Authentic Philly food comes to St. Clair
Story by Graham Hadley
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.
For much of his life Lou Consoli was a professional fisherman.
His trade often took him to Alabama, which he loved, but there was one thing he said he could never find here.
“A good New-York-deli-style pickle,” he said.
He grew up in a traditional Italian-American family up North, but after meeting his fiancé, Alabamian Becky Pate, he saw a marketing opportunity here he could not pass up.
“We said, ‘Lets see if we can open a pickle business in Alabama.’”
And that’s exactly what the couple did, realizing their dream with Louie’s Pickles on U.S. 411 in Odenville.
They claim on their website, louiespickles.com, “We sell the best pickles you’ll ever eat.”
And their customers agree. Business at the small storefront has been so successful, Louie’s is looking to expand, providing seating for people to come in and enjoy, not just pickles, but other classic Italian and Philly traditional favorites, including, of course, a steak sandwich.
“I am from a Philly suburb. Up in the North it is easy to find a good New-York-style deli pickle, a good kosher pickle. We just grew up with that,” Lou said.
“Growing up Italian, my grandmother, my aunt, my mother — they always cooked. We learned to cook the old Italian way. We made some pickle products at home — and we ended up with something like 30 flavors.”
Because Southerners like so many pickled foods, like okra, Lou saw his products as a natural fit.
Lou and Becky started out focusing on pickles and other specialty items, often selling pickles at vendor stalls at events like carnivals, craft shows and similar gatherings. They sold all sorts of varieties of pickles. People could even buy a pickle on a stick — a favorite with children.
Once they got a taste of Lou’s products, they would return to buy more from the store or place an online order.
“What we do is we set up concessions — gun shows, craft shows — anywhere there is a big event. People buy a pint or quart, then they come back and order online or drive over,” he said.
But Lou introduced the people in the region to more than pickles, much, much more.
“We also brought our Italian cooking, things like Philly cheesesteak, real Philly cheesesteak, and people have been asking for that. We bring in everything from Philly, it’s extremely authentic,” he said, clarifying that a traditional Philadelphia cheese steak sandwich does not have peppers in it, as it is often served in other parts of the country.
Lou says the key to their continued success is that everything is authentic and everything is fresh.
“We bring in real Italian bread from Philly and other products like salami from all over. All our products are fresh — always cooked fresh, no microwaving or anything processed, and it makes a difference,” he said. “Freshness is the key. When you make something fresh, and people can see you making it, it is a huge deal.”
Lou admitted that some of their products are not as cheap as what you might find in a supermarket, but points out that there is a big difference between canned or bottled olives and ones he has ordered from Italy and personally driven hundreds of miles to pick up.
“We started out as a pickle business. Now we offer a wide variety of things, including sandwiches. We have a line of hot sauces … a chicken-wing sauce which is phenomenal.”
Because of his focus on freshness, Lou will sometimes buy different products based on availability, and as a result, what they have in the store, aside from pickles, varies from one day to the next. He encourages customers to keep up with those changes on Louie’s Pickles Facebook page, which also lists any store specials they may have.
That is going to be even more important in the near future. Lou is shifting the layout of the store around to allow room for dine-in seating, in addition to their take-out offerings.
“We are looking to add some tables and some seating so customers can sit and eat,” he said.
Lou has been amazed, not only at the success of their business, but in the welcome he has received in what he calls a great example of that “famous Southern hospitality.”
“Our customers are our friends,” he said, making special mention of Harvey, Lynn and Joel — three of those customers who came in at the start of the business and now help out around the store.
“There are great people here — lots of customer loyalty. It’s a phenomenal group. It has never ceased to surprise me.”
