Sad news from Ithaca, New York this week: Bob Petrillose passed away on December 9th. That name probably doesn't mean much to most of you, but Bob fed an entire generation of Ithaca College and Cornell University students with mouth-watering sandwiches that you could never forget if you tasted just once. The mystique surrounding his wonderful "Hot Truck," which parked on Cornell's west campus seven nights a week for 40 years, was awe-inspiring for students and visitors alike. Legend has it that he created the french bread pizza. Even if that ain't true, there's no denying that he perfected it...Click through for an official account and many wonderful memories...
Dec. 10, 2008
Cornell mourns the passing of one of its legends,
'Hot Truck Bob'
By Anne Ju
For thousands of Cornell students and alumni who ever stood shivering in line at the Hot Truck, a legend has passed.
Robert C. Petrillose Sr., known to generations of patrons at Cornell as "Hot Truck Bob," died Dec. 8 in Elmira. He was 77. For 40 years until his retirement in 2000, Petrillose owned and operated the Hot Truck on Stewart Avenue, where he served hot subs seven nights a week from 10 p.m. until as late as 5 a.m.To the Cornell community, Petrillose was a familiar and friendly figure on many a late night when a Hot Truck sub was the only thing that would satisfy. Hungry, stressed-out college students relished the taste of quirky menus items. To name a few: the Poor Man's Pizza (French bread with tomato sauce and cheese), the MBC (French bread with two homemade meatballs, tomato sauce and cheese), and the Krazy Korean (garlic bread with homemade hot sausage, mushrooms, hot peppers and onions).
Remembrances of Petrillose and the Hot Truck piled up on Facebook at the news of his passing. One alumnus described how, five years after graduation, he proposed to his girlfriend at the base of Fall Creek and took her to Hot Truck afterward to celebrate.
"Took [the subs] back to our room and had one of the most memorable meals ever. I've owned restaurants for nearly 20 years and I still look to Hot Truck as a model of efficiency and customer service -- Where else would you stand in a foot of snow for 90 minutes in the middle of the night?" he wrote.
Petrillose started his career in the family restaurant, Johnny's Big Red Grill in Collegetown, where he was the chef and manager until 1981. He started his pizza truck business in 1960 while continuing his work at Johnny's. In four decades, Petrillose only missed a handful of nights.
After closing up in the pre-dawn hours, he would drive his truck home and immediately begin cleaning it and scrubbing his pans until they shone. After a few hours of sleep, he would wake and start grinding cheese, processing sausage and preparing vast quantities of meatballs. In his spare moments, Petrillose enjoyed working on his collection of antique cars and boating on Cayuga Lake with his old wooden Chris-Craft cruiser.
In the late 1990s, Petrillose was inducted into the Quill and Dagger Society, a non-scholastic honor society recognizing exemplary Cornell undergraduates. Petrillose was one of just a few non-Cornell students to receive the honor.
Petrillose was born Nov. 17, 1931, the son of the late John W. Petrillose Sr. and Ruth Goff Petrillose. He was a lifelong resident of Ithaca until his retirement. Since that time, he and his wife of 57 years, Sharon Follett Petrillose, had lived in Elmira. He is survived by his wife, sister, brother, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Friends are invited to call at McInerny Funeral Home at Water and Walnut streets in Elmira, Friday, Dec. 12, from 4 to 7 p.m. The funeral service will be held Saturday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 1054 W. Clinton St., Elmira. Interment will follow at noon in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Ithaca.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to a scholarship, which can be mailed to The Robert C. Petrillose Scholarship Fund, c/o Tompkins Trust Co., Attention Sue Lason, P.O. Box 460, Ithaca, NY 14851.
I have so many wonderful memories of Hot Truck that I almost don't know where to begin. It's a sin for a writer to use such a phrase, but in this case it's very true.
I discovered Hot Truck in the spring of my sophomore year at Ithaca College-- that was 1993, just before The Last Action Hero tanked and Jurassic Park became a smash (all of my memories revolve around movies). We all know how prone I am to complaining, but trust me when I say that nights spent at Ithaca in the wintertime are a merciless immersion in relentless brutality. It regularly snows in Ithaca from mid-October through mid-April, and there are stretches of weeks when you don't even see the sun. It's cold-- fucking cold-- during the day, but the nighttime breeze feels like daggers spiking your skin in a determined effort to stop your pitiful heart. Only insane college kids, drunk on youth and blinded by optimism, could survive such a thing.
