The History of the Pepperoni Roll |
|||
 |
 |
 |
|
Coal miners with their lunch pails |
In the early 1900s |
Today |
|
According to Jeanne Mozier in her indispensable guide book, Way Out in West Virginia, the pepperoni roll was invented by Giuseppe "Joseph" Argiro at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont in 1927. One of the top pepperoni-roll makers in Fairmont today, is quite certain it wasn't invented until the 1940s, but no one disputes that they originated at the Country Club Bakery.
It was a practical lunch for Fairmont's miners, who needed food that was portable, sturdy and long-lasting. Argiro, a former miner, noticed many of his co-workers munching on a piece of pepperoni with a piece of bread. He began baking rolls with pepperoni slices inside. He passed the recipe on to his son, Frank "Cheech" Argiro who owned the Country Club Bakery until 1997. Today the bakery is owned by Chris Pallotta. |
|||
 Label 2002 |
 Label 2004 |
||
 |
 |
 |
|
Country Club Bakery 1211 Country Club Rd. Fairmont, WV 26554 304-363-5690 |
|||