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NEWS FROM TONEY'S SPAGHETII HOUSE
FALL 1985 EDITION
The Chef As Editor, II
The response to the first edition of Toney's Spaghetti
Express was terrific, and we especially want to thank
those who wrote us-both of you. Joke. Actually, we hear
that some readers were so delighted that they sent
copies to friends and relatives all around the country.
Our mailing list spans the continent from Maine to
Washington.
Although Issue #1 was such a success. it's proven to be
a tough act to follow. Although there are no naked lady
stories in this one (clearly the favorite in #1), we have
stories about our 45-year waitress. the latest weird
restaurant concepts, our eating crow on the hot scampi
issue, some memorable bologna recipes. a couple of
coupons for us and Brocato's. and a customer who was a
Toney· s regular since before we opened. Don't forget to
write and let us know how you like it. us. or our food. And
if you have friends who you think would like this letter,
tell us and we'll get them on the list.
Happy Pasta,
( Y?t'-llS;)J..J.. .,j c
Jay Bonomolo
Editor-And-Chef
In Praise of Food
Some of our customers-particularly those from the
Northeast and the West Coast-are confused about our
shrimp scampi. They expect to get the large prawns
commonly available elsewhere instead of the small
shrimp in Toney's version of this dish.
So we were interested in a recent article in Bon Appetit.
It said, "Scampi (plural of scampo) are small lobsters that
are indigenous to the waters of Italy. The scampo is a
member of the Nephropidae lobster family, and its name
differs around the world. It is called a lobsterette in
America and Dublin Day prawn, langoustine, Danish
lobster, and Norway lobster in Great Britain, France, and
Scandinavia. This shellfish is a bit larger than a jumbo
shrimp, and its color can range from yellow-orange to red.
The seafood industry, to co11fuse things further, has its
own definition for scampi-large shrimp of one or more
210 BOURBON STREET
568-9556
ounces each. As far as restaurants are concerned, scampi
are large shrimp that are cooked in butter, garlic, and a
little dry white wine. In Italian-American restaurants, this
dish is often listed on menus as 'shrimp scampi', which
infuriates language purists who insist that the phrase
means 'shrimp shrimp.' We enjoy this dish so much that
we ignore the controversy." (From Bon Appetit, May
1985.)
We at Toney's must admit that we blur the definition of
scampi by using not large shrimp but small shrimp. The
reason is what they call in restaurant jargon "price
positioning." Our customers seem to be happier with the
present dish at $5.75 than one prepared with jumbo
shrimp and selling for $12 to $15. However, we're going
to alleviate the confusion with a different menu name on
future menus.
Cannolas and Spaghetti
Toney's and some of its Cajun relations have learned
something the hard way: make sure that clear instructions
come with any recipe.
When our kinfolk from the bayou came in recently, they
thoroughly enjoyed our cannelloni-the tube-shaped
macaroni filled with a meat dressing. And they also liked
the cannoli-tube-shaped pastry shells filled with candied
fruit and sweetened ricotta cheese. We sent them
home with a box of cannoli.
The next week, we received from them a proud letter
extolling the wonderful Italian meal they had recreated.
Our friends made a raux and simmered the Italian gravy
for the proper five hours. They then baked the cannoli in
the oven just like we showed them . ..
"Wait a minute!" we thought, alarmed. Cannelloni, not
cannoli, go with Italian gravy! OH, NO!
But it seems that they enjoyed the meal so much and
impressed so many of their neighbors that we didn't have
the heart to tell them that they had created a monster.
On their next visit, however, we're taking them far away
from either can noli or cannelloni. Maybe for hamburgers.
Toney's
Hours
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
7 a.m.-12:30 a.m.
Monday through Saturday
Visa, MasterCard, American Express
'
®~--Toney's Spaghetti Express @)
Clip 'n' Save RecipesOn
a Budget
When restaurateurs come up with the formula for a new
dish. it"s rare that the cause is some sort of divine
inspiration. Most recipes. like most jokes you hear, come
from somewhere else. and the identity of their creators
remains shrouded in mystery. Somewhere else could be
old family traditions. newspaper or magazine (Glamour is
my favorite) clippings. cookbooks. friends. or even (the
secret is out! ) other restaurants.
