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Central Grocery facts for kids

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Central Grocery
Central Grocery.jpg
Outside Central Grocery on Decatur Street
Restaurant information
Established 1906
Current owner(s) Salvador T. Tusa
Food type Italian, Greek, French, Spanish, and Creole table delicacies
Street address 923 Decatur Street
City French Quarter of New Orleans
State Louisiana
Country United States
Coordinates 29°57′31″N 90°03′39″W / 29.9587°N 90.0609°W / 29.9587; -90.0609
Website http://www.centralgrocerynola.com/

Central Grocery Co. is a famous old-fashioned grocery store in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's located on Decatur Street in the historic French Quarter. This special store was started in 1906 by Salvatore Lupo. He was an immigrant from Sicily, a large island in Italy.

Salvatore Lupo ran the store until 1946. Then, his son-in-law, Frank Tusa, took over. Today, Salvatore's grandson, Salvador T. Tusa, owns the store with his cousins, Frank Tusa and Larry Tusa. Central Grocery was once one of many small, family-owned stores in the French Quarter. Even though many tourists visit now, it still feels like an old-world market.

The Famous Muffuletta Sandwich

Central Grocery is most famous for its delicious muffuletta sandwich. This sandwich is a New Orleans classic! It's made on a round loaf of bread and filled with meats, cheeses, and a special olive salad.

New Orleans Muffuletta - The best sandwich I ever had
A tasty muffuletta sandwich from Central Grocery, ready to eat!

You can buy a whole muffuletta to eat there or take it with you. The store also sells all the ingredients to make your own muffuletta at home. You can even buy jars of their famous olive salad!

Because of its amazing muffuletta, Central Grocery has been on TV shows. It was featured on the PBS program Sandwiches That You Will Like. It also appeared on NBC's The Today Show as one of the best sandwiches.

What Else Can You Find?

Central Grocery sells many interesting foods. You can find Italian, Greek, French, Spanish, and Creole-style foods. These are all types of delicious cooking from different cultures.

The store also has some very unusual items. For example, they display chocolate-covered grasshoppers and bumble bees in soy sauce in their front windows. These unique items are always there for people to see.

Salvatore Lupo's daughter, Marie Lupo Tusa, wrote a cookbook called Marie's Melting Pot. This book has hundreds of recipes. It includes Sicilian, French, and Creole-style dishes.

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