Since '74
Frank and Dolores Russo opened Starlite with a borrowed loan, eleven stools and Dolores's apple pie recipe.
Three generations.
Frank worked the griddle, Dolores ran the floor and baked every pie by hand. Today their grandkids Tony and Gina run the place, and Dolores still drops by on Sundays to check the crust.
We've never closed, not once. Not for snowstorms, not for holidays, not for the 1987 power cut (we cooked by gas lamp).
The Starlite Years
Doors open
Eleven stools, one griddle and a coffee pot that never empties.
The neon sign
The famous Starlite sign goes up. You can see it from Exit 11.
Pie case doubles
Dolores adds banana cream. Lines form out the door.
Third generation
Tony and Gina take over the griddle. Same recipes, same booths.
Meet the Crew
Say hi. They'll call you hon.
Tony Russo
“Seasoned that griddle for 52 years. Never once scrubbed it.”
Gina Russo
“Coffee refill? Already on its way.”
Dolores Russo
“The secret is lard. Don't tell anybody.”