Kyle Lanzer, Sun News From left, Gina Cristantiello with a chicken dinner, Michelle Marsella Shumaker with barbecue ribs, Kim Marsella Fawks with a rigatoni dinner, and Bill Marsella with a deluxe pizza. Marcella's gallery (5 photos) Running a restaurant is a notoriously fickle businesses. And with the economic downturn shuttering area restaurants left and right, it really says something for a local one still to be going strong after more than 35 years. That’s the anniversary that Marsella’s Pizza in Parma recently celebrated. Founded in 1975 by Bill Marsella, this take-out and delivery pizza shop has kept its customers happy over the years by focusing on quality, value, and excellent service.
Marsella uses only the highest quality ingredients for his pies, eschewing anything frozen or pre-made. Pizza dough and all the restaurant’s sauces are made fresh daily; fresh vegetables are hand-cut. Pizzas are hand-crafted with Marsella’s signature scalloped crust, and they’re definitely not skimpy on the toppings.
“We just load ’em up,” Marsella said. “I refuse to cut back on quality or the amount of items we use,” he said, in reference to the shortcuts some pizza chains take in order to offer steep discounts.
Aside from a few additions here and there, Marsella has kept his original menu largely intact through the years.
“That’s our success,” he said.
Nowadays, his two daughters, Michelle and Kimberly, help run things at the shop, as does his manager, Gina Christantiello. His wife, Tess, takes on the paperwork and lends a hand when things get hectic.
Although pizza is the shop’s bread and butter, so to speak, the restaurant offers a full menu, from ribs to chicken to pasta, as well as appetizers and wings.
Marsella’s was one of the first restaurants in town to serve “broasted” chicken, which has since become an area favorite. Broasting is a form of cooking that combines pressure cooking and deep frying. It cooks the chicken quickly, leaving the meat hot and juicy. Customers can purchase a four-piece dinner with choice of potato or coleslaw for $7.95, or the chicken alone in various quantities.
Also available are pastas, Parms, subs, salads, and tender, slow-cooked barbecued ribs ($17.95 for a full slab with fixings).
We put several of Marsella’s menu items to the test recently and were universally pleased. Our substantially sized order of rigatoni ($7.50) came dressed with four tender meatballs and a delicious red sauce that tasted like it had been simmering on the back of grandma’s stove all day. Grated Parmesan and crispy, homemade garlic bread rounded out the order.
The oven-toasted submarine sandwich ($6.95) was simply composed — ham, Genoa salami, pepperoni, and American, Swiss, and provolone cheeses on an Italian sub roll — but outstanding in taste. The savory flavor, as well as the contrast between the tender, melty interior and the crisply toasted bread, make this sandwich a winner.
Both the deluxe and the barbecue chicken pizzas we tried were also terrific. The deluxe ($15.95 for a 12-inch, eight-cut) was loaded with a tasty combination of pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers. The barbecue chicken pizza ($10.75 for a 9-inch, six-cut) featured tender strips of chicken and the most delicious sauce — at once smoky, tangy, and sweet with hints of juicy pineapple. It was extraordinary. The toothsome crust was chewy and flavorful in the manner of freshly baked bread.
Marsella’s Pizza is at 7475 York Road in Parma. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Delivery is available for $1.50 ($8 minimum order). Call (440) 888-8400 to order.
Phillips is a freelance food writer in Avon Lake.
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