Everything but the Bread
A NOTE FROM THE WRITER: disKCovery has declared this year to be “The Year of the Pit”. This is the latest installment of a wide selection of articles, essays, and rankings devoted to a year-long deep dive into Kansas City barbeque. This may seem to be an unusual deviation but still, it’s an important part of the story. To see the rest of the 2Q23 series, click HERE.
No platter from Joe’s Kansas City is complete without a couple slices of buttered, toasted Roma bread. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
Published October 16, 2023
In four short years, Harp Barbecue has seen a number of changes. Originally, the craft ‘que concept was a bit of a secret, tucked away in Raytown, operating as a weekend pop-up in the back of Crane Brewing. While the advance-order and sell-out models were both relatively new concepts to Kansas Citians, the quality of Harp’s Texas-inspired meats and artisan-made sides were enough to get locals on board. Harp’s incredible house-made recipes saw their popularity only continue to grow. So, last fall, when the opportunity to open a standalone restaurant that kept them in Raytown was there, Harp had to take it.
The new iteration of the business brought its own changes to the menu and offerings. A menu that had sold meat by the pound shifted to a more traditional line-up of sandwiches and platters. What did not change, was Tyler Harp’s recipes and his commitment to making EVERYTHING in-house. Well, almost everything. “We have a saying,” Harp reminds me. “We make everything but the bread.”
The original concept had no need for buns or breads. As a restaurant, both are a necessity. So for a craft barbeque purveyor who painstakingly curates every meat, rub, sauce, side, accoutrement, and ingredient in his menu, what bread could possibly meet Harp’s standard? “Roma was always the one I wanted,” Harp says. “Roma’s the only bun we’ve used.”
While Harp’s approach to barbeque in Kansas City is unique, his choice of breads is far from it.
In many ways, both literal and figurative, Roma Bakery is the common thread that holds most of Kansas City barbeque together. They supply bread and buns to the majority of the metro’s BBQ joints. It’s hard to find a barbeque place that doesn’t use them! In fact, you could say that Roma’s breads and buns are the most offered barbeque side in the city. "I never really thought about it,” Mike Wagers of The Rub Bar-B-Que in Olathe admits, “but that has to be true. You have to wonder how much of that business is barbeque because I can’t think of a place that doesn’t use them.”
Wagers isn’t wrong. Hidden in plain sight, Roma’s products are the BBQ Capital’s wallflower. They are the actor that appears in every movie, but never plays a large enough role for anyone to learn their name. The stories of Kansas City’s major players, and the pitmasters who create our most well-known fare, are well-documented. But what of the local bakery who makes a cameo on nearly every platter and in nearly every sandwich? What’s their story?
The Brisket Philly from Taste of Kansas City BBQ & Grill utilizes the white bread hoagie from Roma Bakery. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
While Roma Bakery proudly proclaims “Since 1923” on all of their packaging, their story goes back even further. In fact, the Italian bakery has likely been a part of this city for just as long as our barbeque. “The bakery was well-established and had been there for a while when our family bought it [exactly 100 years ago],” Carl Quarrato told me. Quarrato is one of three local operators of Roma Bakery, along with his cousins John Filardo and Carl Filardo.
As the story goes, in 1921, three men, Joseph Filardo, his cousin Joseph Cusamano, and his brother-in-law Jack Binaggia all emigrated from Italy to the United States and made their way to Kansas City. Two years later, when a small, two-story bakery in, what is now, the Columbus Park neighborhood went up for sale, the cousins saw an opportunity to support their families and serve a growing Italian community. Although none of them had any experience baking, they realized the community’s need for traditional Italian pastries and breads that would remind those emigrating to Kansas City of home. So they purchased the little brick building and named it for the capital city of their beloved homeland, and Roma Bakery was born.
Originally both a grocery and bakery, Roma’s products grew in popularity to the point that the family-owned business began to strictly focus on the baking. Soon, Roma’s breads become a mainstay on the shelves of grocery stores throughout the city. They also developed an important relationship with this city’s Italian restaurants.
“We’ve been around for 100 years,” Quarrato explained, “but for two-thirds of that we were an Italian bakery, focused on Italian restaurants.” He continued, “We have always done well in groceries and are lucky to have so many people who buy our products, but we have always been about the restaurants.”
While Roma concentrated on restaurants, and grew up right along side the city’s barbeque restaurant scene, there was not any sort of real relationship between the two. Roma was still a business offering a limited selection of traditional Italian offering that catered to, primarily, Italian restaurants.
