They'd been working together at Nick Elmi restaurants -- he as a chef and she as a sommelier. But when the pandemic hit, both lost their jobs.
That's when Alfiero's entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and he decided to start selling hotdogs.
They were a hit and as word spread and business grew, Alfiero started adding sausages to the menu and they opened Heavy Metal Sausage Co. last April.
It's a high-end deli concept with hearty soups and stews and sandwiches like smoked ham and cheese slathered with spicy carrot long hot relish. Alfiero does all of the cooking, making almost everything in-house.
They just added four-course dinners on Thursdays and Fridays, called Trattoria, with house-made pasta and all-animal ragu made with goose, rabbit, beef and pork.
The place just earned a prestigious James Beard nomination, and the couple just got engaged.
Heavy Metal Sausage Co. | Facebook | Instagram
1527 W. Porter Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19145