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In the Charlotte or Hickory areas? Visit our sister restaurant, Tony’s Pizza!
and we love to share!
If you love pizza, but want a more portable and less messy meal, consider a hot, delicious stromboli. This Italian-American dish has all the comforting flavors of pizza tucked inside a crispy crust. When searching for the best Italian stromboli near me, visit Mario’s Pizza.
An Italian stromboli features a crispy crust with melted cheese, cured meats, vegetables, and seasoning on the inside. Each bite contains a thick, chewy layer surrounded by traditional pizza toppings. The classic stromboli is an Italian-American sandwich made with pizza dough and several other key ingredients:
Popular choices are salami, pepperoni, and ham. Some variations may include sausage or steak.
While low-moisture mozzarella is the most common choice, chefs also use provolone and parmesan.
Common additions include bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and onions.
The most popular seasonings include oregano, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and parsley.
Traditionally, restaurants serve marinara or pizza sauce on the side for dipping.
Most historians credit Nazzareno Romano with creating the original stromboli sandwich. A stone mason turned restaurateur, this Italian immigrant first began selling tomato pies from a wagon in 1935. After opening a pizzeria, he began experimenting with a new sandwich. After stretching the pizza dough, Romano filled it with Italian meats, bell peppers, and cheese. He then rolled it into a log and baked it.
However, the origins of the name of this sandwich are murkier. Some say the hot oozing sandwich fillings reminded Romano of Stromboli, a volcano off the coast of Sicily. Others claim he named it after the movie directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring Ingrid Bergman. Whichever is the truth, this sandwich caught the public’s attention, and it soon became a beloved dish in Italian-American cuisine.
A classic stromboli is a type of folded pizza. In Italy, chefs create multiple varieties of these delicious folded pizzas: calzone, panzerotti, and pizza a portafoglio. Similar to pizza, stromboli and calzones share several key features. Both begin with traditional pizza dough, and use the same toppings.
However, chefs stretch the stromboli dough into a flat rectangle. After laying the toppings in the middle, chefs roll the dough up into a log. Additionally, a stromboli bakes differently from a pizza.
While pizza bakes at high temperatures for a few minutes, stromboli bakes for longer and at a lower temperature. This longer baking time at a lower temperature allows the heat to penetrate to the center without burning the outside.
Given that pizza is a beloved dish, it’s not surprising that various adaptations have emerged from it. Both strombolis and calzones use the same core ingredients as pizza, with some variations. For example, both have a higher topping-to-crust ratio with the toppings inside.
However, each dish has some important distinctions:
Stromboli Calzone
Originated in America Introduced by Italians
Cylinder Semi-circle
Low-moisture mozzarella Ricotta
May have sauce on the inside Never has sauce on the inside
Luckily, when you visit Mario’s pizza, you don’t have to choose between pizza, stromboli, or calzone. We bake up these dishes fresh daily. Our chefs follow traditional methods to create the mouthwatering flavors. Every step is crucial, including dough fermentation, hand tossing, and baking. It’s a distinction you notice with every bite.
Moreover, we create many other tempting dishes:
All our menu options begin with our love for Italian tradition. We begin with our family recipes, passed down through the years from our Italian ancestors. Of course, we use farm-fresh ingredients to achieve our flavorful meals. Finally, using time-honored techniques ensures every dish tastes delicious.
When searching for a great-tasting Italian stromboli near me, visit Mario’s Pizza. We offer an extensive menu selection, friendly service, and of course, great-tasting food. Below, we provide some additional information about our Italian restaurants.
Although Romano’s, the stromboli’s birthplace, serves marinara dipping sauce, many other restaurants serve pizza sauce. While each is slightly different in preparation and taste, both make excellent choices.
Marinara Pizza Sauce
Slow simmered Quick preparation
Deep, rich flavor profile Light, bright flavor
Whole tomatoes Tomato puree
At Mario’s, we serve our stromboli the traditional way – with a side of marinara sauce.
Mario’s offers plenty of toppings for strombolis, from classics to new favorites. In fact, you can choose from 32 delicious options.
Indeed, we do! Simply sign up on our app or let your server know the next time you place an order. Then start accumulating points towards great-tasting Mario’s food.
Our customers! In fact, many choose to return again and again for our tasty Italian dishes. Here are a few recent comments from our clients:
Quick service, delicious fresh food! Friendly staff! Love their sandwiches & pizza!! Plenty of indoor seating! Kacy C.
Ordered the new 12″ pizza. Very delicious. I almost ate the whole pizza by myself. Will definitely be coming back. Jazzy W.
Is your mouth watering for a delicious meal? When you’re craving an Italian stromboli near me, visit Mario’s Pizza.