Tony service with a smile - Tony's Meats and Specialty Foods in Littleton, Colorado - Brief Article - Recipe

Sunset, Dec, 2000 by Jerry Anne Di Vecchio

Colorado's destination for fine foods

When you walk into Tony's Meats and Specialty Foods at 4991 East Dry Creek Road in Littleton, Colorado, you know that no fancy architect created the rambling nooks and crannies filled with delicious discoveries. In what was once a small butcher store, Tony's just grew until it became a destination, not merely a little shop on a country road.

The man who grew it is Tony Rosacci, a modest, quiet-mannered fellow from Detroit, with Sicilian heritage--and firsthand experience in the grocery business (starting when he was 9). Although Tony's basic interest is meats, he earned his stripes in supermarket management, including a stint in the Los Angeles area that ended in 1971, when the earthquake of the decade cemented his desire to move to quieter, more stable surroundings.

His family of six landed in Denver, and Tony settled in with a local supermarket chain. But his long-range goal was a meat market of his own, where he could work face-to-face with customers. So when Danny, his youngest son, spotted an empty 7-Eleven store on the way to church one Sunday and remarked, "Gee, Dad, this would make a great place for a meat market," the words propelled Tony to action.

Tony's Meats and Specialty Foods--financed by the sale of the family home and supported by a load of dreams--opened its door on June 23, 1978. Tony's oldest son, Mick (Michaelangelo), and daughter, Avie, both just out of school, jumped in full-time. Danny helped out each day after classes. And all learned how to cut meat. One thing led to another. First it was meats, bread, a dairy case, and a freezer. Then a few dry goods, a little produce; fine fish came later. To accommodate the guys playing baseball across the street, they made sandwiches to go, then stuffed baked potatoes big and yummy to carry home and reheat for dinner. Mick's experimental palate and enthusiasm for cooking turned him into the in-house chef, developing and expanding the selection of heat-and-eat dishes such as chicken cordon bleu and frozen soups, as well as meats and fish seasoned and ready to grill, broil, or saute. In 1986, a major remodel linked six adjoining shops; the complex now includes a fine wine department with its own entrance.

Irv (Irvin) Zwick, a customer of Tony's since the beginning, says, "It's like a small-town market in a big city--they know you and appreciate you."

Behind the scenes, every dish is tasted and approved by the staff before it goes into the case; and behind the cases, every afternoon from 4 P.M. on, is the entire staff (which now includes three of Tony's four children and six of his nine grandchildren)--even the members who spend the rest of their time behind a desk. Service is foremost in the order of things. Sean Kelly, chef and owner of Denver's Aubergine Cafe, says flat out, "Tony's is the place to go if you want the best-quality meats and top customer service.

May 1998 saw the opening of the stylish second branch of Tony's Meats and Specialty Foods, at 151 West Mineral Avenue, also in Littleton. The same high standards are maintained at this location. Says Robert Reynolds, a consulting chef for Denver's Cook Street School of Fine Cooking, the Rosaccis "are real butchers, not meat vendors. The quality of what they provide is exceptional." That quality naturally extends to the prepared and partially prepared foods, according to Reynolds. "Half the job of the cook is done when you have a good product."

The selections change regularly to provide variety for the customers--and for the staff, because, says Mick, "we eat here every day." But what if you can't get to Tony's? Mick shares this popular version of beef ribs to make at home.

Hawaiian Beef Ribs

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes, plus at least 1 hour to marinate NOTES: Even on snow-covered decks; gas grills sizzle with these ribs. Look for Chinese rice wine and hoisin or char sui sauce in a well-stocked supermarket or Asian market. If marinating the ribs up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill.

MAKES: 3 to 4 servings

6 to 8 beef back ribs (6 to 7 in. each, 3 1/4 to 4 lb. total), cut apart

1/2 cup prepared teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon prepared hoisin or char sui sauce

1 tablespoon prepared barbecue sauce or catsup

1/4 cup canned crushed pineapple

3/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes

1. Rinse beef ribs and pat dry. In a 1-gallon heavy plastic food bag or a deep bowl, mix teriyaki sauce, rice wine, hoisin sauce, barbecue sauce, pineapple, and hot chili flakes. Add ribs; seal bag and turn to coat meat well, or turn ribs in bowl to coat and cover airtight. Chill at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

2. If using a charcoal grill, mound and ignite 70 charcoal briquets on the firegrate, with vents open. When coals are dotted with ash, in about 15 minutes, push equal portions to opposite sides of grate. Add 5 briquets to each mound of coals.

If using a gas grill, turn heat to high, cover, and heat for 10 minutes. Adjust gas burners for indirect heat on each side of grill (none down center); keep heat on high.