It’s been 21 years since Carson’s Hardware closed its doors, and 639 Main Street, Hellertown, has since exchanged its lawnmowers and gasoline for pasta and Dean Martin tunes. The sloped floors, once wooden and sweet with sawdust, are now a cool pattern that reflects the light from table lamps. Taste of Italy, a beloved restaurant for Italian cuisine, is owner Joe Grisafi’s passion and calling.
While sipping a root beer and sitting across from Joe, I ask him about his own background in the culinary world and the circumstances that led him to open Taste of Italy.
“My dad came here when he was 19 years old from Sicily with only $17 in his pocket,” Joe begins. “He started out working in restaurants as a dishwasher, then worked up to prep cook. After years of doing that, he got the opportunity to open his own place. So long story short, I was born into the restaurant business.”
The Grisafis’ restaurant was a collaborative effort, and Joe learned the basic skills of cooking and managing at an early age.
“It was almost like I was expected to be in the restaurant business. As a kid, my mom worked in the restaurant, serving tables. My dad worked in the kitchen, cooking. My uncle, my aunt, everybody would work there until they went their separate ways. Growing up, I played sports and went to Emmaus High School, but I was also making pizzas at 12 or 13 years old.”
Taste of Italy at 639 Main Street in Hellertown is the current occupant of a building that is more than 150 years old. The BYOB restaurant located in the heart of town features an outdoor seating area along the sidewalk.
Before settling in Hellertown with Taste of Italy, Joe managed several restaurants, one of which was the now-defunct Corked Steakhouse in Historic Bethlehem. Though Corked was a vibrant eatery, Joe felt something was missing when he swapped pasta for steaks.
“I stepped out of the Italian restaurant business for about 10 years when I had Corked. I sold that in 2020, and now, I definitely feel like I’m back to where I belong, because Italian food is just what I was born doing,” he said. “It’s always nice making fresh pastas, fresh tortellini or fresh gnocchi. Anything we make in-house is always the funnest for me versus something that is just bought, thrown in boiling water and, you know, put sauce on and served.”
Among the dishes prepared at Taste of Italy are ricotta gnocchi, artichoke piccata and shrimp limoncello, each with its own requirements to cook it to perfection. Though the food industry is not known for comfort and easy hours, Joe relies on the work ethic handed down to him by his father.
Joe Grisafi is the owner of Taste of Italy, a popular restaurant located at 639 Main Street in Hellertown. (Credit: Helen Behe)
“My dad taught me 75 percent of things I know, especially when it comes to work ethic and being on time and taking care of your family, because that’s what he did,” he recalled. “When I was growing up I didn’t see him a lot, but he’s from Sicily. He has a different mentality. He taught me the things of an immigrant coming here from a different country, and didn’t speak English. What he achieved, some people born here can’t achieve. So he had the will. He had the hard work. And at the end of the day, hard work pays off.”
Toughness is needed in the kitchen, which can be an unforgiving environment.
“We could cook for 300 people on Mother’s Day and end up eating a Big Mac at midnight,” Joe explains. “We’re in the trenches. We’re going to burn. We’re in kitchens in the summertime that are 90 degrees.”
Joe works on perfecting his craft no matter where he is. Fluent in Italian and a holder of Italian citizenship, Joe often tries his hand at cooking locally when visiting family in Sicily.
“When I go there, I always try to get in the kitchen to make a pizza or two,” Joe says. “ I’m gonna try to get into the local pasta guy’s kitchen in my dad’s town, just to see how he makes his pasta. Last time I was there, I spent almost a day in a bakery learning how to make breads and sandwich bread and sweet breads and stuff. And I document that all on my phone. You only have so much space here in Taste of Italy to do certain things, so I try to make it all fit.”
Taste of Italy is quickly becoming a local favorite, and Joe feels right at home. A resident of the Lehigh Valley, Joe enjoys serving both community members and customers from afar.
“We had a couple Eagles players come through here, and we got a Yankees player come through,” Joe shares. “You’ll get the occasional athlete, and some of them come back two or three times.”
No matter who walks through the doors, Taste of Italy is the perfect location for a celebration, a date or just a quiet dinner out. Next time you’re in town, be sure to stop by Joe’s Taste of Italy to experience his authentic Italian comfort food!
Helen Behe is an MFA candidate at DeSales University, where she is studying through the program’s poetry track for a degree in creative writing and publishing. Aside from her studies, Helen enjoys gardening, boxing and rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. She is a resident of Bethlehem. Read more of Helen’s Then & Now series here.
Dining and Cooking