Sausage, soccer and suffering local World Cup madness

Bringing the Maryland Crab Cake Tour back to DiPasquale’s for an Italian tour of the holidays, we knew Darren The Sausage King would bring us some seasonal favorites. Nestor explores some East Baltimore holiday flavor at DiPasquale’s in Canton just in time for kielbasa and sauerkraut on the dinner table while talking World Cup fever with Highlandtown soccer legend Pete Caringi.

Nestor J. Aparicio hosts a radio show from DiPasquale’s in East Baltimore, discussing holiday traditions and sausages. He mentions upcoming events, including a Maryland Crab Cake Tour and a feast at Gertrude’s. Nestor shares his personal health experience with GBMC and his love for sauerkraut and kielbasa. Darren Paciocco, the “Sausage King,” showcases his specialty sausages, including Polish kielbasa, jalapeno and cheddar, and parsley sausage. The conversation shifts to the 2026 World Cup, with Nestor expressing disappointment over the host cities and ticket prices, while Pete Caringi remains optimistic about attending matches.

• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Try Darren Paciocco’s holiday sausages, including the jalapeno and cheddar, and the Polish kielbasa.
• [ ] Follow up on the 2026 FIFA World Cup and potentially attend matches in Philadelphia or other nearby locations.

East Baltimore Holiday Flavor at DiPasquale’s

• Nestor J. Aparicio introduces the show, mentioning the Maryland lottery and upcoming events, including a visit to Gertrude’s and Planet Fitness.
• Nestor shares a personal story about his colonoscopy and the importance of health screenings, mentioning GBMC’s role in his life.
• Nestor reminisces about his childhood in East Baltimore, mentioning his neighbors and their holiday traditions, including sauerkraut and kielbasa.
• Nestor and Pete Caringi discuss their holiday traditions, including the Feast of the Seven Fishes and the importance of family traditions.

Sausage Tasting and Holiday Traditions

• Darren Paciocco introduces various types of sausages, including kielbasa, jalapeno and cheddar, and parsley sausage.
• Nestor and Darren discuss the different sausages, with Nestor expressing his preference for kielbasa with sauerkraut.
• Pete Caringi shares his experience of having Polish traditions in his family, including sausages during Christmas.
• Nestor and Darren continue to taste the sausages, with Nestor expressing his love for the jalapeno and cheddar sausage.

World Cup 2026 and Soccer Discussion

• Nestor and Pete Caringi discuss their excitement for the upcoming World Cup 2026, sharing their experiences from previous World Cups.
• Nestor expresses his disappointment that Baltimore and Washington did not get to host the World Cup, criticizing the corruption in the selection process.
• Pete shares his excitement about attending games in various cities, including Philadelphia, Houston, and New York.
• Nestor and Pete discuss the high cost of tickets and the corruption in the selection process, expressing their frustration.

Sausage Preferences and Final Thoughts

• Darren Paciocco continues to promote his sausages, with Nestor and Pete expressing their approval.
• Nestor shares his plan to use Darren’s kielbasa in his holiday sauerkraut, expressing his excitement for the upcoming holiday season.
• Pete and Nestor discuss their favorite sausages, with Nestor reiterating his preference for the jalapeno and cheddar sausage.
• The conversation wraps up with Nestor expressing his love for Darren’s sausages and his plans to use them in his holiday dishes.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

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East Baltimore, Maryland Crab Cake Tour, DiPasquale’s, Maryland Lottery, GBMC, sauerkraut, Polish kielbasa, Feast of the Seven Fishes, World Cup 2026, soccer, jalapeno cheddar sausage, holiday traditions, Italian sausage, Polish traditions, Baltimore positive.

