Tostimo’s Pizza Kitchen
When it comes to the iconic North Shore Roast Beef sandwich, Jonathan Moore takes his cues from the OGs.
“I think a good North Shore beef sandwich respects kind of where it came from, you know, back in the 50s, the 60s. Kelly's in Revere. You have your Bill and Bob's and Nick's in Beverly, kind of started there, and it's just grown ever since.”
And they’re serving all of that tradition with a twist at Tostimo’s.
With locations in Seabrook and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Tostimo’s Pizza Kitchen is a casual counter service spot with scratch menu of all of your favorite munchies, sandwiches and more. Jonathan and Ariel Moore are the enthusiastic owners with a big love for beef, and a customer base that demands excellence.
“Everybody has a story about where their shop was where they grew up, having it. So they all have their opinions on the way that it should be. They're a very passionate group. They love the sandwich. So there's a lot of pressure that comes with that.”
But Jonathan works best under pressure, and the result is one of the best beefs around.
“So a proper roast beef sandwich would be a three way with sauce, cheese and mayo, when we say sauce, it's got to be the James River barbecue sauce, mayonnaise and a slice of American cheese. Cheese has to be on the bottom. We cook the beef, kind of like a traditional, old school way. One thing that makes us a little bit different is we trim the meat after so I cook it, with the fat cap on, everything on there, get those nice fat, juicy flavors in there. And that's how we get that nice, rare, coast to coast slice of meat. It has to be paper, paper, thin, nice, shaved roast beef. It's all in the slicer. Our slicers actually predates me. Our junior beef is what they kind of call it like the working man's beef. We say it is a junior but it is quite the sandwich. The regular beef is, it's like the standard. Most people that come in and get the regular beef are kind of like, I'm kind of hungry, but not, you know, quite super hungry. The super beef, I think all together, the sandwich weighs a little bit over a pound. It's pretty crazy. The junior comes on like a deli bun. The regular roast beef comes on a sesame seeded roll, and then our super comes on our nice brioche onion roll. It's nostalgic. I think you should experience something that brings you back to where you had your first roast beef. It's juicy. It’s messy. It's all kinds of different flavors, a little bit of crunch from the bun, so you have a good mouth feel and everything that comes along with that.”
If you’re looking to branch out with your beef, Tostimo’s offers monthly beef specials- like these three adorable beef sliders. Or the 3 way dipper; a beef/calzone mashup.
“We'll stuff our nice, thin, rare roast beef into a calzone. We cook it with cheese, and then we give you a side of the James River to dip it in yourself. The flavor is absolutely incredible.”
Or for the ultimate in fast food fusion- check out the three way pizza.
“We use James River barbecue sauce as the base on the pizza, instead of marinara. Then, of course, our pizza cheese goes on top. And then from there, we take our nice, thin roast beef. Once it comes out of the oven, we'll spread it across the pizza drizzle of mayonnaise and a little more James River on top.
You get a nice crunch from our pizza dough, and then all the flavors that you'd have on a North Shore beef sandwich are there just in pizza form.”
Of course, man cannot live on beef alone, so there are other pizza options like the Pesto Margarita with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and balsamic glaze drizzle. Or this pie topped with Jonathan's grandma Josie’s famous meatballs and ricotta.
“So you get nice, creamy texture from the ricotta. Of course, you have our meatballs on there Josie's recipe tried and true, you know. So it's very good.”
Just as good, if not great is Tostimo’s Italian, named as an homage to a Gloucester institution.
“The St Peter is kind of an ode to a sandwich that I ate at this small, little bakery called Virgilio’s in Gloucester. You get a nice crunch. We grill all of our rolls, so it's very much like an Italian deli meat experience, but for me, it brings me back home to where I grew up.”
Another nostalgic treat are the Tosti Rolls- basically a housemade pizza roll packed with cheese and sauce and topped with garlic butter and parmesan.
“It's almost like Stromboli with pepperoni and cheese and sauce, crispy dough. It's just a better version of what you'd get for a pizza roll.”
Other snacks include the Hog Wild Dipper Fries smothered with pulled pork and cheese sauce with jalapeños and a bbq drizzle and don’t skip the hand battered onion rings.
“We cut our own onion rings in house. They're crispy. They're the tallow adds, like this whole element of flavor that you wouldn't have with a standard onion, right crispy, kind of light on the batter, really. They're just good, crispy, crunchy and delicious.”
And the deliciousness continues right through dessert with these absolutely addictive doughnut holes .
“There's no better experience than a warm donut. They come out, you know, piping hot, warm all the way through, with that sauce on top. And it's a good experience in your mouth.”
And from the OGs to the next generation of beef lovers...when you want a proper three way, make your way to Tostimo's.