While perusing one of my wife's magazines recently, I
came across a set of truly inspiring recipes under the
title. ··rake a Package of Bologna." And who could resist
these delights? Skillet Bologna Supper, Glazed Bolgna
Bites, Beans & Bologna. and- my favori te-Fruit Bologna
Bake with Spiced Peach & Cranberry Filling. Anyone?
So what"s this got to do with us? Well. It opens up a
whole new vista for Toney"s Experimental Kitchens.
Bologna Fettuccine. Seafood Stuffed Bologna. Bologna
Parmigiana. Bologna Bruccialuna. And . for dessert.
Bologna Bread Pudding.
Anyone wishing to obtain these five-star rec ipes for free
shou ld write to Toney's No Baloney, 210 Bourbon St.,
New Orleans, La. 70130. And if you try them. let us know
how you like them.
Pain Perdu Was Lost,
Now Is Found At Toney's
Those of you with a breakfast sweet tooth will find a
wonderful new treat at Toney's. Pain perdu- French for
··Jost bread''-is now on our breakfast menu from 7 a.m.
t ill 10:30 a.m. The old Creole theory goes that if you don't
make th is dish with yesterday's French bread, you' ll have
to throw the bread away, and you will have lost it. We
have a classic recipe using eggs, milk. cinnamon, and
sugar. but we've also added an Italian touch by including
a taste of amaretto. For a real treat, have it with a side
order of our f resh -made Ital ian sausage.
Stars Shine at Toney's
. Toney's hosted international recording sta r Buddy
Greco and his fam ily wh ile he was in New Orleans th is
June. Not satisfied with one visit, they dined with us
again and again. Also this June, comedian Jack Carter
stopped by for a quick plate of lasagna and an Italian
salad.
Toney's in the News
Owners Joe and Jay Bonomolo were featured in Gambit's
annual Father's Day issue this year. And in Gambit's
Fourth Annual Summer Restaurant Guide, Toney's garned
its share of kudos. It 's poetry to us: " Toney's
eggplant Parmigiana is one of our favorite dishes of all
time- that and a good Italian salad . .. mmm ... One of
the things we like best about Wednesdays is that it's the
day for the lasagna special at Toney' s. It's a good, rich,
red lasagna . . . Toney's has an especially good pepperoni
pizza . . . No place has been serving spaghetti for as long
and as with as much success as Toney's. This is the place
for the classic meatballs and spaghetti."
Tom "Mr. Food" Fitzmorris wrote in Menu Magazine
(about another restaurant) : "When an attractive price
structure comes with good food, you get a phenomenon
like Toney's."
Customer of the Month
He's not really a doctor, but we call him Doc anyway
because he spent some 23 years dispensing drugs from
the pharmacy counter at the now-gone Waterbury's
Drugstore on Camp and Canal. Doc is a very special
customer of ours. as he bears the distinction of having
been a Toney's regular for 51 years-that's right, since
opening day. And even that doesn't tell the whole story.
As Doc says, " I was a customer of your grandfather Toney
Bonomolo before Toney's Spaghetti House even existed. I
used to eat at your grandfather's first restaurant on
Camp Street- the Poinsettia--back in 1929. I was 19
years old then. I'm 75 now, you know."
Doc explains how he used to take the bus from his first
job at the corner of Claiborne and First every day to my
grandfather's first restaurant for the 25-cent plate lunch.
" That was a long time ago," Doc reminisces. "I remember
your daddy as a little boy. I remember in 1934 when your
grandfather said he was opening a new restaurant on
Bourbon Street. Why, I remember when your father told
me that he had a new little boy in the family. And now you
have a son- that makes four generations of Toney' s! "
Good old Doc. He's retired now and can't come every
day like he used to. But we still see him just about every
week, ful l of stories about Toney's through the decades .