SPEAKERS

Darren Paciocco, Pete Caringi, Speaker 1, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:00

Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, A, F, 1570 task of Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. We are positively here in DiPasquale’s, or what I call the construction zone, big city going up over here in East Baltimore, my neck of the woods, just up south of Highland town, or Highland town, where my 23 bus trips took me up to yeagers music on Eastern Avenue, and where these guys were born, raised ice skating in the rink that they’re going to tear down. Pete coringey joins me here. Derek Chaco is here, the sausage king of DiPasquale’s out of East Baltimore. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery. Have Raven scratch offs I’m giving away here in East Baltimore. Next week, I will have candy cane scratch us. My bags gonna smell like peppermint by the time I get the Costas and Dundalk with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Gina Schock, as well as John Allen. Lots folks going over this next week, next Friday, we’re gonna be at gertrude’s with John shields, doing a feast in the seventh I’m doing a lot of fishes here and sausages. Will be at gertrudes at the BMA next Friday, and then Planet Fitness in Timonium on the 22nd all brought to you by GBMC. I had a colonoscopy.

Nestor Aparicio  01:07

PD, two weeks ago. Pre cancerous polyps saved my life. I’m safe. I’m good. Go do it. GBMC there from delivering babies and doing all sorts of great things we’ll be talking about into the new year, including me. And you know what? They tell me that sauerkraut for the stomach, you know, probiotic and all that stuff. I’ve been reading up on this. And when I eat sauerkraut during the holidays, and I dare I say this, in the middle of an Italian institution in East Baltimore, I grew up with Polish people, you know? I mean, I grew up on Bank Street in Colgate in Dundalk. And my neighbors, I want to give a shout out to Stan Gibson if you’re familiar with Stan stock, wood stock, big concert Stan stock. Big concert Stan stock, happens every September. It used to happen in Essex at the river. Watch it now happens at the barrel house in fallston and Stan Gibson’s parents, Mr. Sam and Miss Gert would always bring me a strozz keys, polar sausage and and and and sauerkraut in a giant crock pot. I’m talking 1976 when I’m a boy. 75 they were like our family, Stan’s family, Stan Gibson’s, which is why I support Stan stock, and Stan’s been, you know, has had a lot of health challenges. He lives down in Ocean City. I love you, Stan. But his family introduced me to a holiday tradition that 50 years, 1975, 50 years, I still honor that tradition. I have sauerkraut and kobasa. And then I married a Polish girl who has when I go to her house for Christmas, it’s weird, man, all they do is eat pierogi. Like, literally, it’s just a pierogi thing, and that’s what they do. I’m like, where’s the hand? Where’s the vet? Nah, pirogi pedoggy. I’m like, okay, no go. Wompy. They don’t do go up you on holiday. That’s a different holiday. No, I don’t know. So I married a Polish girl, and, swear to God, she gets a stroski sausage and she freezes it, and she takes it up every year, until I about to change things here, because Darren’s trying to, but I that it’s such a tradition for the holidays for me in East Baltimore, and you guys were Italian, but nothing but Polish people too, right? Oh yeah.

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Pete Caringi  03:21

My daughter’s married to a guy from Poland, born in Poland. So when we get together for Christmas, we have a little bit of our tradition, and then we have the attacks.

Nestor Aparicio  03:31

Perfect Man. I had East Baltimore tradition. The cops came, everybody got drunk as part of my Derek’s here, let’s go through sausage here, because we’re going to do holidays. We’re going to do Feast of the Seven Fishes. You have some really? Let me hold these up for everybody to see. These are the links, and we’re going to cut these up. What are these? Because we’re going to get to the kielbasa in a minute. But you have some specialty holiday sausage here, right? Yes.

Darren Paciocco  03:55

So what I brought out this morning was my kibasa, Polish cabasa, which I think is exceptional. I have the prevalent and parsley, which is phenomenal. I have the jalapeno and cheddar, which is phenomenal.

Nestor Aparicio  04:10

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Is that sage? What is that? What is that? What’s that? There’s a third one here. What’s the other one?

Darren Paciocco  04:15

The third one is mild, jalapeno and cheddar, prevalent, regular then, yeah, that’s, that’s just your basic record.

Nestor Aparicio  04:23

Any basic, it’s Italian, it’s got to have that. That’s what’s in my wife’s sausage and lentil soup. That’s what I bought.