I have no clue how I survived before Hot Truck.
The Hot Truck couldn't be more simple: It was just a truck with a couple pizza ovens in the back. Bob would assemble the sandwiches and toss them in the ovens, and a random student-- rarely the same one for any serious stretch of time-- would take orders and keep order. There were almost always crowds anticipating the truck's arrival, and it would frequently take up to 90 minutes to get to the front of the line.
Once you arrived at the front, you had to deliver your order in an arcane code that must've felt to an outsider like you were giving a secret password at a speakeasy. The Hot Truck "dictionary," a little paper booklet, was given to newcomers so that you could properly articulate your wishes for Bob.
Here are the exact contents of that dictionary, including the introduction:
Original dictionary compiled by Ira Bernstein, CU Class of '75
Since 1960, Johnny's Pizza Truck, operated by Bob Petrillose, has been serving delicious hot and cold subs and fresh hot pizza. In preparation of his subs, Bob uses homemade meatballs and homemade sausage made from original Petrillose family recipes. What has come to be known as "The Hot Truck" began as Johnny's Pizza Truck. Bob's father Johnny Petrillose, Sr., founder of Johnny's Big Red Grill, allowed Bob to begin operating the pizza truck in March of 1960 in order to expand the restaurant's services.
Originally, Bob's menu had hamburgers, hot dogs, soda pop and pizza by the slice. He soon realized that selling pizza by the slice often meant serving an inferior product, so he decided to put the pizza topping on butterflied lengths or French bread. It became a a great success. So successful, in fact that the idea was copied by Stouffer's kitchen. Bob named this first hot sub a "Poor Man's Pizza", subsequently dubbed the PMP and later trademarked. Then he added meatballs to the PMP's and the meatball, cheese and tomato sauce sub was dubbed "MBC" (Meatball and Cheese).
This peculiar terminology was to become a unique menu. The most famous sub on the menu today is the "Suicide" or "Sui" for short. This sub is comparable to a pizza with everything on it - tomato sauce, cheese, sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni and spices. It is a palate's delight. Since these subs are found only at the "Hot Truck" this little dictionary of truck terminology is offered to help alleviate some of the confusion.
The "Hot Truck" is located every night on the 600 block of Stewart Avenue behind Cornell's West Campus dorms. Come on down for a snack to relieve those munchies, or to just say hi to Bob. If you're not hungry, you can always get a friendly word. No charge. It's all part of the great service. One thing is for sure, you won't be alone!
The Hot Truck Menu
* The Suicide ("Sui"): Feeling depressed? We've got the sub for you- a "Full Sui" made on a half loaf of garlic bread. First, some tomato sauce; then we add homemade sausage, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni and bake to perfection. What a sandwich! Eat it in good health.
Not that hungry? Ask for a "Half-Sui". Despite what The name implies, it is not half of a Full sui. The Half-Sui is made on one-third of a loaf of French bread.
So you think a Full-Sui is just a snack? Take a Full-Sui and add three homemade meatballs and you have a "Triple Sui."
* MBC: one of Bob's own creations. Two homemade meatballs with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese on one-third loaf of French bread. Tomato sauce, of course! Baked in magic ovens until golden brown. Well maybe the edges get burnt n little. No charge for the extra heat. The "Triple MBC" or "TMBC" is on a half-loaf and has three meatballs.
* Poor Man's Pizza: The PMP, created to replace slices of pizza. When asked what a PMP is, we might say "bread, sauce and cheese."That's what it is. One-third loaf - a nice light snack when the books get to be too much. A little heavier snack is the "Double PMP" No,it's not twice the size. It's made on one-half loaf. The PMP is also not twice the price.
and there's more ...
Check out these other great Hot Truck subs!
RaRa: The RaRa is a delicious combination of a roast beef sub with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese added and cooked to perfection in our ovens.
ReRe: The ReRe is again a roast beef sub with sausage and mozzarella cheese added.
RoRo: The RoRo is a roast beef sub once again with mushrooms and mozzarella cheese added.
