History

December 22, 1915. As dawn's cold fingers spread over the bow of The Patria slicing through the waters of New York harbor that morning, Matteo Giordano, a fourth generate Sicilian baker, held his young son in his arms and smiled as he spied the Statue of Liberty. He had spent his life savings to make a better life. He had left behind his friends and family in Italy , taking with him his wife, a new son, and a few meager belongings. In his scuffed valise lay his most prized possession….the book of recipes that had been handed down from generation to generation. Among those recipes was the one that his great grandfather had invented …a tomato pie, with a light, flaky crust and rich homemade tomato sauce. Topped with a combination of hand-grated cheeses and select herbs, then lovingly baked to a crispy bubbling brown, it was a meal fit for a king.

Shortly after his arrival, Matteo found work in an Italian bakery. As the years passed, Matteo saved enough money to eventually open his own bakery. There he was able to recreate the baked goods that had made his family's bakery in Sercara so popular. It was also there that his son began to learn the family business at his father's side, just as his father, and this father's father before him had done. Quickly the years rolled by, and in the late 1930's New York was abuzz with the excitement of the coming World's Fair. At the urging of Matteo, Jr, now 24, the Giordano family set up a small booth at the fair to sell their baked goods. Their display was very popular, and when Mayor Fiorello La Guardia tried their tomato pie, he declared it the “Best of the Best of the World's Fair”. Soon, the word spread, and sales of the tomato pies outsold all of their other goods. Four years later, Matteo, Jr. opened Matteo's Pizzeria featuring this delicious taste treat. Time went by and generation after generation continued to please a multitude of happy customers, using this time honored recipe.

Today, The Original Big Tomato carries on with this tradition carefully crafting each handmade pie as has been done for over one hundred years. With the addition of fresh, healthy, and delicious salads and wraps, there is truly something here for everyone. As the consumer's palate became more educated, the menu evolved with offerings like Baja Barbecue, the Sante Fe Sensation, and the Sweet Sunshine pies….all with the same distinctive light, airy, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth crust made just as Matteo made it.