Food and the holidays go hand in hand. At Christmas, my mother-in-law’s house has been the setting for more than 25 years of incredible Christmas dinners and general debauchery on the food front.

 

With COVID-19 Christmas approaching, I’ve yet to broach what is in store with my wife. All I am certain of is that things will be different for her relatively small house that takes an entirely different level of intimacy with about 60 people crammed into it.

 

That level of gathering is not going to happen. For that matter, for a woman who cooks for 60, I am not sure what menu modifications will be in place or what to expect.

 

To ease those concerns, I am going to think about Christmas dinners past. And I am going to think about one of the items that along with the ham, the casseroles, the incredible wings slow cooked in peppers and oil and that one thing is something I usually only eat at Christmas.

 

One of the hot food items that always gets a taste is the sausage and peppers. It is a staple of many Italian families at Christmas time. My mother, who married into the Romano family and cooks like she comes from the old country, does it right with the sausage and peppers.

 

The biggest reason she does it right is she has always known where to get her sausage. As an elected official for decades and a supporter of small business, she often splits it up. Oliverio’s Cash and Carry (now closed) and Marino Brother’s Deli (still open) in Glen Elk are favorites of hers as well as ours. Another our family visits regularly is one that will pump out easily more than a thousand pounds of sausage this holiday season.

 

Rollins Market, located on old Bridgeport Hill in the midst of the multiple car lots, has been dishing out sausage, and a whole lot of other items for decades. For those that may not know, the unassuming storefront with the food bonanza inside, is owned and operated by Bridgeport resident Denver Singleton.

 

He has been working there for more than 35 years, taking it over in the last 1990s. He purchased it from Rogers and Mazzie, Inc., who he said purchased it from Bridgeport’s Belcastro brothers in 1983.

 

The store has been around for some time. In fact, Singleton said this year is the 70^th anniversary, and some may already know that through contests where the business has been giving away food throughout the past several months.

 

With that bit of history out of the way, it is time to get back to the star of the blog – the sausage. Singleton said it is made three times a week and not just at Christmas.

 

“It’s made all year long for our customers and we also sell it to local restaurants,” said Singleton. “We step it up and sell a lot more at Christmas time. People love having their sausage and peppers at Christmas and we see them pairing it with Italian meats and cheeses.”

 

Singleton did not have a pause in his voice when saying the store will crank out about 1,000 pounds of sausage for the holiday season. He said it has happened for so long that the holidays are just other days on the calendar with an increase in traffic.

 

Let me be clear, here, about the sausage. And I am personally vouching for the statement I am about to make (I guess that should be crystal clear, but I digress).

 

It is fantastic. But how does it get that way? I have been to other parts of the state and other states, even countries, and had sausage. Nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to what is available here in Harrison County and North Central West Virginia with Rollins Market’s brand not taking a back seat to any of them.

 

“The number one thing is you start buy buying local meat, basically buying everything local and using all fresh ingredients. One thing we do is use natural casings and that makes a big difference. Once you have that, you put it all together,” said Singleton. “From start to finish, it’s about a five-hour process.”

 

The sausage concoction Singleton puts together was not done when he took over the store. Rather, it was learned when he was working for Joe Belcastro.

 

“I worked a lot of years with Joe and he taught me how to make it,” said Singleton. “He worked here even after the business was sold and he worked for me for about a year or so after I purchased it before he died. He was a wonderful man that would do anything for you and he always enjoyed this time of year and the Christmas rush. I always think about him when making sausage, but especially at this time of the year.”

 

Singleton, like so many other of our area’s fine establishments, knows what they produce is part of many family’s traditions. He said, because of that, no shortcuts are taken on quality and seeing people come back is the reward.

 

“We definitely appreciate it when we see the same people and hear about them enjoying sausage during the holidays. We take pride in what we do. You have to always be on your best not just because it is your business, but because there is a lot of good Italian sausage in our area. We’re just glad we have a lot of people that like ours," he said.

 

Singleton, like many small business owners, generally works crazy hours. When he is there, he tries to talk to – and thank – as many of his customers as possible. He also is thankful for the eateries that take advantage of his offerings.

 

“Without our loyal customers and without those restaurants, it would be tough on a small business,” said Singleton, who said all of their meat is fresh, local, and cut daily. “We’re thankful for that and I’m thankful also for my staff. We’ve got a lot of good workers, including some long-time employees who make all of this work.”

 

It all works. Every bit of it. And even if there is the possibility of a reduced menu without sausage and peppers this year, I would advise people to try Rollins Market or any other local small business that offers it in the area, including those owned by Bridgeport residents and those by folks beyond the city limits.

 

Trust me, it is that good.

 

Editor’s Note: Photos show Denver Singleton, the Bridgeport resident who owns and operates Rollins Market. Second photo shows Matt Policano, who owns Policano's Food and Drink and features the sausage on his menu. In the third photo is a dish of sausage peppers, made with larger pieces of sausage (some do it smaller), while some fresh sausage is shown below. Rollins Market is located, for GPS purposes at 1478 East Pike Street, Bridgeport Hill. The phone number is 304-622-7611, and the hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.