Darren Paciocco  04:29

So it looks like we got, here’s the monetary, here’s the pub around the parsley, and over here is my new one, jalapeno and cheddar, all right? And of course, the Polish cabassa, I’m gonna

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Nestor Aparicio  04:38

get after this polish cabassa, right now. So for me this, I’ve never, and I told him this before you came by the way. Pete, Karen, she’s here. Darren’s here. We’re at deeper Squad. I’ve never had the Ostro skis, Polish, kielbasa without sauerkraut. Oh, really. I just, I wouldn’t get, I would get, like, a bratwurst. He’s got to try. Piece, but I’ve never had kielbasa. You don’t do kubasa. Okay, peach got some dietary restrictions. Yeah, that’s delicious.

Darren Paciocco  05:12

Jared, like I said, it’s very good. I like mine better than Nestor outski. You know

Nestor Aparicio  05:18

what I want with that? I want some peppers and onions with that.

Darren Paciocco  05:21

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I’m just gonna come straight out and say it. I’m gonna stop being real nice, sugar. Oh, here we go. East Baltimore’s coming out now I’m gonna be totally honest, mine is better than a Strauss. Oh, there you go. Mine is better.

Speaker 1  05:35

Well, you gotta let this Nestor eats.

Nestor Aparicio  05:38

I’ve never had theirs without sauerkraut, oh no. And I would never know what this would taste like, because I would take this home right now and I grind it all up, stick in the crock pot, dump my sauerkraut, and there, come back a day later, and it all ground up and delicious. And you know what makes it even better three days after Christmas when I reheat it? Because when you put the sauerkraut, and I have a lot of experience with this. You put the sauerkraut in the in the microwave. It pops like pop,

Darren Paciocco  06:04

Pops, well, no, and you’re giving it a day or two more for the flavor to settle.

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Nestor Aparicio  06:11

I’m done with. Put that over there. It’s delicious. But I want to get after you’ve been bragging about this pro balloon.

Darren Paciocco  06:18

All right, so you like the Polish kibas. I love it. Okay? It’s all gonna know

Nestor Aparicio  06:22

how many, I mean, you brought five links at a candy. So what is this one here? Is this a jalapeno? That one? Is that sage? What is that in there? I’m gonna eat? No, that’s not the regular parsley. Oh, this is what I’ve been waiting to try. That’s no offense to kill Boss, I’m gonna eat plenty of that special that’s cut it up.

Darren Paciocco  06:50

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Nestor, all right. PB, quincy’s gotta try

Pete Caringi  06:58

it. I’ve already been do it. I made all the sausages here.

Nestor Aparicio  07:01

All right, so tell everybody where your sausages are, also restaurants that they’re in, because I want to plug that that is really good. The regular that’s just a jalapeno. That’s gonna be spicy.

Darren Paciocco  07:14

That is the jalapeno and cheddar. Now this is the jalapeno and cheddar.

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Nestor Aparicio  07:17

No, it’s just a mile. Ma’am, come on, man, no, I thought you knew something about the sausage you made. Now you doing this is Italian. Give me

Darren Paciocco  07:25

that knife, Nestor, you take the knife, please.

Pete Caringi  07:28

You’re the king Petey. Let’s talk World Cup. Let’s get the he’s the king. He should be telling us what they are.

Nestor Aparicio  07:34

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Well, my mouth’s full. You got to talk World Cup. Where are you on all of it? Coming to America. I knew you’re excited, excited.

Pete Caringi  07:43

I mean, it’s such a world event. I worked the last time it was here. I was, you know, on the field in the dugout, 9494 RFK, stadium. RFK. I was covering every game. I was actually on the field, like I said, in the Italy locker room. It was a dream of a lifetime, to be honest with you. And now that it’s coming back and you’re gonna live through it again,

Nestor Aparicio  08:07

unfortunately, it won’t. That was a spicy one, dude. That’s a spicy one over there. That’s get that away. It’s too spicy for me. That’s all right, I love you, but I can’t eat that.

Pete Caringi  08:15

Go ahead. Unfortunately it won’t be in DC.

