Ed Mastripolito
While there is plenty to admire with regards to those who feel born to perform certain jobs and then go on to excel in particular positions, we should also commend individuals who foster love for a field not through some genetic pull but rather because of a genuine attraction. Ed Mastripolito belongs in the second set of folks and has enjoyed a 47-year affiliation with The Philadium Tavern.
“I pretty much fell into this life,” the head cook at the Packer Park establishment said. “I watched and learned from a few people, and I became very comfortable with making food, so comfortable, in fact, that I’ve been here since 1969, which means part of whole of six decades.”
The nearby resident possesses quite a gregarious personality, which must certainly keep him calm when pondering the upkeep of a menu with nearly 100 items. Having called Packer Park his home for 58 years, he has seen plenty of customers develop lasting connections to Philadium and has become a curious student concerning evolving nutritional choices and habits.
“You have to roll with it,” Mastripolito said of generational attitudes toward certain plates and guests’ never-flagging infatuation with experimentation. “Within reason, we’ll give you anything and everything that you want.”
Through his 12-year cooking tenure at the space, which opened in ’58 as Michael’s, the 75-year-old has come to consider the kitchen a source of utter joy, to the point where offers to go elsewhere fell on deaf ears.
“You’re going to stay where you’re happy, and I’m very much so here,” Mastripolito said, gazing at cherished soup pots that will definitely enjoy autumnal and winter workouts. “I’ve made a good living, and the people I deal with are great.”
Seating 85, Philadium, under owners Frank Pasquini and Bud Quinn, offers a spacious opportunity to sample the aforementioned large menu, make a well-informed beverage choice or two, and watch compelling sports contests.
“I’d say there are not many places like this,” the proud employee said. “You come here, and I’d say you’re bound to remember it for a long time.”
Aesthetics alone cannot support that claim, of course, so Mastripolito gladly talked of the provisions and chose to share the recipe for Philadium’s meatballs.
“The size of them alone is very tempting,” he said. “It’s all in the taste, though, and that’s where these excel.”
Ingredients:
3 pounds of beef
1 pound of pork
1 pound of veal
2 cups of breadcrumbs
1/2 tablespoon of fine black pepper
1/2 tablespoon of salt
2 tablespoons of basil
1/2 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of garlic
2 tablespoons of parsley
10 eggs
3/4 cup of Parmesan
1/2 cup of sharp ground provolone cheese
1 tablespoon of onion powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Combine all the meat in a 4-gallon pan. Incorporate all of the remaining ingredients so as to form 20 4-ounce meatballs. Cook for 90 to 100 minutes. SPR
The Philadium Tavern
1631 Packer Ave. • 215–271–5220
Opened: 1958
Owners: Frank Pasquini and Bud Quinn
Head cook Ed Mastripolito
facebook.com/ThePhiladium
Photos by Tina Garceau