HaHa: The HaHa is a delicious combination of hot ham and swiss cheese sub with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese added.
HeHe: The HeHe is again a hot ham and swiss cheese sub with sausage and mozzarella cheese added.
HoHo: The HoHo is a hot ham and swiss cheese sub with mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.
Indy: The Indy is a delicious Hot sub! This sub consists of homemade hot sausage, pepperoni, onion and cheese on garlic bread.
WGC: Wet garlic bread and tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese. The WGC has less cheese than a double PMP.
Mobey: the Mobey is a wonderful sandwich for those of you with real hunger pains! The Mobey is a sandwich consisting of ham, swiss cheese, two meatballs, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.
Mobey Delight: Then again, if the above does not fulfill your needs, try the Mobey Delight. This sandwich is a blend of roast beef, ham, swiss cheese, pepperoni, three meatballs on a half-loaf of garlic with mozzarella cheese.
Krazy Korean: For those of you with a thirst fora HOT sandwich, this one's for you! The Krazy Korean consists of Bob's homemade hot sausage, mushrooms, hot peppers, and onion all on garlic bread! (After eating, consult your physician!)
Sep Pep: The Sep Pep is a sub consisting of a Double PMP on garlic with mushrooms and pepperoni.
Tuna Surprise: Tuna sub with sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni, cheese and a meatball as a surprise.
Shaggy - Hot and Heavy: This delight is a quarter loaf of french bread with meatball, sausage, cheese, onion, garlic, red hot pepper and grease and garden.
Scooby: A shaggy with pepperoni instead of sausage.
Ken: What's a Ken you say? Why of course it is a sub on a third loaf of garlic bread with sausage, pepperoni, cheese, onion, lettuce, red hot pepper. Designed and eaten by Ken Mizoi.
W.T.F.: Whatever Bob feels like making for those of you who can't decide which sandwich to eat - and by the way, it is always the same price!
Guinea Pig: Try this delight! One half loaf of garlic bread with provolone cheese, salami, ham, two meatballs, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and link sausage - OH WHAT A FEELING.
Little Sicilian: Oh yes, we can do anything: one third loaf of garlic bread with meatballs, cheese, sausage and bar-b-que potato chips. Yes, that's right barbeque potato chips!
Mini-C: A quarter loaf of french bread, one meatball, sauce and cheese.
Chris: Quarter loaf with sauce, pepperoni, chopped sausage, cheese, onion, h&h, and g&g.
HSC: Link ltalian sausage and cheese on one third loaf of french bread.
RBC: Roast beef with sauce and cheese on a third loaf of french bread.
RB Surprise: One half triple Sui With roast beef on a third loaf of french bread.
"North Baker": Garlic bread with Bob's famous tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, mustard, sour cream & onion potato chips, lettuce. Cut in half.
"The Firm": 1/2 loaf garlic bread, link sausage, three meat balls, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, hot & liquid. Ingredients suggested by: Mr. Scott Hatherley, Mr. Daniel Wallitt, Mr.Daniel Freyman, Mr. Bradley Hopper.
A few more terms!!!
Once you have decided upon one of Bob's delicious concoctions,there are a few extra things you might need to know such as:
* "Run it through the garden" means to add lettuce to the sandwich.
* "Grease and garden" means that you want lettuce and mayonnaise added to your sandwich.
* "Liquid Heat" Cayenne pepper sauce.
* "Hot" - crushed red pepper.
* "Heavy" - garlic.
* "W" = wet - sauce added.
* "Sunshine" - mustard.
These aren't the only subs we have! These are the basics. New ones are always being created. You can have mushrooms on an MBC or pepperoni on PMP. Tell Bob your creation. He'll be glad to make it.
HEARTY EATlNG - SEE YOU SOON!
I don't know who this dude is, but I found this picture of him with a Hot Truck sandwich, and it will do better than a thousand words to describe the divinity of such a thing:
Yep, I ate that beast. Constantly. Sometimes at 11:30pm. Sometimes at 3am.
My sandwich depended on my mood, my courage, and how much room I had in my stomach. But the standard Hughish feast was a T-Sui, no mush, liquid heat and hot. I ordered a half-sui a couple times before I realized I was just setting myself up for heartbreak. Once in a while I'd order two and put one in the fridge for the next afternoon, because days were interminable when you were jonesing for Hot Truck.