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Nestor Aparicio  08:21

Feelings on that, because I look man, I’m not gonna have anybody. But the committee was supposed to meet me at launch of the day after it happened, they stood me up, and I to me, that’s as unforgivable as Mark Andrews, you know, walking off the podium, you just don’t do that. I’m wearing the I looked for the the I had a scarf. I had a scarf. I had a Baltimore scarf, World Cup 26 scarf. I was going to wear it today. I couldn’t find it. I was really disappointed. You know, I was down to Fells Point when the announcement happened, and now that it’s getting closer, I don’t know what. I mean, they’re so corrupt. I mean, I just so given Trump a medal. I mean, they’re just outrageously corrupt. And I that’s a hard wall for me to climb in regard to how much I love the sport and your involvement in the world’s involvement, how much the world loves it, but it’s corrupt as hell Pete and I, and how much they want for the tickets and where it’s going to be and what they’re trying to do to, you know. And look, Trump’s done everything to kill tourism in the country. So now we’re going to invite immigrants, invite other people to the country. I just, it’s not the dream that I had, right? I mean, for Baltimore, for Washington, for where we are, it’s, it’s, are you gonna go to Philly? You’re going, Are you gonna go to some matches?

Pete Caringi  09:35

Or I’ll go, Yeah, I’ll go anywhere to watch a game. Are you gonna follow it? What are you gonna do? I’m gonna try to get tickets to wherever, wherever you go to games, Houston, Jersey, Jersey, Philly, New York. I mean,

Nestor Aparicio  09:50

you’re gonna stop everything and go, you’re, you’re in. Yeah, I’m in.

Pete Caringi  09:54

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I gotta go. It’s here. It’s, I’ve watched it since I was 11. So here’s

Nestor Aparicio  09:59

what I’m asking you. As a guy who’s been a champion, a guy who’s coached UMBC. But what’s important to you about the World Cup next year, that that America looks good, that America plays good, that you get to go to certain team like, what? Now that it’s set, you can look at the whole grid and say, All right, I want to see this team player, that team play. And I go here, go there. What? What’s your 50,000 foot view on the tournament itself, well, and even how the American team looks?

Pete Caringi  10:27

I mean, that’s an interesting question, because there’s more teams than ever. I don’t have. I’m short of Italy getting in, which we’re still waiting to see. United States is my team. And, you know, I’d love to just watch the greatest spectacle, sports spectacle in the world. It’s going to be in our country, and I like to go see it, and being involved with it since I was a little kid, since birth, clearly being here the last time and working in it, it was a dream come true. And you know, if there’s a game in Philadelphia and I can get tickets, I’m gonna write up. I’m not gonna miss

Nestor Aparicio  11:04

that’s the thing for me. With a lot of in there as a whole, I went to the World Cup in oh six, as you know, I was, I saw, I was at the US Italy game in Kaiser slaughter, the bit, the McBride game with the pub. I was at that game, right? Got video from there. And

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Nestor Aparicio  11:24

oh, I mean, it was, it was memorable. I mean, I’m sitting here singing the songs they were singing in the in the stadium, I remember it was this. It was an old, old stadium. Hitler gave speeches in that stadium. It’s on a hill at the top of Kaiser slaughter and the Rhineland in the southern part of Germany. The stadium looks like it was built. And I looked like Lambeau Field or Soldier Field, 4050, years ago. And I went up and, you know, there were 1500 US people and 45,000 Italians, because they drove across the border. So it was Italian home game. We played them to a draw. They went up winning the cup, right? You went, I should say you, because you claim Italy. But you know, I love the world. I traveled across the world to go to the World Cup, you know. But now that it’s coming here and 20 years later, why are you not excited? Because I think tickets in Philadelphia gonna be $650 to see Morocco play Saudi Arabia. You know, like, then you’re not going to go. I’m not going to go. That’s so I’m asking you what the tolerance is to get in the car and go to Philadelphia to see two teams plays at a $300 day, $600 day, because they’re charging Super Bowl prices.

