L'Italo-Americano

D oes your next d i n n e r p a r t y r e q u i r e a P e c o r i n o R o m a n o o r a Moliterno al Tartufo? Maybe you're low on charcuterie, perhaps salami or prosciut- to? How about a full-bodied B a r o l o , B a r b a r e s c o o r Brunello to accompany your homemade pasta? Any of these items, along w i t h t h o u s a n d s o f o t h e r products, are available by p e r u s i n g t h e j a m - p a c k e d shelves and deli counters a t D e L a u r e n t i F o o d & Wine, located in Seattle's h i s t o r i c P i k e P l a c e Market. D e L a u r e n t i o p e n e d i n 1946 but its place in Seattle history goes further back. The original building at Pike Place Market dates to around 1900 when it housed several commercial businesses and the Knights of Pythias hall. In 1916, the structure was remodeled to become part of the public market, known as Economy Market. In the 1920s, a small gro- c e r y s t o r e r u n b y t h e M u s t e l l o f a m i l y o p e n e d o n t h e m a r k e t ' s lower level. Maria Domenica Mustello, known as Mamie or just Mae, a teenager at the time, would help her parents in the shop after school and on weekends, selling eggs, butter, cheese and pasta. One day in 1928, there was a new bread deliveryman on the r o u t e . B e f o r e l o n g , P e t e DeLaurenti was coming around the Italian grocery shop more and more often. DeLaurenti had been born i n W a s h i n g t o n s t a t e b u t m o v e d w i t h h i s f a m i l y t o Torino, Italy, while still a boy. He returned to Seattle at the age of 19 and got a job delivering bread door-to- d o o r . P e t e a n d M a e s o o n started seeing each other, often spending the weekends dancing, some days at the Trianon Ballroom in down- town Seattle, other times in the dance hall at the Renton junction. In 1930, they married and had two sons. Mae's mother had lost the little grocery store during the Depression, but in 1946 the couple was able to purchase the same space at Pike Place Market, c a l l i n g i t P e t e ' s I t a l i a n Grocery. Pete had his own ideas about how to reshape t h e b u s i n e s s i n t o a Mediterranean-focused food market where he could carry products such as olive oil, salami, feta or Asiago cheese. As his selection of specialty food items expanded, Pete decided the shop needed a new name and DeLaurenti was born. F r o m t h e s t a r t , DeLaurenti was a regular g a t h e r i n g s p o t f o r l o c a l I t a l i a n s a n d I t a l i a n - Americans. Women would stop in for a pound of this, a f e w s l i c e s o f t h a t . M e n dropped by regularly to catch u p o n t h e n e w s , w h e t h e r from Garlic Gulch, the nick- n a m e g i v e n t o t h e l o c a l I t a l i a n n e i g h b o r h o o d , o r from the old country. Mae was a great cook, who l i k e d t o u s e f r e s h s i m p l e ingredients from her garden to create the southern Italian d i s h e s h e r f a m i l y l o v e d . Customers often found her at the DeLaurenti deli counter, dispensing recipes along with the meats and cheeses. She loved sharing cooking tips and would often help her customers plan out an entire Italian meal, from antipasti t o d e s s e r t . S h e a n d P e t e worked side-by-side at the store, and sons Louie and M a r t y h e l p e d o u t a f t e r school. Throughout 66 years of marriage, the couple con- tinued to enjoy an evening out dancing. Pete died in 1996 and Mae in 2004. Their son Louie took a job selling shoes after high school and rose through the ranks. He often said that he went on a European vacation in 1971 as a shoe-store man- ager and came back a deli o w n e r . D u r i n g h i s t i m e abroad, he saw how impor- tant family-owned markets and small shops were to the European consumer. The fol- l o w i n g y e a r , h e b o u g h t DeLaurenti from his parents. Even though he had left the s h o e b u s i n e s s b e h i n d , h e acknowledged it provided him with solid training in customer relations and sales- manship. I n 1 9 7 2 , L o u i e m o v e d DeLaurenti to a more promi- nent location within Pike Place Market. Now at the corner of First Avenue and Pike Street, it was the unoffi- cial front door to the Market and Louie was right there, welcoming guests daily. His plan to upgrade the shop location turned out to be good timing. Just a few months earlier, in November 1971, Seattle voters had ral- l i e d b e h i n d a S a v e t h e M a r k e t c a m p a i g n , w h i c h aimed to keep the historic b u i l d i n g s o f P i k e P l a c e Market intact. This mandate allowed the city to create a public entity responsible for renovating, managing and protecting the Market's core buildings. A s a s h o p , D e L a u r e n t i introduced local cooks to an ever-increasing assortment of imported food products: o l i v e o i l s a n d c h e e s e , a n c h o v i e s a n d c a p e r s , Balsamic vinegar and roasted peppers. It was one of the first places in Seattle that cut cheese to order, sold pizza by the slice, and offered take- out espresso – much to the concern of the older genera- tion. I n 2 0 0 1 , a s L o u i e w a s nearing retirement age, three of his customers made an interesting proposal: they wanted to buy the store. The trio of investors was commit- ted to offering the same high level of customer service and quality products that had earmarked DeLaurenti for the better part of a century. T h e n e w o w n e r s — P a t McCarthy, his brother-in- law Pat McDonald , and friend Matt Galvin — had a history of investing in Italian food enterprises. The group had a stake in Torrefazione Italia, a specialty coffee com- pany started by McDonald's father, and had also pur- c h a s e d S e a t t l e ' s b e l o v e d pizza chain, Pagliacci Pizza. Louie sold the business and DeLaurenti Food & Wine opened under new owner- ship. The store underwent a m a j o r r e m o d e l i n 2 0 0 3 . A i s l e s w e r e w i d e n e d a n d floors replaced. New deli and display cases were stocked with all sorts of delectable items. Today, more than 75 years later, DeLaurenti has the same dedication to pro- viding delicious food, high- quality products, and impec- cable service amid the bustle and historic halls of Pike Place Market. DeLaurenti Food & Wine: a Pike Place Market landmark RITA CIPALLA Customers looking for quality mustard, olive oil, vinegar or jams are likely to find them among the thousands of products at DeLaurenti Food & Wine (Photo: DeLaurenti Food & Wine) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano

• Cover