The Calzone is one of the first street foods—ready-to-eat, convenient fare designed to be consumed on the go—but not as we know it. Today’s calzones are giants compared to their forebears. They can also be quite messy, often requiring a fork, knife, and possibly a spoon to tame all that yummy stuff inside. They’re hardly what anyone would describe as portable (as those who’ve had a calzone from Tommy’s Pizza and Subs can attest).

While we pride ourselves on the quality and the quantity of ingredients in the calzones Tommy’s makes, that hasn’t always been the case for the calzone. Those of yesteryear were much smaller, contained fewer ingredients, and were essentially designed as portable pizza for people to consume on their way to work or as a quick lunch.

Where we stuff our meat calzone with pepperoni, ham, meatballs, ricotta cheese, and red sauce, or our veggie version with mushrooms, bell pepper, black olives, and onions, early versions of the calzone often contained only sauce and cheese. That’s pretty boring, we agree, but at the time, the calzone served a purpose.

This little inside-out pizza (crust on the outside, sauce on the inside) first appeared in the 18th century in Naples, Italy. They were created for several reasons: they were easy to make, inexpensive, and quite portable—perfect for commuters and other people on the go. Ingredients were few to keep both the cost and the mess down, which appealed to workers and people on low budgets.

That all changed of course when Italian immigrants came to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Calzones quickly went from simple street food to a staple of Italian restaurants. Their size increased as well as their complexity, appealing to meat lovers and veggie lovers, and everything in-between.

Fun Calzone Facts

Here are some fun facts about calzones:

• Calzones originated in Naples, Italy in the 1700s (the same place pizza was invented).
• The word “calzone” comes from the Italian word for “pants” or “stockings.”
• The record for the largest calzone ever created goes to the Vaughan Pizza Fest in Ontario, Canada. There, in 2019, a 59-foot long calzone consisting of more than 400 pounds of dough and close to 300 pounds of stuffing and sauce was baked.
• Nowadays, the typical calzone packs about 2,000 calories.
• During the 1960s, Calzones (not pizzas) were ruled the roost for home delivery (pizza was too messy).
• In Italy, Sandwich-sized “calzoni” are commonly sold at lunch counters because they are easy for people to eat while walking or standing.
• Calzones are also known as “pizza hand pie,” “turnaround pizza,” “inside-out pizza,” “folded pizza,” and “carry around pizza.”

Make Tommy’s Your New Favorite Place to Dine

Whether you’re hankering for a calzone, a pizza, spaghetti dinner, or a sumptuous antipasto salad, we invite you to check out Tommy’s in El Cajon/Santee, California. We’ve mastered the art of Italian traditional pizza, calzones, and subs, making us the favorite place in the area for family dining, takeout, and delivery.

Catering

Tommy’s Pizza and Subs also provide catering for weddings, special events, company events, holidays, and private socials. Our catering menus include Italian, Greek, BBQ, Hamburgers/Hotdog selections, and more.

You can check out our menu and order online, order by phone (619-499-5273), or stop by our restaurant on Magnolia Avenue in Santee, California. We now deliver in the area, Wednesday through Sunday.