The Grotto

From Madison Pizza Wiki

The Grotto was a bar and restaurant at 636 State St. that is remembered as the first place in Madison to advertise pizza; in fact Joe’s Pizza Pie on Regent Street had advertised it in 1945. "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

The Grotto opened in January 1949 in the former Busch's Tea Room in the Busch Building: "It's called Pizza Pie ..... and in our NEW ITALIAN GROTTO we make the best — Yes, the new home of Pizza Pie and other fine Italian foods invites you to join us in the University District now ... and don't forget to ask for PIZZA PIE"[2]. Five days later the 3 Sisters Dining Room on West Washington Avenue answered with a banner ad: "PIZZA PIE PIZZA PIE PIZZA — YES we're still the home of PIZZA PIE"[3]. By September the Grotto sold pizza to take out ("Take out some PIZZA'S for your party"), open until 2 a.m. every day[4]. Al and Mary Schiro were the proprietors[5]; through the early 1950s the Grotto advertised every week on the entertainment pages[6].

Mary Schiro was herself one of the three sisters of the 3 Sisters; a 1954 Grotto ad announced that "One of the Three Sisters of the famous 3-Sisters Dining Room is now operating the GROTTO Restaurant"[7].

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"[8].

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[9].

By the fall of 1984 the address was the Flamingo Restaurant & Bar ("Fresh, homemade soups and desserts")[10]. 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

  • Pizza pie with bacon, Italian sausage or anchovies (1949)[11], or mushrooms (1950)[5]; for Lent in 1950, pizza with anchovies and "Pizza Pie with Rigotta (Italian Cottage Cheese)", and trays to take out, "large or small"[12].
  • "Choice of PIZZA ... 70c" — "Treat your friends to our famous PIZZA after the game" (1951)[13].
  • Thin, crisp crust, made from scratch (1979)[9].

Locations

  • 636 State St. (1949 to the early 1980s).

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ (1949, January 9). "It's called Pizza Pie ... and in our new Italian Grotto we make the best" — The Grotto (formerly Busch's Tea Room). Wisconsin State Journal. p. 40. Newspapers.com image 401293135.
  3. ↑ (1949, January 14). "Pizza Pie Pizza Pie Pizza — Yes we're still the home of Pizza Pie" — 3 Sisters Dining Room, Tony's Bar, 736 W. Washington Ave. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 11. Newspapers.com image 401296779.
  4. ↑ (1949, September 23). The Grotto, 636 State St., Busch Bldg.: "Take out some pizza's for your party". The Capital Times. p. 6. Newspapers.com image 520626789.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 (1950, July 8). The Grotto, Al & Mary Schiro: pizza pie with mushrooms, anchovies, bacon or Italian sausage. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 14. Newspapers.com image 402327446.
  6. ↑ (1952, March 8). Grotto and Bunky's ("Pizza Pie on Fridays") advertisements. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 7. Newspapers.com image 402633003.
  7. ↑ (1954, June 18). "One of the Three Sisters of the famous 3-Sisters Dining Room is now operating the Grotto Restaurant and Flamingo Bar, 636 State Street — Al and Mary Schiro, Props.". The Capital Times. p. 26. Newspapers.com image 518353707.
  8. ↑ (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.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Campbell, G. (1979, December 2). "Grotto thrives on established tradition." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 104. Newspapers.com image 401346848.
  10. ↑ (1984, October 7). "Madison Area Dining Guide, Fall 1984." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 258. Newspapers.com image 402306037.
  11. ↑ (1949, November 4). The Grotto advertisement: pizza pie with bacon, Italian sausage or anchovies. The Capital Times. p. 15. Newspapers.com image 523339788.
  12. ↑ (1950, February 24). The Grotto Lenten specials: pizza with anchovies, pizza pie with ricotta; trays to go out. The Capital Times. p. 7. Newspapers.com image 518406698.
  13. ↑ (1951, November 2). The Grotto Restaurant, 636 State: choice of pizza 70¢; "our famous pizza". The Capital Times. p. 11. Newspapers.com image 521609197.
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