Chef Pat Alfiero, formerly of Oyster House, Royal Boucherie, and Nick Elmi’s ITV, and Melissa Pellegrino, a certified sommelier whose resume includes stints at Laurel and Fork, as well as the opening beverage director at the most recent iteration of Messina Social Club, opened their brick-and-mortar location of Heavy Metal Sausage Co. in April 2022.

The space opened primarily as a deli and specialty meat shop, with local sourcing being the primary mission. One can enjoy sandwiches, charcuterie, and various specialty meats for lunch or to-go, but now, Alfiero and Pellegrino are turning their popular South Philly location into much more than just a specialty deli.

Located at 1527 W. Porter Street at the corner of Mole and Porter Streets in South Philly, the 500 square-foot Heavy Metal Sausage Co. recently introduced Trattoria at Heavy Metal Sausage — a weekly, Thursday night BYOB dining series which offers four-course, family-style Italian-inspired dinners priced at $65 per person. There are two seatings: at 6 and 8 p.m., with only 12 seats spread between a few tables, a counter, and in the kitchen.

“Our Trattoria dinners were always part of the plan. For us, it’s hopefully the final link in a system to promote sustainability and avoid food taste. It also scratches the restaurant itch that Melissa and I both have,” Alfiero said. “We’ve hosted several dinners this fall, and we have been selling out every week. We really love the intimate feel that our dinners have maintained.”

Trattoria dinners are currently scheduled for every Thursday in December, and Alfiero and Pellegrino said that not only will January dates go up soon, but they plan on adding additional nights beginning in February. December will also feature four additional nights of festivities, as Heavy Metal Sausage Co. will host four Feast of The Seven Fishes dinners from December 20-23, with two seatings each night, featuring 13 dishes and dessert served family style at $100 per person. For New Year’s Eve, Heavy Metal Sausage will host a six-course steakhouse-inspired dinner with cider pairings from Dressler Estate. There will be two seatings, at 5:30 and 9 p.m., and the price is $250 plus tax and gratuity per person, which includes all beverage pairings. Reservations for all dinners can be purchased here.

In addition to their Trattoria dinners, Alfiero and Pellegrino have big plans for the holiday season. Beginning in December, they will have a stall at the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market the first and third Saturday of every month, and on Sundays at Headhouse Farmers’ Market.

For Christmas, customers can purchase a special pâté en croute Tourte de Noël made only during this time of year. Christmas pre-orders — including charcuterie and cheese boards — are available now. They also have gift cards, limited edition t-shirts, and merch available along with other locally-made items that make the perfect gift.

Heavy Metal Sausage Co. offers house-made deli meats, charcuterie & sausages, locally sourced cheeses, sandwiches, salads, soups, Vellum St soaps, and other locally sourced provisions Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All but a handful of ingredients are locally sourced. All sandwiches are made on fresh, house-baked bread. Sandwiches are also available for delivery via DoorDash during lunch hours.

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