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The
New York Spaghetti House In 1927 the stars were doing their vaudeville acts at the old landmark Empire Theatre, Babe Ruth was on his way to hitting 60 home runs, and Charles Lindbergh was warming up for his solo flight across the Atlantic. More importantly, Mario Brigotti was starting the New York Spaghetti House's record-setting 74-year run in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. In scanning Cleveland streets to find a location for his restaurant, he found the building at 2173 East 9th Street to be similar in structure to those he had known on 42nd Street in New York City. As was common in the era, diners walked down a few steps into a dining room on the basement level. Since the architectural layout related so perfectly to his idea of what a fine New York Italian trattoria should be, the natural name choice arose: The New York Spaghetti House. Originally, the building was a parsonage constructed in 1870 for the clergy of the Zion Lutheran Church located next door on the corner of Bolivar and Erie Streets (presently East 9th). Eventually, a vaudeville theatre replaced the Church and the parsonage became a hostel for actors. Although the theatre continued to remain active (until 1933 when it was razed), by 1927 the hostel had been converted to a restaurant by a former owner. In its earliest days, the New York Spaghetti House became host to celebrated actors such as Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney and Charlie Weaver. But star power alone couldn't carry the NYSH through those lean, early days. Mario Brigotti drew on every one of his skills to establish his dream. Indeed, he was the head (and only!) cook, busboy, waiter, and bartender. His wife Maria was with him every step of the way, helping him not only with the business, but with the "marketing" as well. On slow business days, Maria would sit in the front window of the restaurant at street level, spending hours pretending to eat mouth-watering entrees in the hopes that this power of suggestion would lure customers in the door. Not to be outdone, Mario would take customer's orders, very professionally call them back to "the chef" in the kitchen, and then scurry back there himself to cook the meal! In the Depression era, Mario and Maria weathered the economic downturn - albeit with some creative forms of accepted payment. Many of the unique decorations in the bar area were items offered in trade for meals in those years, including the ornately detailed Plaster of Paris life-sized Indian that hung upon the wall for over sixty years. During World War II, the Brigotti family lavished free meals and warm hospitality on countless GI's. In 1954, Mario's son Jim entered the family business and defined the quality and setting that truly turned the once-humble restaurant into a well-known and well-loved Cleveland culinary icon. Jim eventually brought his own sons Matthew and Richard into the restaurant, and three generations of the Brigotti family worked to keep Mario's original Farla Bene philosophy alive and well. Farla Bene is an old Italian kitchen creed which simply translates to "Make it Nice." It is that simple philosophy which led to the New York Spaghetti House becoming Cleveland's longest-running and best-loved downtown restaurant, and it is that same philosophy which is now carried over to the Brigotti family's line of delectable sauces and dressings. Though the restaurant closed in 2001, the Brigotti family continues to produce the signature sauces in accordance to the original recipes that made them famous!
Mario Brigotti was born in Sutri, Italy in the year 1899. At the age of 13, his father arranged for him to live in Rome with a family who had a small restaurant business where, as a young lad, he had his first exposure to the trade. After serving in the Italian Army during World War I, he returned to Rome and worked in the Excelsior Hotel as a busboy. It was important for those employed by the fine hotels in Europe to be multilingual, in order to communicate with the varied nationalities who were traveling the Continent in earnest at the turn of the century. His early 20's found Brigotti in a resort hotel in Holland, in an effort to expand his language skills in French and German. It was there where he forged a life-long friendship with another Italian - Mario Boiardi. To hone their English, Brigotti and Boiardi found employment aboard an American luxury liner. Upon arriving in New York City, the two men visited Boiardi's older brother Paul, who was the Maitre d' at the world-famous Plaza Hotel. Because of the dire need for qualified personnel in the hotel, Paul convinced them to stay in New York and to work with him at The Plaza. Mario Brigotti was 25 years old, and the year was 1924. Happily and gainfully employed at The Plaza, he went on a holiday visit to Cleveland to see another one of the Boiardi brothers: Hector, of eventual "Chef Boy-ar-dee" fame. Brigotti found Cleveland so refreshing compared to his "subway" existence in New York City, that he called for his wife Maria to join him there permanently. Only a short time later, Mario and Maria opened a first-class business of their own: The New York Spaghetti House.
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