Out Late? So Are We
Going to any Tulane or LSU games this tali? Planning a
night out on the town? Grambling and Southern
fans- have you made post-game plans for Bayou Classic
night?
Remember that Toney's is open past midnight every
night. We close at 12:45 a.m. Monday through Friday, till
210 BOURBON STREET • 568-9556
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®..__ _ Toney's Spaghetti Express @)
12:15 a.m. Saturday. Our full staff and complete menu
arP. at your beck and call: appetizers, spaghetti, Italian
specialties, fried seafood, sandwich platters, pizza, and
even steaks.
So, if you're out late and get the munchies, count on us
to satisfy. After other restaurant in the Quarter have
gone dark, our neon PIZZA TONEY'S sign is still a beacon
to The Most Famous Spaghetti House In The South (and
then some).
Letter to the Editor
(Note: A mysterious box arrived at our door recently. It
contained an ashtray, $2.00, and the following heartwarming
letter.)
Dear Sir:
Several years ago, I stole an ashtray from your
restaurant. I am sorry and pray you will forgive me. Enclosed
is the ashtray and $2 to pay for the ashtray you
had to buy to replace this one. I hope you will accept this
and my apology. I am very sorry.
Sincerely,
Name Withheld
Toney's Employee of the
Century (So Far)
Grace Brown has retired after 45 years (yes, 45!) of
service in our dining room. She will be missed by all of her
regular customers, and especially by us. Grace and has
worked under ail three generations of the Bonomolo
family here, including Mr. Toney himself. Having been on
Bourbon Street so long she's seen many changes-including
changes of my diapers. We used to joke that
Grace has been around long enough to remember
Bourbon Street as a dirt road. In fact, there are rumors
that she served Bienville his first pizza when he founded
New Orleans. We wish Grace the best of luck in her
retirement.
And on the Seventh Day,
We Rested
Toney's was a big hit with the Seventh Day Adventists
who convened in the Big Easy this summer. To accommodate
their religious dietary laws (no pork, shellfish, or
liquor), Toney's devised a special vegetarian menu,
including two items we don't usually serve: vegetarian
pizza and cheese ravioli. Toney's even set up special
charge accounts for those who wanted to dine with us on
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the Sabbath (SDAers are not allowed to conduct
business from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday).
They can, however, dine on the Sabbath and pay after
sundown. This arrangement really became interesting
when Toney's had to conduct the same deal in Spanish
for some Mexican delegates. Whew!
Happy Birthday to an
Old Friend
Angelo Brocato's Ice Cream and Confectioners,
exclusive suppliers of Toney's Italian desserts, is
celebrating a special birthday-their 80th. Toney's takes
special pride in this announcement because of our close
association over the years. Three generations of Brocatos
have sold spumone, can noli, and other Italian specialties
to three generations of Bonomolos at Toney's. As a matter
of fact, Baby Jason Bonomolo, Toney's fourth
generation, made his first visit to Brocato's at the tender
age of three days-on his way home from the hospital.
Proprietor Arthur Brocato and his brothers and sisters
still make ice creams and confections the way his grandfather
did in 1905.
Now in two locations-one at 214 N. Carrollton Ave., the
other at 537 St. Ann in the Lower Pontalba in the French
Quarter-Brocato's dispenses an incredible range of
treats. The spumone's four flavors are rich and sublime.
The cinnamon and nuts in the torroncino create a unique
flavor. The bisquit tortoni is light as a feather. The seed
cookies are a delightful treat. And then there's the
legendary lemon ice, which to many fans of Brocato's is
its greatest creation. They make the definitive can nola, in
either chocolate, vanilla, or half-and-half-sweet and
creamy in the center, crunchy around the outside. Also
available are all sorts of cookies, candies, cappuccino,
espresso, and other rare Italian delights.
