Mama Valenti's Pizzeria in Andover, MN

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Mama Valenti's:
An Italian Heritage With Italian Flavors

Guiseppe and Rose (Michelizzi) Valenti were born, raised and married in Rosarno, Reggio de Calabria, Italy. They traveled to America in the early 1900's, bringing authentic Italian recipes with them. They traveled from Naples, Italy and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in September of 1913.

They continued traveling west through America until Guiseppe found work at the Northern Pacific Railway in Duluth. He worked there for 35 years and retired in 1948. He Americanized his name somewhere after 1920, calling himself Joseph Valentine. Joseph and his family were members of St. Peter's Catholic Church, and raised all nine of their children in Duluth's "Little Italy." Years later, the Valenti and DeLuca families came together and a marriage of flavor was born.

Today, over 100 years later, those recipes are still being used at Mama Valenti's. I dedicated this restaurant to my Great Great Grandmother.

- Rose Valenti