Mrs. Robino's Feast of the Seven Fishes
Nestled in the heart of Wilmington’s Little Italy neighborhood lies the iconic Mrs. Robino’s Italian Restaurant. Established in 1940, Mrs. Robino’s offers a sumptuous Christmas Eve menu of dishes celebrating the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes. The Feast is widely celebrated by families in their homes, and a visit to Mrs. Robino’s to savor the traditional dishes is a much sought-after holiday reservation.
Tresilla Robino started preparing Italian food in her home on Little Italy’s Howland Street for family and neighbors in the 1930’s. When her food became so popular that the line snaked out the door, she decided to open a restaurant and purchased a building around the corner on North Union Street, where Mrs. Robino’s Restaurant still stands, serving Italian family favorites year-round. But it’s on Christmas Eve that dishes celebrating the Feast of Seven Fishes dominates the menu.
As much social as religious, the Feast originated with practicing Italian Catholics who were required to abstain from meat prior to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, which kicks of the Christmas celebration. And why the number seven? The origin of this tradition is shrouded in mystery, and it depends on who you ask. Some say the seven stems from the story in the Bible’s Book of Genesis, that God created the world in seven days. Others insist it links to the Catholic Church’s seven sacraments or the Bible’s seven virtues. Still others say it’s because the number seven is the most repeated in the Bible, appearing more than 700 times. In the end, it seems to be anyone’s guess.
Although Tresilla Robino passed away in 1969, her eponymous restaurant has stayed in the family and today is owned by granddaughter Robin Robino Mabrey and her second cousins Andrea Minuti Wakefield and Joseph Minuti, all of whom are handson in the restaurant’s operation. They are proud to have been featured on The Food Network’s Diners Drive-Ins and Dives TV program and are regularly ranked in the top favorites locally.
“We’re gratified that Mrs. Robino’s remains family owned and a cornerstone of the Little Italy neighborhood,” says Mabrey, “as well as a destination eatery for fans of Italian food.”
Long in advance of the holiday, calls start coming in for reservations for the Christmas Eve extravaganza. One family even called in March to reserve their table. Groups of as many as fifteen gather to eat family style or call in to order up Christmas Feast takeout. And the regulars can be counted on to order “the usual”.
Mark Rizzo of Wilmington, a longtime patron, is one of those regulars. When asked why diners are so loyal, he said that he keeps coming back because it’s tradition, a family tradition, to eat at Mrs. Robino’s. “They make you feel like family”, he said, adding that both his father and grandfather have been coming to the restaurant for more than thirty years. They are among the patrons pictured in the many photos of customers posted prominently on the wall along with Robino family photos.
Mrs. Robino’s has that kind of feel about it, vintage family style, with a welcoming, down to earth vibe, stemming from the days when recent immigrants walked the neighborhood to do errands, and all the conveniences were right there – butcher, baker, produce grocer – like an extended family according to Mabrey. It’s located at the heart of Little Italy, a vibrant, close-knit community with a rich history, such as the St. Anthony of Padua Church Annual Italian Festival that draws thousands each June to celebrate Italian culture through food and music.
The epic Christmas Eve seafood feast at Mrs. Robino’s showcases the sea’s bounty with dishes such as crab bisque topped with crabmeat, briny bites of littleneck clams steamed in a white wine sauce or, for the more adventurous, fried smelts. Italian mussels served in a massive pot delicately dressed with a choice of zesty red broth or white wine and garlic. Or served up as part of a cioppino-style seafood stew including clams, shrimp and calamari served with toasted Italian bread slices. Other entrees include sautéed shrimp parmigiana topped with crab sauce and melted provolone, and scallops, calamari, fish or lobster served over homemade pasta with a choice of tomato sauce or white garlic cream sauce seasoned with lemon.
After listing all the Mrs. Robino’s options for Feast of the Seven Fishes, Mabrey laughs when asked what the family prepares for its own Christmas Eve meal, replying “None, we’re usually too tired!”
Mrs. Robino’s Restaurant
520 North Union Street, Wilmington, Delaware
(302) 652-9223, Facebook
M-Th 11am-9pm, Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 12pm-9m
