<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1BoE7L_19VH18Eh00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1BoE7L_19VH18Eh00" width="729" height="486" ><figcaption>1/3 The Spillette Family opened Sanguiche in Downtown Gresham, serving sandwiches and the flavors of Italy. (Staff photo: Christopher Keizur)</figcaption></figure>It all started with a dry rub.The Spillette family hosts legendary dinners, with the guest list capped at 30 people. During one of those meals, William “Billy” Spillette concocted an amazing spice blend to top his perfectly-cooked steak.The only problem was that he couldn’t remember what all went into it. After a week of eating ribs and taking meticulous notes, the secret blend was perfected and properly documented. It was so tasty, his daughter, Jacelle, gave a prescient review: “Dad, this is so good you could sell it.”“That was a lightbulb moment,” Billy said.So they bottled the blend, labeled it Dimepiece Rub, and set up a booth at the Gresham Farmers Market right when the pandemic struck — perfect timing for Billy, who had lost all his musician gigs due to social distancing.“I had to find something to do,” he said with a laugh.At first, their efforts at the market focused on the spice rub. They would grill bites of flank steak for folks to try, and they were getting rave reviews. That cultivated a seed within Billy. Growing up, his dad owned a sandwich shop, bar and pizzeria, so he had experience working in the food industry. He had always wanted his own place, but it was never the right time.So the Gresham Farmers Market proved the perfect testing ground. Last year, the family opened Sanguiche as a booth, serving sandwiches. It was a chance to dial in the menu, grow a customer base and do some word-of-mouth advertising. With that buzz swirling, they took the next step.Many of those happy customers kept asking about a brick-and-mortar restaurant, which planted the seed. Thus, when the perfect location became available, the Spillette family leapt into the next venture.“We saw this location was available in Downtown Gresham, and it was the perfect little spot for us to start at,” Billy said.“When our kids were younger, it was almost impossible to take this leap of faith,” added Francesca Spillette, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband. “Now we were finally ready to do this.”Sanguiche had a grand opening on Feb. 1 at 134 N.W. Third St., in Downtown Gresham. The menu features a large array of Italian sandwiches.“This place is a hidden gem,” Billy said. “Thank you to everyone who has followed us here — Gresham is the best man, it is such a supportive community.”“Everyone was so excited and happy for us,” Francesca added.What makes Sanguiche so special is not just the food, but how much family permeates throughout the intimate space. The hole-in-the-wall restaurant is co-owned by the couple, managed by the couple’s son, Giovanni, and daughter, Jacelle, who spends much of her time lending a hand.“We couldn’t have done any of this without the kids,” Billy said.All four of the Spillette kids help out at the restaurant, and the plan is to keep it in the family for a long time.“We are very fortunate to have gotten where we are,” Giovanni said. “We chose this spot here in Downtown Gresham because this is where it all started for us.”<h2>Flavors of Italy</h2>The spotlight at the newest Downtown restaurant is the sandwiches. The options are numerous, and many people have their own favorites.The classic Italian (Italian meats, mozzarella, veggies) is the No. 1 seller, and a pair of “sister sandwiches,” the garlic aioli turkey and basil pesto turkey, are popular. There are vegetarian and vegan options, and gluten-free bread.The shop has a sandwich named after the famed “Mr. Gresham.” It is the “Todd Capone” (marinated chicken breast, prosciutto, sauteed walnuts and garlic) named due to the similarity in appearance between Gresham’s Todd Kirnan and infamous gangster Al Capone — Todd, while he approves of the sandwich, is quick to assure he has never sent anyone to sleep with the fishes.There are also classic Reubens, chicken parm, and meatball sandwiches. And the pair of “Dimepiece” offerings, a steak sandwich and chicken/bacon, utilizing that famed spice rub.They offer beverages like Italian soda, espresso, and soft drinks, sides like zuppa Toscana soup and salad, and specialty Italian cakes and cookies. Breakfast sandwiches are served on croissants or bagels.And if you visit, make sure to circle Wednesday on your calendar (but get there earlier in the day). That is when Sanguiche has their freshly filled cannoli until supplies run out. Each week, they sell out of those delicious desserts, despite increasing supply time and time again.“We are an Italian family. We wanted to share that with the community,” Billy said.His family hails from the Campania region of Italy, while Francesca’s is from the island of Sardinia.“Most of the Italian culture you see here is pizza and big chain sub stores,” he said. “We wanted to give a little taste of our culture, where we come from, without it being a caricature.”“This is our comfort food,” Billy added.<h2>Community eatery</h2>Feeding people has been part of the Spillette’s DNA for decades.“Cooking for others has been their love language ever since we were young,” said Jacelle of her parents.It is also the story of their relationship. The couple met in a sandwich shop. Billy proposed during a huge Christmas Eve family gathering.“Maybe a future couple will meet in our sandwich shop,” Francesca said.The space is small. There are only a few tables inside and some outside seating. So sharing the space is encouraged.The saying at Sanguiche is: “We don’t make fast food, we make good food as fast as we can.”“This is not fast food, so be willing to relax and wait and have a chat with people,” Francesca said.The plan is to continue growing roots in the community. They are excited about the new brick-and-mortar location and love seeing familiar and new faces walk through the door. The farmers’ market stall will return this spring, though the menu will likely be scaled back.Right now, they are setting up a delivery system. They are also considering extending the hours into the evening.“We are just a small, family-owned and run business,” Billy said.“The important things are this is a passion, we do this because we love it,” Francesca said. “This is about sharing something. Good food and community.”<h2>Sanguiche</h2>Where: 134 N.W. Third St., in Downtown GreshamHours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wed.-Sun.Website: sanguicheshop.com</div></body>

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It all started with a dry rub. The Spillette family hosts legendary dinners, with the guest list capped at 30 people. During one of those meals, William “Billy” Spillette concocted an amazing spice blend to top his perfectly-cooked steak. The only problem was that he couldn’t remember what...

Downtown Gresham’s Sanguiche serves decadent sandwiches in intimate space

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It all started with a dry rub. The Spillette family hosts legendary dinners, with the guest list capped at 30 people. During one of those meals, William “B

Downtown Gresham’s Sanguiche serves decadent sandwiches in intimate space

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