Baltimost: DiPasquale’s Italian Marketplace

DiPasquale’s Italian Marketplace

Visiting DiPasquale’s Italian Marketplace is an assault on the senses in the very best way.

The Italian grocery and deli is known for both its sandwiches and the plethora of Italian ingredients available in the shop. It smells fantastic; looks wild, with stacks and piles of colorful foodstuffs in every corner; and is guaranteed to make stomachs growl.

From the famous meatball subs to the generous selection of olives and cheeses, to the crusty, gorgeous bread, the regular selection at DiPasquale’s is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. The market also carries special seasonal items, like a variety of fish around the holidays, when Italian families prepare for the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Baltimore was a different place in 1914, when DiPasquale’s opened in its original location on Claremont Street in Highlandtown. The city’s southeastern waterfront wasn’t yet fully industrial. And Highlandtown was largely a German neighborhood. But that didn’t stop the market’s founder, Louis DiPasquale, from opening his grocery–and for that, the city is thankful.

The business experienced some lean times, particularly in the 1970s, when it was open only on the weekends for some stretches. But the family persevered and for decades, it’s been more than just a thriving grocery.

While there have been some short-lived satellite locations over the years, the Highlandtown store, with its towers of pasta boxes, scattered bags full of nuts, stacks of wine bottles and cheese hanging from the ceiling, remains the heart and soul–and stomach–of the whole operation.

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