Todd Varallo, the fourth generation owner of Varallo’s Chile Parlor and Restaurant

Varallo's, Nashville's oldest restaurant, turns 100 years old today. Chili launched the century-long success.

Frank Varallo Sr., a traveling violinist from Viggiano, Italy, opened the eponymous restaurant in 1907 poised on the secret bean soup recipe given to him by a family he stayed with while bowing his way through South America. Varallo designated his spicy creation, "chile."

Frank Jr. took over after his father's death, back in 1929 when a bowl of chile was only 15 cents. The junior Varallo hand-typed the menus every morning and made a reputation for himself by writing a "thought of the day" at the bottom of each — phrases like "Education is what you get when reading the small print," which became known as "Thoughts from The Bottom of a Chili Bowl."

The fourth generation Todd Varallo mans the helm now. Frank Jr. asked his grandson to come aboard shortly after he graduated from high school, and Todd never looked back.

No fluke lasts a century, so you can put your money on this no thrills cafeteria. At Varallo’s, there are no fancy decorations or gourmet ingredients, just the promise of unforgettable soul food — turkey and dressing, fried catfish, barbecue pork, country-fried steak, meatloaf, Italian-style meatballs, fried chicken, and that's just the meat dishes.

Amid the bustle of the downtown crowd moving through the cafeteria line is Todd Varallo, patting customers' backs, teasing friends, bending for papers dropped by businessmen or sifting flour for his homemade pancakes.

What foods were you raised on?

If we went to my grandmother's, we had homemade lasagna and meatballs. Her lasagna was a great thing; I loved it most. We grew up on my grandfather's chili. Italian spaghetti, meatloaf, steaks. I am a chocolaholic. I love chocolate cake. We had a garden, so my mom always made fresh vegetables. And, she made this homemade bread that was delicious.

What is your earliest memory in the kitchen?

The first thing I ever made was a pound cake. It was my grandmother's recipe, and I remember it came out halfway decent. My grandfather said if you ever wanted to make any money you had to know how to cook, so he sent me back in the kitchen with Johnny [the cook], who had been back there for 60 years. He said, 'I won't teach you, but you can watch.' He didn't have any recipes so I'd write down about how much I thought was going in there, then after Johnny retired I took over. My grandmother had to help me a whole lot, too. She taught me her homemade banana pudding, her spaghetti sauce, homemade chicken and dumplings from scratch, her own recipe for pancake batter.

What made you follow in the family business?

It was just one of those things I grew up in. I got married young, I was going to school part time, and my grandfather came to me and he asked me to give it a try, and I said, 'Sure, I'll try,' and the rest is history. I enjoyed working with my grandparents and with the customers because of their personalities. I wouldn't like a desk job. Here, every day is different and they pass by fast. My grandfather taught me how to run the business. My bookkeeping is still the same way he set it up and taught me. I don't have a computer, I still do it all by hand the way he did it.

What are your favorite memories working with your grandparents?

My grandfather always told stories when we were working. Something would happen that would remind him of something in the past. He'd wear these old, hard-tipped shoes and when he'd get mad at me he'd kick me in the shins to straighten me up.

One time, when we were really busy, my grandfather shot a spitball at my grandmother who was running the cash register. There was a bowl of mints, and she picked up a whole handful of them and threw them at him and knocked his hat off.

What dish are you most proud of?

The chile. That's what got the whole thing started — it's what we are known for. It's a bean chili — not Texas style. There are 11 different spices in there, and it’s the combination that makes it different.

What is your favorite ingredient?

Garlic and white pepper.

What is your favorite kitchen tool?

A skimmer. It's round and has holes all in it. When you are getting beans and things out of your pot, you don't get too much juice.

What is your favorite cookbook?

I don't have one. We recently shut down to remodel the kitchen and get all new appliances, and I was worried because I have everything in my head and I do it repetitiously and I was afraid I had forgotten some things.

Cooking tip?

Don't rush things. That's why I get here at 3 a.m. — things need to cook. Let them cook. If you do them off too early, they don't taste right.

What's in your home refrigerator?

Steaks and hamburgers for grilling.

What's in your CD player?

I have the box set of Led Zeppelin and Nickelback.

What do you eat on a normal day?

Every day I sample the chile, make sure it's good. Usually I sample things and then I am full. Then I get cravings. I'll have to make a pancake, or an omelet or biscuits and gravy — it's homemade sausage gravy from my grandfather's recipe.

What would you never eat?

I'll never eat boiled okra, never ever, ever.

What's your guilty food pleasure?

I can sit down with a whole bag of chocolate chip cookies and milk, and I won't get up until they are all gone. And chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins. When it goes on sale, I'll sit down and eat a whole quart.

Any kitchen horror stories?

I've got many of them. I have a new stove so the oven cooks differently. We opened back up [after the renovations and remodeling] on a Wednesday, when we are supposed to have meatloaf. With the new oven — needless to say we didn't have meatloaf on that first Wednesday because I burned it up.

What would your last meal be?

My grandmother's lasagna with her meatballs. She makes a salad with the homemade dressing — she chops it up real fine — and I love it.

If you weren't a restaurant owner, what would your dream job be?

I love woodworking. It would be something with construction or building furniture.

What is a little known fact about yourself?

I have an old Jeep, it's a CJ7. Keeping it running is an adventure. The other day I was baking out and the brakes went out.

Varallo’s Chile Parlor and Restaurant

239 Fourth Ave. North

256-1907