And for Roma Bakery, this model worked out well for the family for several decades. Business was good and the bakery was passed down to a new generation, Joseph Filardo’s son Marco. In 1990, Marco sold Roma to his sons John and Carl, as well as their uncle, Mike Quarrato (Carl Quarrato’s father).
Then in 1992, it all went up in smoke when a fire destroyed the original bakery. The family soldiered on, building their current facility on the other side of the Missouri River. Shortly thereafter, they forged a unique partnership with Rotella’s Italian Bakery out of Omaha, Nebraska. The Rotellas had been searching for a way to expand their own distribution. “After the fire in 1992, we got connected with Rotella’s through some mutual friends and that really helped us get back on our feet,” Quarrato explained.
“We make everything but the bread.”
Expanding on that, John Filardo said, “When we joined up with Rotella, it really expanded our product profile. Hamburger buns, white-sliced breads, and other things came. We weren’t just Italian breads and hard rolls anymore.” John did continue that prior to the Rotella partnership, Roma had been actively working to broaden their product line and reach. They had even introduced a hamburger bun. However, what Rotella’s brought to the equation in terms of these products was a better fit for Roma’s current and desired customers.
With a rapidly growing catalog and a new century approaching, it only seemed natural for Roma to expand their clientele. “Our restaurant business exploded in the late nineties when we began working with the Rotellas,” Quarrato said. The introduction of hamburger buns made targeting burger spots a no-brainer. Being in Kansas City, barbeque was similarly obvious.
The question of whether Roma first sought out barbeque restaurants, or the other way around, seems to be a “chicken or the egg” type question. “It’s hard to know how it began, but it goes both ways,” as Filardo tells it. “We wanted to be a part of barbeque, but also people here know to call Roma Bakery.”
There is just something about the sturdy but soft Roma buns that makes them so perfect for both the new-school BBQ joints and iconic spots like Gates Bar-B-Que. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
When asked, neither Quarrato nor Filardo could say with confidence which barbeque restaurant was the first to work with them. As the pair speculated, it seemed that Smokehouse Barbecue or Jack Stack may have been the one, but neither was certain if it was them, or another spot. However, both were in complete agreeance and did not hesitate, when asked about their biggest impact on Kansas City’s barbeque scene.
“I think it has to be the Z-Man,” Quarrato said. Filardo agreed. “When [Joe’s Kansas City] decided to do the Z-Man, that was our bun. It was our Kaiser roll from the get-go.”
Ryan Barrows, Vice President for Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, confirmed it. “[Roma] were the first to really help Joe’s with a Kaiser bun that worked perfectly for the Z-Man.” Eventually, Joe’s expanded that relationship with Roma for all their bread and bun needs. Barrows said that Joe’s has, “used Roma bread exclusively for about ten years.”
That was around the same time that Hostess, or Wonder Bread, ceased operations in Kansas City. Roma was already working with a large number of BBQ joints before that closure. Between that, and the boom of new BBQ joints in the city over that time, Roma’s usage in barbeque escalated over the past decade. It can be estimated that two-thirds of the city’s barbeque restaurants, joints, stands, trucks, and pop-ups utilize breads and buns from the Roma catalog.
“Gates, Jack Stack, Joe’s, Zarda, Slap’s, Hawg Jaw, Smokehouse, Brobeck’s, Q39, LC’s, Snead’s, Bates City, Johnny’s …” As Quarrato continued to rattle off nearly 30 BBQ joints they work with, without breaking a sweat, even he was amazed by the number. And still? He admitted, “I know I missed quite a few.” Quarrato revealed that their popularity in barbeque is not limited to the restaurant scene. “We have a real presence out at the American Royal [World Series of Barbecue] too.”
For those who know, Roma’s products have become synonymous with Kansas City barbeque.
When first approached and asked about their wide usage in the barbeque scene, Quarrato chalked it up to, “A lot of these places feature sandwiches. We have a quality product that holds up to the barbeque sauce and juicy meats.” A number of local pitmasters seem to agree with Quarrato’s assessment.
“We loved that it could be firm enough to be handled when we buttered it and ran it through the toaster, but still had a great soft texture for our sandwiches … having a consistent bun that goes well with [Joe’s] barbeque is really important,” Ryan Barrows said. The Executive General Manager for Joe’s, Jerry Taylor, expressed a similar sentiment, “Roma bread is the perfect fit for us. It’s dense enough to hold the sandwich together while eating but not so dense that the flavors of the meat get lost in the bread.”
