Hi everyone!
welcome aboard Eddie's Railfan Page, coming to You from the city of Chicago Illinois.
One of My happiest memorys of growing up on Chicago's southwest side, were the many neighborhood stores and eating establishments that were found almost everywhere, and usually owned and operated by some of the nicest families around.
Seen here was one of My all time favorite little "Cubby Hole" neighborhood eating establishments in Chicago's Archer Heights neighborhood near Midway Airport. During the 1980's begining in 1983 until the placed closed in 1990,I frequently dined at this quaint and wonderfully tasty neighborhood pizza restaurant known as Di Cresenzo's Pizza. This restaurants food was so tasty and delightfully fragrant...That You could smell it on South Archer Avenue. Mmmmmmmm! Everything was homemade and well seasoned here.
The establishment was owned by an elderly Italian gentlemen named Anthony Di Cresenzo
(Seen in the gray sweatshirt.) Standing next to him was his Sister Elvira scala who owned a little neighborhood breakfast diner on nearby South Pulaski Road and west 49th Street. Anthony Di Cresenzo was a very kind and occasionally comical man with a Gravel voice and a Broken English accent. He always made You feel at home, and gave You plenty to eat. It was indeed one of the nicest family restaurants I have ever been to.
Di Cresenzo's Pizza was located on South Archer Avenue between South kolin and Kildare Avenues. It was a small place with only six little tables and a three stool counter in the dining room. Anthony Di Cresenzo retired and closed the restaurant in 1990, and unfortunately....passed away the following year. His Sister Elvira, who many local neighborhood patrons nicknamed her Emily, stayed in business at the diner with the neon EAT sign, until April of 2000. She passed away in March of 2008.
The old Di Cresenzo's Pizza restaurant site, is now the Studio 31 Dance Club today.
A special thanks to the Di Cresenzo and Scala families for all the happy memorys and great neighborhood meals back then. It was absolutely wonderful!
Eddie K.
3 comments:
Nice tribute. I wonder if any surviving members of this family know they have been immortalized on the Internet.
Hi Anthony!
Actually, they do. When Elvira Scala passed away in March of 2008, I made sure to make coppies of her memorial I wrote here at Eddie's Railfan Page. I met her Daughtrer Annette, and also Elvira's Grandchildren at the wake.
I also called Annette two days ago and left her a voice mail.
They are a wonderful family, with happy memorys of their Uncle Tony and Grandma Elvira AKA Emilly.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
Wow!
Thanks for introducing me to Di Cresenzo's years back! I enjoyed their pizza a few times with you and with others.
It's great you captured this shot when you did.
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