Ask any good Iowa cook who knows a thing or two about high-quality sausage, and you’ll likely hear the name “Graziano’s." Foodies across the state rely on Graziano Bros. Italian Foods’ best-selling medium-hot sausage, sweet sausage and more to elevate the flavor of their favorite dishes, from pastas to soups.
The story of Graziano Bros. Italian Foods started more than a century ago with brothers Francesco (Frank) and Luigi (Louie) Graziano. Born in San Morello in the Calabria region of southern Italy, the brothers began their life in a loving but impoverished family. By 1903, the two brothers did what many Italians dreamed off—they emigrated to America. After Frank, age 21, and Louie, age 17, made their way to Iowa, they found jobs with the Great Western Railway.
Railroad work was tough, but it helped sustain the brothers, who settled in an Italian neighborhood in the “South Side Bottoms” south of downtown Des Moines. Never afraid of hard work, the Grazianos were entrepreneurs at heart. It was decided that Louie would start a corner grocery in 1912 while Frank would continue working for the railroad to support the brothers until the new business was established.
The Grazianos quickly became known for their homemade sausage, which was based on the flavor they remembered as children growing up in Italy. Graziano’s small grocery store on South Union Street thrived and grew. Frank and Louie worked well together and were able to help many of their friends and neighbors, even through the Great Depression.
“Extending this credit to customers in need almost broke the business, but we still have descendants of those people who patronize our store and tell us how much that generosity meant to their family,” says Frances Graziano, who runs the company founded by her grandfather and great-uncle. “People remember how you treat them.”
Graziano’s patrons are more than customers, emphasizes Frances, who became company president in 2000. “Everyone is family here.”
Part of this sense of family stems from the close-knit Italian-American neighborhood where Graziano’s has been located since 1912. At the heart of this community is St. Anthony Catholic Church and the local parochial school, not far from the Italian American Cultural Center of Iowa. “We have a rich culture and are proud to maintain these traditions,” Frances says.
One of these traditions includes regular visits to Graziano’s, where rich, spicy aromas greet visitors as soon as they walk in the front door. Many customers stop by to purchase the best in homemade Italian sausage made from high-quality pork and Italian seasoning. No preservatives are added to the sausage, which is sold in link, bulk and patty forms. Graziano’s, which caters to both the retail and wholesale markets, primarily serves a 45-mile radius around Des Moines, although its famous sausage can be found across the state at various grocery stores.
Customers also appreciate the wide selection of the finest Italian cheese imports, cured meats from pancetta to coppicola, Italian pasta sauces, San Marzano tomatoes, pasta and a variety of sweets, including biscotti, cannoli and more.
From humble beginnings, Frank and Louie Graziano created a rich cultural legacy not for their families, but for generations of Iowans who crave a taste of Italy. “Italian-Americans have made many contributions to the history of Iowa and its culinary heritage,” Frances Graziano says. “Food is an important way to maintain these traditions.”
The story behind Italian grinders
While some Italian immigrants like the Graziano brothers worked for the railroad in Iowa, many also worked in the state’s coal mines in the late nineteenth and earl twentieth centuries.
Mining was a physically-demanding, dirty job that coated the workers’ skin with grime. When these men emerged from the mine after a long work day, they were as black as guinea fowl. While Italian grinder sandwiches were once called “guinea grinders” at events like the Iowa State Fair, this slur was dropped by the 1990s. This recipe for Italian Grinders comes from Chef George Formaro, a Des Moines native who grew up on sausage and other fine products from Graziano Bros. Italian Foods.
Italian Grinders
2 pounds fennel Italian sausage (Graziano’s is worth the road trip)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 pinch dry basil Hoagie buns
Mozzarella cheese
Cook sausage, stirring constantly. When sausage is done, add all remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring constantly.
Place sausage mixture into hoagie buns and top with mozzarella cheese. Place the Italian grinders in a preheated, 400 degree oven or a toaster oven until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.
This story will appear in Darcy Dougherty Maulsby's upcoming book, "A Culinary History of Iowa," which will be published in the summer of 2016 by The History Press. Click here for more details!
@Copyright 2016, Darcy Maulsby
