He was an Amsterdam original. It wasn’t just his cooking that drew generations of Rug City residents to his downtown diners, Tullio DeMartinis had that smile, that twinkle in his eye, and an amazing way of making everyone who walked into his eateries feel instantly welcome and at home. He came to our town in 1953 from his native Italy and began …

You can read the rest of this story in my new book “A Year’s Worth of Amsterdam Birthdays.” To order your copy, click here.