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Things have changed a lot since the Dammone brothers first embarked on their epic careers in the restaurant industry in 70s Leeds. Salvo's (now something of an Italian food empire in Headingley) was set up by their late father in August 1976, closely after the arrival of what John describes as “the first of the new-wave Italian pizzerias to come on the scene — the Flying Pizza, Bibis and Da Marios.” He continues: “The culinary landscape in 76 was very different from what it is now. Not as many people travelled abroad and there weren’t as many restaurants around, especially not as many Italian restaurants.” Now Leeds is a veritable feast of global cuisine. “You can eat from Vietnamese to North African and Lebanese as well as the more popular Italian, French and modern British.”
Yet, as Gip points out from behind his gargantuan latte, “The bar has been raised massively and people expect more. Restaurants open and close in Leeds everyday and the road to restaurant fame is littered with the dead bodies of countless failures.” So how has Salvo's managed to survive 30 years in Leeds, a city that has, for some of its long-term inhabitants, developed so rapidly over the past three decades that it’s now unrecognisable. John explains that “over the last 30 years our restaurant has gradually expanded and moved with the times, we still offer quality Italian family cuisine, but in a contemporary setting. We’ve got such a diverse and high-quality offering in Leeds and because everybody’s so good we all have to keep on our toes. I can’t think of any other city outside of London that has the variety and quality that we offer here.”
How then, do we fare in comparison to London? “At Salvo's I speak to loads of people who come from London, and they all seem to say the same thing — 'we can’t find this quality in London, how do you manage to do it so cheaply?' and that’s a reflection of the fact that, in Leeds, restaurants are more value for money.” We’re curious to know where such connoisseurs as the Dammones dine out in the city (except for Salvo's of course). John doesn’t hesitate to praise our oriental strengths: “We’ve got some great Thai restaurants in Leeds — Sukothai is one of our current favourites, and there’s nothing better than sitting down on a Sunday lunchtime, surrounded by other Chinese diners to tuck into some dim sum at The Lucky Dragon on Temple Street.” Gip’s eyes light up as he expands on his brother’s recommendation. “They do a roast suckling pig every Sunday, but you have to get there early and ask. I don’t think it’s on the menu.”
The brothers are full of interesting advice for making the most of Leeds’ cuisine, Gip swears by Kirkgate Market’s monthly farmers market, “it’s great for a hangover — there’s always a hog roast and you can get organic sausages, ostrich burgers and Jamaican dumplings.” John cites The Red Chilli (next to the Electric Press) for “fabulous boiled dumplings and really rare Szechuan dishes like blue swimming crab — it makes a nice change from all those Cantonese places.”
If anyone knows the secret to a good meal, it’s these two. Their father Salvo kept his food secrets a little closer to his chest however, making his famous pizza dough in a broom cupboard and hanging his jacket over the keyhole in case anyone tried to plagiarise it.
“It’s not all about good food,” Gip points out. “It’s about getting all the elements of dining out together and making it work — ambience, food and service — a great chef who cooks like an angel is not enough.” John agrees: “I’ve eaten amazing food in many a cold room where the lights are too bright and the music is appalling and never gone back. You have to consider the other factors, good meals are about relaxing with friends, colleagues and lovers.”
Salvo's is the longest standing Italian restaurant in Leeds still under the same ownership and in the same location.
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