Joel Bremer, owner of Danny Edwards BLVD BBQ, likes Roma bread, “because it is a high quality bread. It holds up well to the sauce and has a great taste.” At Danny Edwards, their signature sandwich, the Big D Special, utilizes Roma’s marble rye as a key ingredient. The softness and flavor of the bread combined with smoked sirloin point, Swiss cheese onion rings, and sauce makes it one of the best sandwiches in the city.
The most popular sandwich on Danny Edwards’ menu, the Big D Special, utilizes Roma’s marble rye. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
Tyler Harp, of Harp Barbecue, expressed, “Honestly, there’s nothing about it that doesn’t work. You need buns that are structured to hold up to the barbeque. You need a sturdy bun to hold up to a pulled pork sandwich and Roma not only had one, they had three to four for us to choose from.” The variety of offerings has been a hallmark of Roma Bakery for the past 30 years and is important to this city’s barbeque establishments.
“They have so many forms of good, different barbeque buns,” explained Harp. In a city that is known for its diversity of barbeque offerings, it is no surprise that there is a need for a myriad of bread offerings.
“[With Roma] We went from having ‘a bun’ to having the best bun in town!”
James Huey, of Northtown’s F325 BBQ, shared Harp’s sentiment. “Roma has everything we needed. We wanted a brioche for all of our sandwiches and theirs is great.” One offering that is unique to F325 is their Bar-B-Cuban sandwich. A Kansas City twist on the traditional Cuban, it features smoked ham, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, pickle, barbeque sauce, and mustard. “Roma actually has a Cuban baguette, not just a traditional baguette. That was so important for what we wanted to do with this sandwich.” Huey had a vision for his restaurant and being able to have a one-stop shop for all his bread needs is a godsend.
John Kennebeck, owner of 3Halves Brew Pub & BBQ in Liberty also appreciates that Roma has the right type of buns for their menu. “The spongy hamburger buns hold up well to a juicy [smash]burger, without falling apart in your hand.” A barbeque place first and foremost, 3Halves’ varied menu carries with it a number of needs.
While Filardo and Quarrato take a lot of pride in their Italian roots and the traditional Italian breads they offer, they know that some of their “newer” products have seemed to fit this city’s barbeque scene. “Going back 10 to 15 years, our brioche bun has been big. It’s exploded,” Filardo had to say. “The white bread and white bread buns are big but the brioche bun with the shine really sticks out,” said Quarrato.
“The brioche roll is a fantastic choice for our BBQ sandwiches. They’re incredibly fresh and add a subtle sweetness to our savory BBQ,” Kennebeck of 3Halves said.
“Our favorite product that [Roma carries] will be the 5 inch Brioche bun.” David Roberts of Shawnee’s Bates City BBQ shared that, “ We went from having ‘a bun’ to having the best bun in town for our sandwiches!” Shawnee’s Bates City BBQ is a newer customer for Roma. Having worked with them for the past two years. Roberts insisted that the night-and-day difference in the popularity of Bates City’s sandwiches before and after Roma was almost immediate.
At Harp Barbecue, the split-top brioche bun “with the shine” is the only choice for their pulled pork sandwich. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
For many of these local barbeque purveyors, doing business with other local companies is a top priority. Huey sought them out for F325 for that reason. “I specifically chose Roma Bread because I want to do as much local business as possible.”
For Jared Wolfe of Wolfepack BBQ, this is pivotal to his restaurant’s identity. “Roma Bakery, with its long-standing history in this city, embodies tradition and heritage. By sourcing our bread from Roma Bakery, Wolfepack BBQ pays homage to the rich culinary legacy of the region, connects with the community, and preserves a piece of Kansas City’s history.” Wolfe continued expressing the importance of dedication to community and the importance of small, local businesses growing one another.
Those at Roma Bakery feel the same way, with both Filardo and Quarrato expressing genuine excitement over the relationship between their bakery and so many of the city’s most historic and iconic barbeque joints.
Since Roma Bakery offers such a wide variety of superior products, and is both locally and family-owned, that alone would make them a fit for most of this city’s pits. However, in all of the conversations about the relationship between barbeque and Roma, every single pitmaster quickly changed the subject to the relationship with Roma. For as great and as fantastic as the breads and buns are, the level of service may be even better. For many, that makes such a partnership a no-brainer. It is likely the reason many of these places choose Roma most of all.
