Dig into tradition at Toronto’s OG San Francesco Foods

Written By

Christine Peddie

2 years ago

When it comes to labels, it’s hard to find one that carries as much weight as “OG.” And when it comes to OG spots in Toronto, places dishing up traditional eats decades after they first opened their doors, San Francesco Foods is at the top of the list. A spot that joined the Little Italy community in 1954, San Francesco Foods is serving up succulent, substantial veal sandwiches that impress as much today as they did decades ago.

“Clinton is kind of like an institution,” says Mo Nigm, director of operations for San Francesco Foods, describing the chain’s first location in Little Italy. “It’s like a magnet to that area. Even though it’s a one-lane road, you see that road during lunchtime and it’s packed. People are parking on the sidewalk, walking all over the place. We’re kind of like a hub in that area. People like the feeling, its comfort food. It feels like food your nonna makes, your mom makes.”

Founded by the Savoias, a young Italian couple who immigrated to Toronto after World War II, the first San Francesco Foods was created as a place for the community. “They wanted to open up something to bring the flavour of Italy over,” says Nigm, adding that the idea was to open a casual restaurant, “that was fairly priced and could feed the community.” Though the Savoias weren’t restaurateurs back home, as Nigm quips, “all Italian families are in the food industry. Every Italian family knows how to cook.” On the original menu, were the soon-to-be-famous, herb-breaded veal sandwiches, dressed with the Savoias’ slightly sweet marinara and nestled onto crisp Kaiser rolls.

A chain that’s “been passed on from family to family to family,” San Francesco Foods now includes four locations. “We’re servicing different areas, local communities, like Yonge and Lawrence Village, the Danforth, Leaside and Little Italy,” explains Nigm. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the chain also has its share of imitators. “There’s a lot of people that use the name San Francesco but they’re not part of the original company. I always get complaints about other stores that aren’t ours,” grumbles Nigm, explaining that quality is the OG San Francesco Foods’ number one priority. What sets the chain apart, is “the consistency among our stores. If you go to any of our four stores, you’re getting the same food.”

Though many recipes have stayed the same since 1954, the menu at San Francesco Foods has been expanded and some items “zhuzhed up,” says Nigm. Part of that “zhuzhing” includes sourcing top-quality ingredients from local suppliers and tweaking recipes to give diners a superlative experience. “We get our vegetables from Bondi produce, which is an Italian vegetable supplier that’s been in Toronto for a very long time,” says Nigm, adding that meat comes from “a local butcher.” The Kaisers — custom made to be a little denser than usual, to guarantee maximum support for the kitchen’s hefty, well-sauced portions — “come from Vaughan, from a bakery that delivers them fresh, every single morning.”

Today, the menu at San Francesco Foods includes an array of delectable sandwiches, from the OG veal to steak and onions, breaded eggplant and roast pork, along with pizza, lasagna and panzerotti. A few years ago, the chain added salads, fries and poutine to the menu. “We thought that it would be good to provide sides, as well, rather than just sandwiches,” explains Nigm. Last year, the team also revamped the menu, renaming some items and boosting others’ profiles. “Our crispy chicken sandwich is now a spicy bomba. It’s fried chicken with a Calabrian chili spread that we make in-house.” Now served on a spaccatelli bun, which is longer, nonna’s meatball sandwich is made “with the same delicious meatballs but now we bake the whole sandwich with provolone cheese. The bun gets a little crunchy and, with the tomato sauce inside, it stays nice and moist.”

As for San Francesco himself? He’s also had a recent makeover. “We kind of revamped the logo of the monk eating the sandwich,” says Nigm. “We did one that looks more like Saint Francis. He’s got a Kaiser roll. He’s got the top of his head shaved, like a friar.” As a friendly way to help customers separate the best from the rest, the company also officially added “the original” to the brand name.

For a taste of 1954, tweaked for today’s market, San Francesco Foods is hard to beat. It’s a place defined by its time-tested recipes and dedication to “treating everyone like family, from top to bottom. … Our customers feel like family, as well,” promises Nigm. “We have a very unique product. There’s not a lot of people that do the same thing we do. People who do something similar, it’s not the same,” he assures. “You can tell the difference in quality and love that’s put into our food.”

It can be hard, in the fabric of a city like Toronto, to find threads of tradition that have remained constant through the years. To find a pocket of history, a place that’s still using the same recipes today as it did in 1954, is such a rarity that it excites, warms the heart and, for obvious reason, tells you that the owners hit the nail on the head when they first cooked up their beloved eats. Want to try Toronto’s OG veal sandwich for yourself? Grab a seat beside the regulars at 10 Clinton Street. Before you know it, you’ll feel like family.

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