Rob mescolotto
I love food. If I could eat in my sleep I would. I love cooking and I love other people’s cooking. 60
While his profession immerses him in the heady world of famous restaurateurs, acclaimed chefs, and cutting-edge cuisine, Mescolotto retains a down-to-earth appreciation of food rooted in his native Lehigh Valley upbringing, starting with a humble hot dog cherished during childhood. “I’m not going to lie: Yocco’s was great. Everybody loves Yocco’s,” he says. “My mom cooked dinner every night except for Friday; that was our night out. We’d go to Louie’s, have dinner with the Belletieris, and it was a family event.” In fact, the Mescolotto family’s relationship was forged around the table. “Mom would cook breakfast every morning, and when dad came home from work, it was time to eat dinner. In true Italian tradition, we sat down to every meal together. Mom’s an amazing cook—I think she’s the best chef in Allentown, but every good son would say that.”