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Sunday, April 16, 2023

Charlie’s Sandwich Shop bringing “authentic Italian cooking and salumeria” to former Cresse Variety


A popular New York eatery with deep Italian roots is coming to Wildwood Crest this summer.

Charlie’s Sandwich Shop will breathe new life into the former Cresse Variety store, which has sat vacant for the past five years, at 5400 Pacific Avenue. 


A staple in Brooklyn since 2016, Charlie’s opened a second shop on Staten Island last year. The Crest location will mark the business’s first venture outside of the Big Apple.


With an extensive offering of overstuffed signature sandwiches, daily specials, platters, side dishes and more, Charlie’s figures to be a unique addition to the Wildwoods’ diverse and ever-growing culinary scene.


Take a glance at this gastronomic gallery and the full menu - you gotta love names like the “Gonzo Special,” “The How You Doin,” “The Humidor” and “The Iron Worker.”


Co-owners Calogero Bellomo and Charles Tornabene are overseeing an interior renovation of the former deli and hope to be open in advance of Memorial Day Weekend. Tornabene and his wife Melissa are in contract to purchase the property, with a closing date set.



“We’re super excited to be able to offer the Wildwoods our authentic Italian cooking and salumeria sandwich shop,” said Tornabene. “We’re looking forward to serving the community this upcoming season and for many years to come.”

(A “salumeria,” by the way, refers to an Italian deli or a shop that features a variety of cured Italian meats, such as sausage, salami, prosciutto, honey ham and other cold cuts.)


Tornabene noted that Charlie’s “from scratch” mozzarella and signature bread are made daily on the premises. “We will also be featuring a full line of Boar’s Head provisions, plus our Italian espresso, coffee and dolce bar,” he added.


Bellomo, meanwhile, is the “face” of the business - that‘s him on the shop’s logo - and a fixture behind the counter of the Brooklyn and Staten Island shops. 


According to a 2017 feature from The Brooklyn Reporter:


“Bellomo comes from a family of cooks. His dad had a pizza place in Manhattan and taught him how to make his special meatball parm hero. Overall, Bellomo said he learned to cook at the side of both parents, after emigrating to Brooklyn from Sicily in 1998, working in his father’s pizzeria and getting not only a culinary education but a businessperson’s education as well.”


For more information on Charlie’s Sandwich Shop, visit the official website at www.charliessandwichshopsi.com; for photos and additional updates, follow on social media - Facebook and Instagram


Calogero Bellomo, courtesy of www.fb.com/CharliesSandwichShop


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