Kory McMahon, Jonathan Harris, Jay Reese, John Halecky, Dave, Cupcake, Eric, Juliana, Michelle and beautiful Julie, one of my greatest loves and certainly my deepest heartbreak, all accompanied me on so many wonderful visits to Hot Truck. Once or twice I even went alone.
All of my friends from Philadelphia experienced Hot Truck as well-- when they came to visit, we'd merrily make our way over there, drunk as skunks, after nights on the town (if you could call Ithaca's collection of shacks that served as apartments and bars a "town"). For Bill, Jay, Kevin and my beloved best friend Derek, who passed away shortly after we graduated college, Hot Truck became a mecca they'd visit as often as possible. It was a great way to lure them into the four-hour drive from Philly.
One night my place in the Circle Apartments, north of Ithaca College's campus, our Philly bud Jerry passed out early and woke up to find that his sandwich had been stolen (Derek and I greedily split it, on top of our own T-Suis).
Jerry got us back by pissing on Derek's head later that night. And Derek slept right through it.
Ah, college.
When the nights were particularly wicked, there'd be less of a line at Hot Truck, and sometimes students were invited to wait inside the truck as their orders were cooked. I can still feel the warmth of the pizza ovens and swoon over the blissful smell as it seeped into my thick purple parka.
I always yelled a thank you at Bob when I left with my sandwich, but I never introduced myself or asked how to become one of his order-taking minions-- although I think there was a rule that they had to be Cornell students. But I just didn't want to spoil the experience.
Hot Truck didn't come without consequences. You just weren't right for the rest of the night, and your next trip to the bathroom was often full of fire and brimstone. We'd frequently experience "Hot Truck Hallucinations," which consisted of feverish nightmares that were all too real to deny. One morning after a full T-Sui, I woke up to seven empty cans of Arizona Iced Tea next to my bed, but I didn't remember drinking them. That led to a deep, blistering heartburn for three full days and a frantic run to Wegman's in a desperate search for antigas meds. I spent that trip hiding from Julie, who yelled through the store that I needed something to make me fart.
And I was back at Hot Truck that very night.
Some nights I would shiver in my car as the sandwiches were cooked. Sometimes I couldn't even wait to get home, and I'd freeze some more while I ate. I'd drag along anyone I could find to go with me, and often bump into other friends there. I'd negotiate with myself about what I was going to try that time. I'd eat the remainder of my sandwich cold the next morning. I'd lament the accidental inclusion of mushrooms when my "no mush" mandate wasn't followed.
And I'd get so excited when Bob smiled at me.
While daydreaming about Hot Truck during the long, lonely and hungry afternoons, we'd often wonder what it was like to do the same job every monotonous day for such an unimaginable stretch-- 1995, my last year at Ithaca, was Bob's 35th year on the truck. That meant he started the daily grind 13 years before I was born. We'd try to imagine what it was like to churn out homemade meatballs and sausages every day. Repetitive? Exhausting? Boring?
But the man had hungry kids to feed, and he was never going to let us down. You couldn't help but gaze in awe at such a work ethic.
The cold darkness of Ithaca rings so loudly in my memory, but there were other times-- early or late in the school year-- when the night was warm and you could lay on the hill and stare up at the stars while eating your piping hot sandwich. I remember vividly the last time we ever went to Hot Truck, nearly a dozen of us, in May 1995. Some of the crew had just returned from the Los Angeles internship, and we were getting ready for senior week and preparing to say goodbye to Hot Truck and Ithaca-- the town and the college. We promised each other that we'd come back, if only just for Hot Truck, but we never did.
In 2000, Bob sold the Hot Truck recipes to Shortstop, the local 24 hour deli, and his sandwiches are still available if you're ever in Ithaca, NY (and if you are, I feel sorry for you). Of course it won't be the same, but aren't all truly great things fleeting by their very nature?
I was sad to hear that Bob had passed, but I think his was a life very fulfilled by so many devoted and hungry students. I'm proud to have been one of them.
If there is a Heaven, I'll bet Derek is laying on one of its hills right now, staring up at the warm sky and eating a Hot Truck sandwich...
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