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Past ...
Back in 1947, 29 years after the Red Sox won their first World series, and a few years after the end of World War II, Al Sablone returned home as a Marine. He came home to marry the woman he loved, Angie and they both set out on a dream: To create a place where people could enjoy the greatest food with the best atmosphere.
History ...
Together they opened a 12 stool hot dog stand named “Jolly Boy Snack Bar.” They served breakfast to the Boston Patriots, who practiced at the East Boston Stadium, and before long, they were a house-hold name. Al and Angie expanded their small snack bar to a much bigger restaurant at 107 Porter Street straight outside the Callahan tunnel and changed the name to Al Sablone’s Veal n’ Vintage.
The place to be ...
Clown paintings filled the walls of the restaurant; people caught on and started bringing in paintings as a gift to Al and Angie. The bar took on a different feeling. They had a wall dedicated to all of the celebrities that came to enjoy the authentic Italian food and atmosphere. With an open view of the kitchen, patrons could watch their meals being prepared and interact with the chef. With Angie preparing all the morning meals and Al there at night, they were starting to make a name for themselves. In 1957, they had a daughter Jessica. And before long Jessica was running around in the restaurant and at 18 met future chef Sergio, who would later become her husband.
The legend ...
Sergio Maffeo, a young 13 year old Italian boy from Torino, Italy came to America and went into Sablone’s to apply for a job. He was hired right away! Both Al and Angie took a liking to him and under Al’s watchful eye he learned all the secrets of the kitchen and went to Culinary School in Boston to perfect his cooking.
Sergio and Jessica married in 1980 and they had three daughters, Kristina, Kimberly and Alexa. As history repeats itself. Al took semi-retirement, trusting his son-in-law to run the business. Before long, Kristina, Kimberly and Alexa were now running around the restaurant, just as their mother did 35 years earlier.
Changes ...
But, East Boston began to change. The once easy to drive to restaurant was becoming almost impossible to get to from Boston. A thing called the “Big Dig” had started and made East Boston a difficult place to visit.
The “locals” were starting to move out and the area was not full of the same vibrancy it had once had. Al and Angie passed away, but their legend lived on through their daughter and her family and the staff they employed for over 25 years.
Future ...
Sablone’s Veal N” Vintage closed its door in 2002 and the Maffeo’s have since tried to fill that void they have in their hearts for having a place that could last another 57 years. In the restaurant business, 57 years is a lifetime and their life was spent in that restaurant. So now the Red Sox have won a few more World Series trophies, in fact Boston is on top of the Sports World (as of print, the Pats are 18-0!)
Trattoria Sablone’s is on Boston’s North Shore at 33 Smith Street.The food, the feeling and the service is the same. The décor is a little more Tuscan and modern, but that’s pretty much it. The hearts of the Maffeo Family have always been in this and the experience is more than going to dine.
You are greeted by either Jessica or one of her3 daughters.
You walk up to the massive bar and will either see one of the daughters or possibly a close family friend.
Walk through the dimly lit dining room and see neighbors, teachers, friends and family laughing and dining.
Go straight back and hear the hustle and bustle of Sergio in the kitchen doing what he does best, and doing it with a smile.
And the result of his smile is in the food that leaves the kitchen and the aroma that fills the room once a new dish is served. You will instantly feel warm, invited and comfortable at Trattoria Sablone’s.
You will feel like this is a place where family and friends can come and enjoy a great meal and feel like a family. We are all busy with our day to day lives, but if you stop every once in a while, you realize, maybe you need to reconnect with your sister, brother, mother, father, best friend from college, daughter, son, etc. Sablone’s is the perfect place to have that wonderful dinner and reconnect over great Italian food.
Like the sign that once hung in the dining room of that famous restaurant at 107 Porter St in East Boston read: A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” The Maffeo’s couldn’t let another “sunny” day go by without bringing back the authentic Italian food, family atmosphere and the love for serving people. We welcome you to our new Sablones-“Trattoria Sablone’s.” “Experience the tradition.”
Ciao,
Sergio, Jessica, Kris, Kim and Ali
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