Salvatore's Tomato Pies

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Revision as of 03:50, 21 October 2026 by Jacques (talk | contribs) (Add the pandemic years, 2020–2022 (2020–2022 research); earlier text kept)

Salvatore's Tomato Pies (often shortened to Sal's), is a pizza place with several Madison-area locations, the first of which was located in a Sun Prairie strip mall, later moving to downtown Sun Prairie in 2017.

DarkHorse

The third Sal's location, sometimes called DarkHorse by Sal's over the space previously occupied by Sujeo until 2019. This location features an expanded menu with a section changing with seasons. The name comes from a time when a restaurant critic referred to DePula as a "dark horse" due his talent despite any formal culinary training[1].

The pandemic

DarkHorse by Sal's opened on February 18, 2020, with a pizza bar its owner called the "pizza confessional"[2]. A month later the COVID-19 shutdown closed every dining room, and Salvatore's went to carryout and delivery, with a $12 16-inch one-topping "community response pizza" for the duration of the emergency[3]. A Monona store opened on June 9, 2020, for carryout and delivery only. The same month DePula and his partners, chef Jed Spink and John Jerabek, renamed DarkHorse as a Salvatore's, his fourth: "comfort food is what people are looking for"[4]. At the end of 2020 the Livingston Street dining room was open at 25% of capacity, but sales were still 30% below 2019[5].

The Monona store became the company's headquarters, with a commissary kitchen where Salvatore's developed frozen pizzas[6][7]. In 2022 DePula refused to let Grubhub list his menus without permission; on the app a $22 pizza cost $38[8].

Johnson Street

The Johnson Street store, at 912 E. Johnson St., was too small for safe dine-in in 2020 and sold carryout and delivery only[4]. It closed for the winter on January 3, 2021, "to remodel and refresh", and its work moved to Livingston Street; it was expected back in October 2021[6]. A later account says it closed in August 2021, reopened for about nine months in 2022, and then closed again[9]. It was still advertised in May 2023, when Salvatore's had four locations: Sun Prairie, Madison East (Johnson Street), Monona, and 10 N. Livingston St.[10] By June 2024 the space was to become Molten Monkey Pizza[9]. In October 2024 Salvatore's had stores in Monona, Sun Prairie and Madison[11].

The DarkHorse closed its dining room after four weeks, when COVID arrived in March 2020, and became a Salvatore's[9].

Trivia

  • Each football season brings a Packers pizza: the Lambeaughini in 2023, with "over-the-top pepperoni", and the Lombardi in 2024, with cheese curds, jalapeños, pepperoni and hot honey. Playoff opponents get pizzas too; a Bears pizza had hot dogs[11].

Locations

  • 503 West Main St., Sun Prairie (2011-2017).
  • 121 East Main St., Sun Prairie (2017-present).
  • 912 East Johnson St. (Dec. 2014 to between May 2023 and June 2024; closed for a time in 2021–22)[10][9].
  • 5507 Monona Dr. (June 9, 2020-present)[4][6]. The State Journal gave the address as 5511 Monona Drive[12].
  • 10 N. Livingston St., Ste. 101 (Feb 18, 2020-present)[13].

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (Nov. 18, 2019). “DarkHorse by Sal's taking over former Sujeo space.” Wisconsin State Journal. 33.
  2. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2020, February 18). "DarkHorse by Sal's opens Tuesday with glam, rock n' roll look." madison.com.
  3. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2020, March 19). "How customers can help Madison's restaurant scene survive amid COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic." madison.com.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Christians, L. (2020, June 21). "Coming at you like a . . . Salvatore's: DarkHorse restaurant changes name." madison.com.
  5. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2020, December 3). "Curbside review: 2 people, 2 top dishes of the year at Salvatore's on Livingston." madison.com.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Christians, L. (2021, August 30). "Salvatore's Tomato Pies swims through the pandemic, picking up speed." madison.com.
  7. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2021, August 20). "Dark Horse rides again: New gallery and music space taking shape in former Star Bar." madison.com.
  8. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2022, February 8). "Solving third-party delivery problems with sights set on Uber Eats, Grubhub and DoorDash." madison.com.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Kalk Derby, S. (2024, June 25). "Ale Asylum co-founder opening Detroit-style pizza place on Madison's Near East Side." madison.com.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 (2023, May 24). Salvatore's Tomato Pies advertisement, "4 locations to serve", and Madison Burger Week entry "The McTwist Pizza". The Capital Times. p. O42. Newspapers.com image 964131219.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kalk Derby, S. (2024, October 15). "Salvatore's backs the Packers with Lombardi pizza." madison.com.
  12. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2020, March 3). "Salvatore's Tomato Pies to open in former Pizza Oven in Monona." madison.com.
  13. ↑ (2023, May 10). Salvatore's Tomato Pies Mother's Day brunch advertisement: 10 N. Livingston St., Ste. 101, and 121 E. Main St., Sun Prairie. The Capital Times. p. O31. Newspapers.com image 958700830.
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