Philly Italian Pastas and Subs is a place where owner Howard Knepper goes out of his way to make sure his customers know that they come first. He laughed when he was told one of the reasons he was selected for this interview was because he loves to talk. The other reason was he runs a great business with great food. During the pandemic, it was a go-to place for Meal Train runs. They pack so much nutritious food into such a neat, deliverable package.

Knepper, however, said, “It’s all about the sauce. It’s the sauce that makes Italian restaurants Italian restaurants.” His marinara, however, is a cut above most stateside Italian restaurants’ because it is imported from Italy—not just Italy, but Sicily. “The climate in Southern Italy allows tomatoes and spices to grow differently and better tasting. You can rarely get the tomatoes to grow here,” he said.