The man, the myth, the legend: Hotsy still cookin' at 90

Thursday, 14 July 2011 07:00

While most of the good people of Greenwich are home sound asleep in their beds, Frank “Hotsy” Bertino is just beginning his day. He gets into work at Garden Catering in Old Greenwich at 2 a.m., greeting the bread man and firing up the Fryolators, then setting to work peeling and dicing the potatoes and cooking up the bacon, sausages and his signature chili.

At 4 a.m. he flips on the neon “Open” sign and welcomes his first customers — police officers, firemen and limo drivers, those who serve and protect the community. Some days as he opens the doors, a group of hungry teenagers and young men has already gathered along Sound Beach Avenue, the revelers and stragglers winding down their nights, fiending for their crack-of-dawn “Hotsies,” Mr. Bertino’s name sake sandwich.

As the sun rises and the real breakfast run begins, he welcomes the commuters who breeze through the shop on their way to catch the train across the street. The customers are predictable and steady, like the man himself, a mainstay at Garden Catering who has managed the early morning shift for more than 20 years.

This past Monday, July 11, Mr. Bertino stuck to the routine, coming into work and greeting and serving his loyal patrons. “What’ll you have?” he asked customers in his gravelly voice, taking orders and pouring the coffee. It was a day like any other day, except for a few minor changes: The balloons that decked the entrance of the store and a change in the price of the Hotsies. The bacon, egg, cheese, chili and home fry sandwiches were being sold for $0.90 each — to honor Mr. Bertino on his 90th birthday.

Mike Paoletta, who manages Garden Catering’s Old Greenwich location, said there is “no one better than Hotsy.”

“The biggest thing I’ve learned from this man is consistency and to take care of the customer,” Mr. Paoletta said. “That’s all that he does.”

Nicknamed while still a quick-tempered youth, Hotsy has kept the moniker for the last seven decades. His most famous sandwich topped with his spicy chili has spurned legions of loyal fans, some of whom have written songs and set up Facebook pages in his (and the sandwich’s) honor.

Before taking on the early morning shift working for Frank Carpentieri at Garden Catering, Mr. Bertino had been in the food business for decades in Greenwich since his return from World War II. He ran several eateries with his brother, including the Oasis, the Hubba Hubba and Hotsy’s Sandtrap at the Bruce (now Griff) golf course in Greenwich.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Mr. Bertino said what he likes best about the job is watching his customers grow up.

“I see people that come in that I knew as little kids, who now are off on their way to work. They’re good kids,” he said. “It’s nice to see them.”

One such customer who came in to show his appreciation for the local food legend on Monday was Joe Budzelak, a Riverside resident and teacher at the Whitby School.

“Hotsy is the sharpest nonagenarian around,” Mr. Budzelak said. “If you are a regular, he knows your order. If you are a parent, he knows your kids’ names and he wants to know how they are doing. Hotsy is a walking Rolodex who serves the best breakfast sandwich in town.”

He related to the Post his favorite “Hotsy” memory, a snapshot of his high school years.

“During one summer vacation, four of my friends and I walked up to the doors of Garden Catering at 3 or 4 in the morning. Knocking on the glass, we call Hotsy’s name, but to our disappointment, he tells us that his chili is not yet ready to serve,” Mr. Budzelak said. When Mr. Bertino finally opened the doors, the boys all danced into the store chanting “HOT-SIE, HOT-SIE” much to the old man’s amusement.

“After our transaction was made, my friends and I ate our Hotsies in traditional fashion, on the benches of Sound Beach Avenue in the stillness of pre-dawn save for the chugging of the Metro-North train sending commuters to Grand Central,” he said.

Frank Carpentieri Jr. started working at the store when he was 18. No matter that he was the son of the owner, he said Mr. Bertino always treated him as an equal.

“Hotsy has taught me so much,” Mr. Carpentieri said. “It’s amazing to see him work. You have no idea how he does it. He’s got such a passion.”

The outpouring of support on Monday was a tribute to how beloved the man is in the community.

“Everyone’s been coming in here wishing him a happy birthday,” Mr. Carpentieri said. “Customers came and set up balloons for him. He’s a simple guy, but I think reaching this birthday is really special to him, even if he won’t admit it.”

For Ian Sotzing, a former Old Greenwich resident and friend of the Post, the experience of visiting Garden Catering in his old neighborhood and seeing the old man still working behind the counter is one of nostalgia.

“Within my group of friends, the act of getting a Hotsy has taken on special significance,” he said. “As we grew up in town, we would often share a late night meal at Garden Catering. Now as we find ourselves in different careers and locations, the opportunity to get together over a Hotsy — made by Hotsy — is a rare treat. But when we do, our coming together is just as special as the coming together of bacon, egg, cheese, chili and homefries.”

Garden Catering has eight stores throughout Connecticut and New York. The flagship Old Greenwich store is at 185 (1/2) Sound Beach Avenue.

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