Cardullo's

Years

1950 – present

Location

6 Brattle St., Harvard Square

Profile

Gourmet Shoppe

 

 

History

On April 1st, 1950, Frank N. Cardullo set out to fill a niche supplying quality foods for the neighborhood's international community. Imported and gourmet foods, a deli counter, oyster bar, and fine wines became the staples of Cardullo's. It was originally located across the street, overlooking the square, when JFK St. was called Boylston. Although the oyster bar is gone, the narrow isles, tall shelves, signage, and old details make the shop a charming throwback to the old days. An old Woolworth's diner counter and an old-school checkerboard-tiled cafeteria called Albiani's operated on the same block for years, ice cream parlors and restaurants have come and gone but Cardullo's has remained, run by the same family. If you can find it, look for further tidbits in 1990's Peeking Through the Hole of a Bagel or Behind a Hot Pastrami: The Life and Times by Frank N. w/Elena S. Whiteside Cardullo.

Photo courtesy of the Cambridge Historical Commission