“I want to do as much local business as possible. ”
Before working at The Rub, Mike Wagers spent many years at Cascone’s who sourced many Italian offerings from Roma. In all of his time working in local restaurants he said, “Roma has always been very user friendly. They’ve just got the service side down.” When asked, multiple barbeque restaurants specifically called out how intuitive Roma is to their needs, and had glowing remarks surrounding the personal relationships they have with Roma’s representatives. Multiple restaurants shared their own stories of failing to place orders and Roma still showing up with exactly what they needed, when they needed it. Their ability to always have the right recommendation for new menu items also seemed to be a consistent theme.
Ryan Barrows of Joe’s described them as, “very reliable”, while Joel Bremer of Danny Edwards appreciates that, “they always get our order right.” Kennebeck of 3Halves added, “they really take the guess work out of this part of the business.”
Roma also takes a lot of guess work away from those who eat Kansas City ‘que. The patented combination of flexiblity, pillowy softness, durability, and one-of-a-kind flavor makes Roma’s offerings quite distinctive in terms of look, taste, and texture. Bags of bread and buns marked Roma or Rotella are a constant sight at counters and with to-go barbeque orders. And yet, the ubiquity of Roma’s usage in barbeque is not something that people tend to notice on a conscious level.
Still, it feels like on some level, when a Kansas City customer visits a new spot or orders a new sandwich, and sees their pulled pork or sliced brisket come out on a Roma bun, they know that it just looks the way Kansas City barbeque ought to. The sight of a familiar face from other beloved spots, assures a diner they’re in for a special treat.
Hidden in plain sight, Roma’s white bread is an entrant in several platters across town. Shown here is Slap’s BBQ. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
At its roots, Kansas City barbeque has always been about uniting families and communities over great food. Perhaps then, it is only logical that Kansas City’s First Family of baked goods, who has historic ties to the community, would be the bread of choice for the city’s barbeque scene.
The hallmark of Kansas City barbeque has always been that this city was not satisfied to only perfect its own style. It also has played with, and improved upon, the styles of other regions. Pitmasters here are constantly fusing together characteristics of all American barbeque regions, and a few international ones, to create something that is truly this city’s own. This city has been always been known for being one that offers everything, and for making everything very well. Perhaps then, in a scene that routinely brings together the likes of Texas, Memphis, and Carolina, the bakery that melds the traditions of Italy with those of KC is the logical choice.
In a local scene like Kansas City’s, that is known, above all, for a diversity of styles and offerings, it only makes sense to partner with a local bakery that has the variety of quality offerings needed to satisfy the needs of every single one.
“We wanted to be a part of [Kansas City] barbeque.”
Here in the Midwest, gracious hospitality and exceptional service are a point of pride. Treating others as if they were family is not only a courtesy, it’s an expectation. Perhaps then, it stands to reason that the family-owned company that has made this entire city part of their family for 100 years, is the right fit for KC’s barbeque.
When it comes to Kansas City barbeque, Roma Bakery is everywhere. It holds together every type of sandwich and is the foundation of a variety of platters in all corners of the metro. It seems to be one of those things that deep down every person knows, but that nobody really notices or talks about. That is, until you do. From that point on, you never stop noticing. It cannot be unseen. Like the sauces, cheesy corn, and the beef burnt ends, Roma Bakery’s buns and breads are an iconic part of what sets Kansas City’s barbeque apart from the rest of the world’s. The expectation is that smoked meat sandwiches will be served on Roma.
Every year, thousands of people travel to Kansas City with the intent of trying the best that the World Capital of Barbeque has to offer. The smoked meats that are toiled over by pitmasters for hours, amaze those who try them. The array of comforting, delicious sides that each proprietor makes with care always impresses. The variety of styles and flavors of house-made barbeque sauces can be quite overwhelming.
Those in Kansas City often take for granted what many not from here struggle to comprehend; that many of these barbeque restaurants create every single aspect of their entire menu within the same kitchen.
Well, almost everything.
“Everything but the bread,” Tyler Harp reminds me.
That much will probably always be true. Regardless of where a person chooses to eat barbeque in Kansas City, or what they choose to order, one thing is typically certain; when someone eats Kansas City barbeque, they will eat Roma.
Did you ever notice how prolific Roma Bread offerings are in Kansas City barbeque? What’s your favorite Roma product or usage in BBQ? As always, tell us in the comments!
