| Worth the drive |
Buona mangiata! (good eating)
Pintoli’s brings a touch of Italy to south Alabama
By Emmett Burnett
B
LEFT TO RIGHT: Pintoli’s waitress Wendi Ramer carries a tray of tiramisu, house spaghetti, and breadsticks with marinara sauce; Muffaletta with fries; pasta and meatballs. PHOTOS COURTESY OF PINTOLI’S
e it ever so humble, there’s no place falettas, and lasagna kissed by angels. Floor On a wing, a prayer, and pepperoni, like Rome – except maybe Pintoli’s space and seating capacity doubled, a new Stephanie and former husband, Jose PinItalian Cafe, the best Italian restaurant wing was added, and the staff grew from to, launched their venture as a tiny pizza in Satsuma, Ala. 10 to today’s 30-something. Bring on the pick-up with limited seating. Rewards were OK, Pintoli’s is the only Italian restaurant Stromboli. few and work was great. Her chef hat was Pintoli’s rebranded itself as the best of in Satsuma, Ala. But ask anyone in this town multi-purposed: waitress, cook, cashier, both worlds. As executive chef Marcus of 6,000 residents, north of Mobile. Pintoli’s menu designer, dishwasher, and more. Beekman notes, “We are a pizza parlor, Italia, mamma mia - that’s for me-ah, cuiStephanie was a 22-year-old restaurant and offer free in-town delivery to the comsine is like fine cheese: It’s Gouda. owner and business was terrible. munity and area hotels. But we’re also The Highway 43 eatery, about two an Italian restaurant, popular for wedmiles off I-65, Exit 19, has been a local ding rehearsals, parties, and family fixture since 1999. The outside is an undining.” pretentious strip mall tenant. But once The customer base is a mix: locals, inside the pasta paradise, Satsuma beneighboring towns, and Interstate 65 comes Venice, minus flooded streets. “I visited Italy to research their ca– where one can drive in from Chifes,” said Pintoli’s owner, Stephanie cago without a traffic light. “A lot of Nicholson. “Over there, restaurant expeople from all over the country write teriors are often plain but the inside is us through our website after stopping much fancier.” Pintoli’s is like that. here while traveling,” says Stephanie. Stucco pastel walls, warm lighting, “It is very rewarding receiving compliand arched dining parlor entrances ments from people passing through.” surround linen-laid tabletops. “People Pintoli’s day starts the night before. are surprised, walking in for a first visFresh breads are made from scratch. it,” Stephanie says. “Seeing the outside, Sauces are produced in caldron-sized is not what you expect on the inside.” Owner Stephanie Nicholson and Executive Chef Marcus kettles. Daily specials are planned. Pintoli’s is not what Stephanie expect- Beekman. Chef Marcus oversees the operation. PHOTO BY EMMETT BURNETT ed either. “We make sure everything runs She comes from a family of restaurasmoothly,” he adds. “I do a lot of be“We had little money, and virtually no teurs. Her relatives are owners-operators of hind the scenes operations the customer equipment,” she recalls. “We couldn’t even dozens of establishments, from pizzerias to never sees.” Customers may not see it but afford a sign. I spread a canvas banner fine dining. “I am all of those in one,” she Pintoli’s Italian Café across the building with our name on it.” says. But it was not always like that. Pintoli’s www.pintolis.com Their food was great but so was the compewas not her original career choice. 5573 Highway 43 tition, including one nearby with a red roof. In 1999, Stephanie’s intent was to comSatsuma, Ala. 36572 In 2006 Pintoli’s took a major plunge – plete college as an English Literature major 251-675-0607 expansion in both building and menu. Inand teach school. But the young lady from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. corporating her father’s recipes and mothneighboring Baldwin County agreed to help Sunday-Thursday er’s help, new dishes were added. Satsuma family members open the fledging Satsuma and Saturday; Satsuma welcomed fettuccini Alfredo, crawfish pasrestaurant on a temporary basis. Temporary 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday ta, chicken parmigiana, mountainous mufbasis is now 18 years and counting. 32 FEBRUARY 2017
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