Candy Gold, host of ‘Neighborhood Cooking with Candy Gold‘ on NewTV, send this…
Hi Greg…..I am on a foodie mission….hope you can help. There was a restaurant on Route 9, when I was a kid, called Tony’s Italian Villa. Tony’s Junior was in Newton Center. They had the most unbelievablesalad dressing. Everyone loved it. I have gone on line to try to track down any history or contact for who might have owned the restaurant and if there might be a paper trail to the recipe….but I have reached a dead end. Any chance you might have an idea about how I can get this info. Thanks a Million….Candy Gold
You can respond to Candy in the comments section.
Candy: My first job at age 16 was in Newton Center Tony’s Pizza on Union Street. Worked Saturdays only as a dishwasher, the fresh made pizzas, and veal grinders were beyond great. Remember a cook named Mike, and a mostly absentee owner who let me go to give my job to his kid. Other than that, loved the lunch perk, but sorry to say that I cannot offer more insight into the owner(s) or the elusive salad dressing recipe.
I remember Georgio’s Pizza, which was attached to Tony’s Junior Villa in Newton Centre. I would give ANYTHING to eat that pizza again. I loved the Tony’s Jr. restaurant, too.
I know that dressing all too well and still crave it at 54. I grew up next door to the Sawyers. Freddie was the original owner and his son Tom took over years later. My dad hosted part time nights for extra money and helped with managing some things. My Mom hostessed occasionally and my brother worked in the kitchen in H.S. for a year or so. As a child my dad and I brought Dunkin Donuts (the real daily fresh ones made onsite on Route 9. Not the crap they sell today) every Saturday morning to the guys doing food prep downstairs in the basement. I remember watching, I believe his name was, Jimmy Dunne making that dressing from scratch in the big Hobart mixer. I must have been 6 or 7. I wish I knew that recipe. I am going to guess it was Freddie’s wife “Cal” or Caroline Sawyer that had it since she was 100% Italian. Her father owned Capriccio’s Market diagonally on the corner behind the Villa. It was an Italian meat market. If you can somehow track down that recipe I would be hugely greatful. It was an emulsion of sorts with incredible flavor. Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Betsy Smiles-Kelley
Any luck?
Tony’s was the pizza I grew up with. I wish I could have it again.
The way to do this is to go to Newton City Hall, look through the old business records, and find who the owner was. Then track down the family. Maybe they still have the recipes and maybe they’d be willing to share them.
I have submitted a public records request to city hall.
The original owners of Tonys Villa was Fred Sawyer. He passed away many years ago. His son Tom did take it over with his wife and kids helping out..Tom did live in Brighton, not sure whether he is still there. It was a great and fun place to work. I cooked, host, bartendered and managed….starting as a dishwasher, but then again everyone on Jackson St worked there sometime or another
Fred was my beloved uncle. He and his wife Carolyn ran Tony’s Italian Villa for many yrars. I loved going there. When he passed away I fell out of contact with his son, Thomas Weldon Sawyer (named after my father, Alfred Weldon Sawyer of Walpole, N.H.). I was named after Fred’s wife, Carolyn.
Thomas lived in Newton, Ma. but I think he lives in Scarborough, Maine now. My brother Joseph Sawyer of Walpole, N.H. may know how to contact Tom. Joe’s number is (603) 756-4314 .
Don’t everyone start calling Joe Sawyer! I already called him and he is no longer in contact with Thomas either. He does not have Tom’s number.
How did you get the name Pat if you were named after Carolyn?
My middle name is Carolyn. My neice also has the name, named after me.
Tom lives at 72 Ritzcraft street, Scarborough, Me. I do not know his phone number. Try White Pages maybe?
Again, don’t everyone start calling Tom. (Fortunately, the phone numbers listed for him online are out-of-date.)
Pat, I appreciate you’re trying to help, but it’s generally considered bad form to post someone else’s private contact information in a public forum, especially without getting their permission first.
I’m already following up on this (in violation of my own advice, but at least there should be only one person bothering the Sawyers instead of a dozen. If I get any recipes, and they give me permission to post them, I will.
Thank you for your advice. I made sure that anything I posted was readily available online. My cousin’s address I got from the White Pages website. My brother owns a business and his home phone is listed on many websites when you google his name. I checked this to be sure before I posted it.
I would like to be out of this conversation now that I have told you what I know. Good luck with your search.. that must be SOME good recipe to be worth all of this work!
I worked at Tonys Villa on Rte. 9 for 13 years. Started as a busboy at 18.
everyone in the area worked there. I live in Florida now but get back every year and always
try to drive by, its been so many things since it closed. Lots of memories there.
Paul Spezzano
I remember as a kid going to Tony’s on Route 9 on birthdays and special occasions. Greatest pizza! I have contact info for Tom Sawyer. My email is [email protected]
Conan O’Brien just put out a video saying it was the place he went with his family as a kid and they had a mini juke box on the table.
My Father, Nat Mucci, cooked there back in 60s, early 70s. He made the dressing and it was absolutely amazing, it was Italian however it had a yellow tinge and Paprika was used for color as well. He would make it at home often however he never wrote it down for us. If I believe Freddy Sawyer owned it then.