The Grotto
The Grotto was a bar and restaurant at 636 State St. that is remembered as the first place in Madison to advertise pizza. "It was 1949 when Albert Schiro, an Italian immigrant of Albanian descent, hung Madison's first pizza sign over the entrance to his legendary Grotto bar on State Street," the Capital Times' Weekender editor wrote in 1985[1].
History
In January 1980 the State Journal's "Diner's Scorecard" described the Grotto as Marv and Albert Schiro's restaurant of 31 years and added that "the pizza is rated highly, too"[2].
In December 1979 Genie Campbell reviewed it for the Diner's Scorecard. Mary and Albert Schiro had served spaghetti, ravioli, fettuccine, lasagna and pizza "in the same basement hideaway at 636 State St." for 31 years, in three small connecting rooms lit by candles stuck in bottles. Mrs. Schiro and her cook made the sauce and the pizza dough from scratch, and regulars came "just for the pizza ... because 'of the thin, crispy, almost buttery crust and rich tomato sauce.'" A nine-inch pizza with one meat was $2.35 on Wednesdays[3].
By the fall of 1984 the address was the Flamingo Restaurant & Bar ("Fresh, homemade soups and desserts")[4]. In 1985 the Capital Times counted the Grotto among the "old institutions" of Madison pizza, with Pino's, Gargano's, Gino's and Paisan's, and wrote that "The Grotto and Garganos are, sadly, just State Street memories now. The Flamingo has taken over The Grotto's old digs"[1].
Pizza
- Thin, crisp crust, made from scratch (1979)[3].
Locations
- 636 State St. (1949 to the early 1980s).
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Egerton, B. (1985, June 22). "Madison has right stuff for making — and eating! — pizza." The Capital Times. p. 14. Newspapers.com image 519961462.
- ↑ (1980, January 13). Diner's Scorecard 'recently reviewed' digest: the Grotto, 636 State St., Marv and Albert Schiro's restaurant of 31 years — 'the pizza is rated highly, too'. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 86. Newspapers.com image 405587044.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Campbell, G. (1979, December 2). "Grotto thrives on established tradition." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 104. Newspapers.com image 401346848.
- ↑ (1984, October 7). "Madison Area Dining Guide, Fall 1984." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 258. Newspapers.com image 402306037.
