Heroes come in two varieties: the kind one eats and the kind one honors. On East Main Street in Bogota, N.J., there is a place that celebrates both. Cleverly named My Hero, the business not only makes an outstanding hero sandwich, but also recognizes the individuals who serve our country and communities.
The shop’s owner, Kimberly Esperian, grew up in North Bergen and now resides in Oradell. She opened the business in 1999, shortly after her grandfather, Salvatore Sidoti, passed away. She named the business My Hero in dedication to him.
Sidoti served as a firefighter at North Bergen’s Engine Company Four for over 30 years. He was also a decorated World War II veteran who was widely known as a deeply caring man.
“He really was a hero in every sense of the word,” said Esperian, “and not just because he served in World War II and then as a firefighter – he always took a genuine interest in people and their well-being.”
The stories she tells about her grandfather clearly illustrate this heroism, such as the one where he rescued a woman from a burning building and then paid regular visits to the hospital to check up on her.
More heroes honored
Although Esperian named the business in tribute to her grandfather, one glance at the walls of this cozy sandwich shop tells a larger story.
Just as the military decorates its heroes, so too does Esperian decorate her shop’s walls. Over the past five years, she has filled nearly every square inch of wall space with memorabilia from local firefighters, police officers, and veterans. She also includes pieces from around the country and around the globe. Just below her grandfather’s World War II medal hang two Air Force patches, both donated by servicemen in Afghanistan. Across the wall sits a “Heroes Memorial,” a large plaque of wood, rope and seashells, donated by a sailor whom Esperian met in Florida.
Looking at the hundreds of items that decorate the shop’s interior, it’s hard to imagine that they were not always there.
“It started as just a small memorial to my grandfather – his World War II medal, his Firefighter’s patch – but over the years, people kept donating patches and other items, and before you know it, this collection started,” said Esperian, “I never planned it to be like this.”
She also didn’t plan to hang pictures of Superman, Spiderman, and even the Powerpuff Girls on her shop’s walls. Esperian feels these images fit in with the general theme of the business as well as reach out to the shop’s younger patrons, who often stop by after school. In fact, part of the shop’s charm lies in its owner’s ability to reach out to people both young and old. “It’s a real community place,” said Esperian.
Not all of Esperian’s experiences at the shop have been positive. Some have accused her of profiting from the recent “hero frenzy” that gripped the nation following the events of Sept. 11. Esperian is offended by these accusations. “I’ve honored these people all my life,” she said proudly, “and what’s more, I opened the shop in 1999, two years before the tragedy.”
Perhaps some of her grandfather’s firefighting ability has been passed on to Esperian. She aims to “extinguish” these “inflammatory” remarks before they arise with a sign she added. In large block letters, it reads: “Welcome to My Hero! Est. 1999.”
Despite the attention the shop has received for its hero theme, Esperian does not want people to overlook the one thing she values just as much as her grandfather’s memory: the food.
My Hero offers a large variety of sandwiches, soups, and fruit smoothies, most of which contain homemade ingredients. Several of these sandwiches, such as the aptly named “Superhero” and “Hogan’s Hero,” reflect the shop’s theme. Others, such as the highly recommended eggplant parmesan sandwich, seem no less worthy of heroic-sounding names.
But whether you visit My Hero to enjoy a delicious sandwich or to marvel at its memorabilia, you are sure to be met with a hero’s welcome.
My Hero is located at 121 E. Main St. in Bogota, NJ. It is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.