good guy,” Messina said of Cug.

In Fishtown, Cara Jo Castellino’s self-named corner shop, Castellino’s Italian Market, has been described as among the ”high practitioners of mindful hoagie art.” Castellino, 35, who grew up in an Italian enclave in Pittston, Pa., named her spicy tuna hoagie “Aunt Lucy,” after the woman who taught her to cook.

“She was hands down the best chef I’ve ever known,” Castellino said of the late Lucille Anzalone.

Philly musical pride runs deep through the menu at Down North Pizza in North Philadelphia. Owner Muhammad Abdul-Hadi and executive chef Mike Carter name their pizzas after Philly hip-hop songs. The “No Betta Love” with four cheeses and Norf sauce. “The Break You Off” with lamb sausage and lemon Ricotta. The “Yeah That’s Us” BBQ chicken pie.

“We wanted to make our menu a soundtrack to our lives,” Carter said.

There’s no single path toward memorialization in menu.

Some sandwiches honor hoagie heroes. There’s “The Henry” at Dolores’ 2Street in Pennsport. Father and son owners Peter and Nick Miglino named their veggie offering with panko-crusted zucchini after Henry George, late owner of long-gone Chickie’s, often hailed as the perfecter of the meatless hoagie.

“Henry was king,” said Peter Miglino.

Some reference customers who still manage to make a mark. Like “The Squawking Pigeon” at Gleaner’s Café in the Italian Market. Owner Steve Hencheck named the cafe’s cream cheese, red onion, and marinated tomato sandwich in a joking, but loving tribute to a customer who would suddenly chirp out bird calls in the small shop.

(Hencheck owns the distinction of also having a sandwich named after him. At Lorenzo’s, across the street, owner Keith Vellios dubbed Hencheck’s preferred cheesesteak — bacon with hot peppers — “(Steve’s) Life Changer,” after a customer exclaimed just that after one bite.)

In Philly, some cocktails names are rooted in found communities. “The Boog” at the Twisted Tail in Society Hill is a refreshing bourbon and blueberry concoction named for customer Gregg Williams who helped create it during the bar’s pandemic zoom tastings.

Others toast bygone generations. All cocktails at the Palizzi Social Club in Passyunk Square are named for former members. Poetic surnames, like Lavererghetta, Mezzaroba, and D’Amo, are plucked from handwritten ledgers in the attic and given over to elegant elixirs made with ingredients, like prosecco and fresh basil, fernet and ginger cordial.

“I really wanted to pay tribute and honor the guys who came from the old country,” said Joey Baldino, who remade the 105-year-old club in 2017. “To not let what they created disappear.”

More than anything, Philly menu names stem from love. Love shared over delicious food and drink. Love built while making it.

At Lil’ Nick’s Deli, in South Philly, owner Nicky Maiale Jr., and his girlfriend, Kristi Giancaterino, have long worked behind the cramped counter. Nicky cooks. Kristi handles the menus.

“When am I going to get on the menu?” Kristi would ask playfully.

“You got to be family to get on the menu,” Nicky would reply jokingly.

This past Christmas, in front of the entire family, Nicky proudly presented Kristi with a special new menu. It read: “Introducing a new sandwich: ‘The Kristi.’”

Then he handed her a diamond ring.