Frankie Santos is making sure his fellow former Philadelphians don’t get homesick over the holidays.
On New Year’s Day, his restaurant, Frankie’s South Philly Cheesesteaks, will serve peppers-and-eggs sandwiches and bean soup, in addition to its regular East Coast-inspired fare.
Santos, who moved to Tucson from the City of Brotherly Love five years ago, said the two dishes are hot items in Philadelphia, especially the soup on New Year’s.
“Philadelphians grew up on that stuff,” he added. “My mother had eight kids. My father was a building custodian. You could feed the whole family with peppers and eggs.”
Frankie’s, at 2574 N. Campbell Ave., serves as a sanctuary for Tucson transplants from Philly and out-of-town Pennsylvania guests looking for a taste of home. See box at right for other independently owned hometown restaurants.
Hometown Restaurants
Philadelphia
Daglio’s, 250 N. Pantano Road — Frankie Santos used to run Daglio’s with his partner Chuck Stopani when it was on North Campbell Avenue. Stopani has since taken his version of Daglio’s to the East Side, but still carries many Philly favorites, including cheese steaks served on Amoroso rolls and Tastykakes.
Also try: East Coast Super Subs, 187 N. Park Ave., and PJ’s Subs, 4500 E. Speedway.
Chicago
Luke’s Italian Beef, 1615 S. Alvernon Way — The original Luke’s, run by founder Luke Del Principe, and the other four Luke’s in town run by his offspring, serve up classic Chicago fare. The menu varies from location to location, but your choices include Italian sausage plates, meatball sandwiches and Vienna Beef hot dogs direct from the Windy City.
Also try: Rocco’s Pizza, 2707 E. Broadway.
Louisiana
Brundog’s Zy-De-Que, 4825 N. First Ave. — Tom Brunner’s Brundog’s is the last Cajun restaurant standing after the French Quarter and Bayou Cafe closed earlier this year. The restaurant recently went through some serious renovations including work on its patio. Chicken creole, jambalaya and etouffée are just some of the dishes found on Brundog’s eclectic menu.
Hawaii
Lani’s Luau, 2532 S. Harrison Road — Zane and Leilani Dowling run this quaint Hawaiian diner in a strip mall on East Golf Links and South Harrison roads. Leilani was born and raised in Hawaii. Zane said residents from the island state tend to flock to the kalua pork and lomi-lomi salmon served with a side of traditional Hawaiian potato-mac.
Kansas City
Rod’s Kansas City Barbeque, 601 N. Fourth Ave. — Kansas City, Kansas, native Rodney George reopened his popular barbecue spot a couple of weeks ago, after several years of catering. Rod’s is known for its hickory-smoked barbecue, made with special hickory wood shipped in from the Ozarks.
Maryland
Trident Grill, 2033 E. Speedway — Trident serves an array of seafood dishes you can purchase at most seafood restaurants in town. But there are elements within the menu that make it a Maryland affair. The blue crab cakes are made from Maryland crabs and the restaurant offers Baltimore’s Old Bay seasoning on several of its dishes, including its Chesapeake Bay Burger.
Florida
Sunny Daze Cafe, 4980 S. Campbell Ave. — Mark and Erika Bilbo took over this cute, tropical beach-themed restaurant earlier this year and tinkered with the menu a bit to reflect Mark’s Floridian roots. Among its dining options are catfish and red beans-and-rice plates.
New York
Brooklyn Pizza, 534 N. Fourth Ave. — Tony Vaccaro opened Brooklyn Pizza more than a decade ago on North Fourth Avenue, taking culinary cues from his grandfather’s New York City pizza business. Brooklyn specializes in thin-crust New York-style pies. The pizzeria took home the win in our June Food Fight feature.
Also Try: Shlomo and Vito’s New York Delicatessen, 2870 E. Skyline Drive, and New York Pizza, 8771 E. Broadway.
