Joes Place

Joe's Place was opened by two friends in 1999 by Frank Perry and Matt DeSantis. Before Joe's place was Born, it was completely occupied by Concetta's Salon. Frank had originally wanted a coffee shop in the middle of town to serve cappuccinos, teas, pastries. Matt's family has owned a hot dog stand for 50+ years called Gene's and Jude's. With Matt's experience in the hot dog business we decided to make Joe's Place a unique place where you could get the best Vienna Hot Dog money could buy paired up with Fresh Cut Idaho Potatoes for fries, cappuccino, and Italian ice. We originally opened with a menu of hot dogs, fries, and tamales. Matt left Joe's Place to run his family business after about a year. After Matt's departure typical Italian specialties were added to the menu little by little...all homemade from recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. Over the next nine years the menu has exploded into what you see today.

Now where did the name Joe's Place come from??? If I had a dime for every person that calls me Joe, or calls the restaurant asking for Joe, I'd be a millionaire!!! Joe was my grandfather. If there was ever a person that you can say "I'm a better person for knowing him", it was my grandfather Joseph Catino. He was the most selfless person I have ever known, and I miss him dearly. You can find his picture under the clock in the front of the restaurant, and in the middle of the bog mural on the back wall. Many, many, many card games were played in my grandfather's house on his kitchen table, and that is the same kitchen table you can find my employees and some customers playing cards on at Joe's Place.

My grandmother used to make Sunday dinner (often served at 1:00 pm) every Sunday for the whole family. Dinner was the typical pasta with sausage, neck bones, and meatballs served with bread made on Taylor St. from Superior Bakery. No matter what was going on on Sunday, you could guarantee the whole family would arrive. This is the same food served at Joe's. My grandmother's red gravy, my mother's meatballs and Taylor St. bread. It is also this bread that is used on our homemade Italian beef sandwiches.

Joe's Place personnel consists of neighborhood kids, most of whom grew up coming into Joe's Place after school, after baseball or just riding their bikes around town. Every one of Joe's employees is part of our family. You can often find an employee or two hanging in the restaurant well after closing, just relaxing and playing cards on grandpa's table.