Brocato's goodies are sold all over the city, in places as
wide-ranging as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fair
to supermarkets to right here at Toney's. And, as a
special birthday nod to Brocato's, this edition of Toney's
Spaghetti Express has a coupon good for a free dip of ice
cream at either Angelo Brocato's location. -----------------------,
80th Anniversary Special
FREE DIP OF ICE CREAM
with any cup or cone
ANGELO BROCATO
OFFER EXPIRES DEC.15, 1985
214 N. CARROLLTON AVE.
537 ST. ANN AT JACKSON SQUARE -------------------------
®~--Toney's Spaghetti Express
Too Many Cooks Spoil
The Broth, But It Only
Takes One Politician
Now they're trying to legislate food. What a joke! Here
are a few choice developments:
The Great Chili War. It appears that a fracas has
occurred between Texas and New Mexico, as their
congressmen fight over the issue of naming a .. National
Food." Some bits from the debate:
'' It's Texas chili. with no beans! ''
"No. it's with beans. and it's spelled chile! ''
" They don't know chili from chestnuts in New Mexico!"
"\ know a few dogs that like Texas chili! ''
And so it goes. The fight is spilling into neighboring
states. Battle lines are drawn. chili / chile cookoffs are
held. Meanwhile. a third contender has jumped in the
ri ng: a small core (pun intended) of apple growers. who
are claim ing Nationa l Dish status for apple pie.
Toney's sez: Of course. all this is ndiculous and a waste
of va luable Congressional t ime. Everyone knows that the
greatest American food is pizza. Right?
It Ain't Barbecue Until The Government Says It's Barbecue.
In between arguments about the " official chili ,"
the bureaucrats are struggling with an offic!al definition
of barbecue. In order to qualify. your barbecue must meet
government restictions not only on how it's cooked , but
on how much it' s allowed to shrink. In their words:
.. Barbecued meats . .. shall be cooked by dry heat from
burning ha rdwoods or coals . . . the shrinkage shall be no
more than 30 percent fo the raw product.''
So r~member that the next time you invite neighbors
over for barbecue and beer. If yours is not up to snuff.
your fr iends may flash their Soci al Security cards and
make a cit izen 's arrest. turn ing you in to the FDA Barbecue
Control Agency.
Tables. a magazine for waitresses. waiters. and other
dining room personnel , reports on the world's largest
shish kebab . Eighty-two feet. four inches. recently
skewered in Milwaukee.
TONEY'S SPAGHETII HOUSE
210 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, La. 70130
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
New Orleans, La.
Permit #810
-
The Mysterious 70 Yellow
Missing Pages
Do you live in the Lakeview section of New Orleans?
Betcha can't find Toney's listed in your Yellow Pages.
Apparently, quite a few faulty Yellow Pages books, with
some 70 pages missing, were distributed. The pages are
in the Restaurants category. We complained to the phone
company and to the Yellow Pages publishers, the L.M.
Berry Company. Their responses were classic:
" Are you sure?"
"Nobody's brought this to our attention before."
''Gee-we're sorry if there' s a problem."
'' We'll look into it and let you know- in about three
months."
And, my favorite:
''I'm sorry, but we cannot authorize you to deduct from
your bill the cost of advertising you say you've lost until
we study the impact of yuur complaint."
In the meantime, in case yours is one of the books with
the missing 70 pages. Toney's ad on page 1261 reads,
TONEY'S SPAGHETTI AND PIZZA HOUSE
Famous for Italian Spaghetti and
I ndividualiy-Prepared Pizza
212 Bourbon 568-9556
So cut that out. write "1261" at the top of it, and there
you are.
And, speaking of Ma Bell. .. When E.T. phoned home, did
he use ET&T? (That's Extra-Terrest r ial Telephone and
Telegraph).
Food Critics, the
Yolk's on You
This is a joke we heard from New York: "A restau rant
critic died without leaving any money for the funeral. So
some restaurant owners went around asking for money
to defray the expenses. When one restaurant owner was
solicited for $100, he replied, 'Here's $200 Bury two
cntics."'
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