On the outside, the Shell station at the corner of Victory Boulevard and Seneca Avenue on Staten Island looks like any other of the hundreds of fuel depots in NYC\u2019s most car-centric borough \u2014\u00a0but only one of them can claim Italo and Gerardo Perito.<\/p>\n
Venture through the sliding doors into what elsewhere might be a run-of-the-mill mini-mart \u2014 and you\u2019ll find an epicurean speakeasy, presided over by the Italian-American father-son team. <\/p>\n
Scratch-made lasagnas, buffalo mozzarella, fat meatballs and more make up the menu at Fresh To Go \u2014\u00a0a delicious retort to the usual aisles of junk food and heat lamp-dehydrated pizzas that have been stagnating on the counter all day.<\/p>\n
An eggplant tower piled high with tomatoes, zucchini, fresh basil, balsamic glaze and mozzarella? Now that\u2019s amore! Delectable delights like this at Fresh To Go are elevating standard gas-station cuisine, with culinary cues from thousands of miles away. Michael McWeeney for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
An array of freshly-made pastas is on the menu at Fresh To Go. Michael McWeeney for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
\u201cMost gas stations in the U.S., they don\u2019t have this kind of food,\u201d Gerardo proudly told The Post on a recent morning, while preparing the day\u2019s unexpectedly elevated fare. \u201cWe make mozzarella every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Italo came to New York from Salerno, Italy, in 2001 \u2014\u00a0bringing with him an old-country work ethic that sees him rising at 5:30 in the mornings to head to the store for the day\u2019s meal prep, starting with the bagels, baked fresh throughout the day and paired with cream cheese that\u2019s also whipped up in-house.<\/p>\n
Freshly-made meatballs and other remarkable treats welcome hungry customers to the Peritos\u2019 Staten Island stop. Michael McWeeney for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people\u2019s first impression outside of the store, they feel like it\u2019s a franchise,\u201d said Gerardo Perito (left), pictured with his father, Italo. \u201cThey feel like it\u2019s a Wawa. Once they come in and they see \u2026 how beautifully the store is done, it really changes their perspective.\u201d Michael McWeeney for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
Fresh To Go, which opened earlier this year, draws inspiration from Italy\u2019s famed Autogrills \u2014 those lavish but affordable gas stations across the Boot where commuters can \u201ceat inside\u201d like a sit-down restaurant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a variety of fresh food \u2014\u00a0they make pizzas, they make fresh sandwiches,\u201d Gerardo explained.<\/p>\n
The younger Perito said that their business came about when the landlord\u2019s son-in-law traveled to Italy and came home excited about the concept.<\/p>\n
Looking for a better meal than a Twinkie and a bag of chips? This Fresh To Go mozzarella and prosciutto sandwich could be the palate cleanser you need. Michael McWeeney for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
Fresh To Go \u2014 with a standard, unassuming gas-hub exterior \u2014 has only been open for four months, but has attracted a steady stream of regulars. Michael McWeeney for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n
Italo, drawing on over 50 years in the restaurant industry on both sides of the Atlantic, eagerly brought the gas-tropub concept to life stateside.<\/p>\n
This paradoxical-seeming commitment to quality is why, despite only being open for four months, this upwardly mobile station already has a rabid fan base in the paesan stronghold of Staten Island, where a soggy lobster tail or limp galamad (fried calamari, to the uninformed) can get you excommunicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn four months, we do already start getting regulars, and the regulars come in and they already know what they want,\u201d said Gerardo, who also presides over the family\u2019s A&S Pork Store in Staten Island\u2019s West Brighton.<\/p>\n
You may be surprised to see a top-chef-worthy \u201cTruff Burger\u201d (with fries, of course) at Smacking Burger, which was recently named one of the best gas station restaurants in the U.S. This tasty treat showcases caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms and truffle mayo. Stephen Yang<\/p>\n
Across the Big Apple, gas station cuisine is having a surprising moment \u2014 Fresh to Go is one of a flurry of \u201cgourmet\u201d fill-up spots where people are looking to fill their bellies as well as their vehicles.<\/p>\n
Other spots with the best meals-per-gallon lately grabbing their share of the buzz include Kosher service stop Zoom in Borough Park, where Hasidic and gentile customers alike fuel up on fresh-made bagels and lox ($8.99), Kugel (a traditional Ashkenazi casserole dish for $5) and gefilte fish ($4.99).<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also Alfredo\u2019s Old-Style Pizzeria in the Bronx, slinging fresh-made Margheritas and chicken parm sandwiches, and Brooklyn hit Blue Hour \u2014 a popular but now unfortunately and suddenly defunct casual halal nook in a BP gas station, specializing in fried chicken sandwiches.<\/p>\n
And in Manhattan, the West Village has a smash-burger hit in Smacking Burger, a throwback to the meat-and-diesel depots of yore that was recently named one of the 10 best gas station restaurants in the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n A variety of other burgers \u2014 and some delectably dazzling fries \u2014 are featured at Smacking Burger. Stephen Yang<\/p>\n A line forms outside Smacking Burger, located inside a Manhattan Mobil gas station on Eighth Avenue near 14th Street. Stephen Yang<\/p>\n Station owner Tommy Hondros previously told The Post that fuel stops like Smacking Burger\u2019s mobile station headquarters \u2014 which is Manhattan\u2019s last gas station below 14th street \u2014 used to house unique burger joints and wanted to recreate \u201cthat old-school feeling.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The trend is so much bigger than New York, too \u2014\u00a0beginning just across the Hudson, convenience chains like Wawa battle for breakfast (and lunch, and dinner) supremacy with tempting, touch-screen-fueled fare.<\/p>\n And in the Midwest, chef and \u201cBizarre Foods\u201d host Andrew Zimmern recently partnered with Iowa-based Casey\u2019s gas stations to promote their new barbecue brisket pizza. Zimmern chalked up the gas station craze to<\/a> \u201cour own sense of adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n Zoom owner Moshe Green prepares a tuna salad sandwich, one of the best-sellers at the gas station in Borough Park, where kosher food is served 24 hours a day at the crossroads of Fort Milton Parkway and New Utrecht Avenue. Michael McWeeney for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n Zoom in Borough Park serves kosher food 24 hours a day. Michael McWeeney for N.Y.Post<\/p>\n