‘The Tony Way’ is the Way to Go at Little Tony’s Mini Mart

PHOTO BY IVAN CHEBOTAR @IVN.PHOTO_VIDEO

Lunchtime at Little Tony’s Mini Mart is 350 square feet of madcap food service.

As I sit snort-laughing and taking notes on the Downtown bodega’s only chair, I hear multiple orders shouted above the din of R&B hits, a ringing phone, a sizzling flattop and witty banter. I’m like an anthropologist studying the mid-day dietary habits of office workers in the wild.

According to my observations, after playing the lottery or buying a pack of smokes, most people order a cheesesteak made “The Tony Way.”

Antonio Merante, the store’s ever-smiling owner and namesake, added his version of the sandwich to the menu after hitting all of the cheesesteak hotspots in Philadelphia. Can we get a little brotherly love for his mix of meat, grilled peppers, onions, mushrooms and housemade Cooper cheese sauce on a six-inch Breadworks hoagie roll?

You can order a cheesesteak your way, of course, but “The Tony Way” is pretty hard to beat. They even sell T-shirts that say “The Tony Way or No Way.” Several customers were sporting bodega-branded threads, chanting the slogan and snapping selfies, making it feel more like a pep rally than a lunch rush.

PHOTO BY NIHAD HEBIB @NIHAD_HEBIB

Merante opened the Ross Street business in April 2023 after embracing sobriety. Every cup of coffee he sells gives him a greater sense of purpose.

He grew up in Canonsburg, where his large Italian family once ran a trio of businesses, including Merante Brothers Market, Caffe’ d’ Antonio and Cucina di Domenica.

Their current downsized endeavor is much more manageable.

If you drop by Little Tony’s, chances are you’ll see his mom, Domenica Merante, better known as Mama D, cooking and chatting up a storm.

She’s a Cuoco Italiana trained in Tuscany, but on Tuesdays, Mama D makes tacos.

PHOTO BY GIO MADE IT @GIOMADEIT_

She made so many of them during my visit, my down jacket is permanently permeated with the scent of seasoned beef and chicken. It’s like aroma therapy every time I zip up!

In addition to tacos and Tonyfied cheesesteaks, the place sells all-day breakfast sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs and hot sausages. Grab-and-go coldcut sandwiches will return to the coolers this summer. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and there’s a lunch special each day.

When a group of Mt. Lebanon High School students squeeze into the space hilarity ensues.

“It’s like I have 20 sons now!” Mama D says with a laugh. “They come for the smells and to see me fight with Tony.”

Grayson Beck, 18, who was enjoying a weeklong break from classes, has known the Merantes for half of his life. He drops by a few times a month for the sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.

“It’s not just the food, it’s the environment, the energy,” he says. “They have a wide variety of customers; you never know who’s going to walk in.”

If they’re even able to walk in.

When Little Tony’s is packed, regulars simply pop their head in the door and transmit their orders through some sort of culinary telepathy. They return 20 minutes later to pick it up.

PHOTO BY NIHAD HEBIB @NIHAD_HEBIB

One guy stopped by to deliver homemade gnocchi to the Merantes, who often don’t find time to feed themselves amid the chaos. Employee Shane Siefert, who is not related by blood, but has become like family, works the cash register and sweeps up in between waves of customers.

I overheard a patron comment that the tiny bodega is the only place in town where you can get lunch and a sitcom. The eatery’s TikTok is also highly entertaining.

The Merantes are searching for a second Downtown location to accommodate their large following The Tony Way.