Pete Caringi  12:34

All depends who I’m going to go see, right? It’s the market. What do you want to see? I want to see the big name. You will see Brazil play. You see Archie to play? Yeah, I want to see the Argentina’s. I want to see the Portugal’s. I want to see Italy. I want to see, I mean, and I want to see, I just want to see the whole pageantry of the of the tournament. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere as these games. And you’ve been there, I’ve been there. You know, most Americans, it’s, it’s our Super Bowl, and it’s a Super Bowl, as they say, beyond it’s a Super Bowl every, every day, while the World Cup Tournaments here. So it’s an amazing, amazing thing to watch and to be involved in the biggest sport in the world. But, yeah, I mean, I’m not going to overpay for it. I’m not going to over, hopefully I’m not going to overpay.

Nestor Aparicio  13:22

That’s my thing. It’s such a gouge, right? It’s such a scam, and it’s so corrupt all. I mean, they play these games in Qatar the last time around. Let’s not good. Come on now, you know, let’s, let’s cut through what’s real and what’s not real about it. But that being said, Darren’s been Darren Pacheco here and Pete Corinne were deepest scholars of meat and sausage. But I’ve been doing radio in this city 34 almost 35 years. So I go back to 94 the first World Cup. Here. I go back to 90 80206, I go back to oh two when you and I closed down racers bar at three o’clock in the morning to play Poland, play Germany, all I mean, we had the Mexican group right that right down here, right six blocks away from here, we were down at the kiss cafe at four o’clock in the morning. All the kids came down from Mexico with the flags, right? I’m in my pajamas, and my uncles. This is 23 years ago. I got pictures of all of this, and all of these years, all the years you coach UMBC, you literally, along with Billy Ronson, along with Kevin Healy, along with Kenny Cooper, a couple of people, just people that have been on my show, that have been World Cup. I mean, in 2006 and in 10, you would come into the studio three days a week, and we were doing full analysis in June of 10. And then my wife gets cancer in the middle of the tournament 14, and Germany winds up winning the cup in the middle of it, while she’s getting a transplant from a German kid. I remember, so we saw the World Cup in Germany. So I’ve got, I mean, I’ll make the hair on the back of my neck stand up with what. It means to me to be talking to you about it, how you and I got in a limo, went up, see the blast, win a championship Philadelphia together, and you told me you were getting married. So as much as I’m like being like, upset about the World Cup, if Brazil is playing Japan in Philly, you’re gonna and you got two tickets in there, 225 bucks apiece, and I can afford you’re gone. You and I will go up and go to a match, because I love you. I love soccer, I love the World Cup. But like on the outside looking in, I ain’t on my internet trying to buy $800 tickets for some match between

Pete Caringi  15:35

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Poland and well, you’ve also, you also been there before, so you don’t need to go.

Nestor Aparicio  15:42

And I’m also going to sit at home and watch it on television. It’s greatest thing in the world. And you’re going to come in the studio. You were going to do soccer, we’re going to do it. But right now, I’m a little, I’m I’m a little bitter. Baltimore didn’t get it. Washington didn’t get it. They’re corrupt. I mean, I know all of that, but once the tournament starts, it’s a beautiful game. Like, it’s like the Olympics, it’s the most corrupt thing in world. But like once it comes on my wife’s comes home, my wife sits there, she’s like, Oh, this broken pelvis Montana, you know? I mean, that’s just the way it is, right?

Pete Caringi  16:10

Well, it’s and it’s also not for you, right? Sausage for you. You’ve already been there. You’ve done that. That’s not even like, so, I mean, you asked me, done

Nestor Aparicio  16:19

that, done that’s different. If $600 to get into Philly, nobody else is gonna be there and done that either here. Well, they’re gouging people.

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Pete Caringi  16:26

That stadium will be packed, sold out, as you know. I mean, they’re gonna have people all over world and want to get in that stadium as people in Philly, people in that whole region. I like that chatter, by the way. Go ahead. You like that cheddar.

Nestor Aparicio  16:38

So it’s problems.

Darren Paciocco  16:40

What do you think the problem was? My favorite? Pretty good denim miles. You’re basically good. What’s he laughing? We got Joey here. The owner is here. I’m gonna bring him over. You got my boss man here? I’m gonna get him in here. Now I gotta go back home. You go. I gotta go back to something. Nestor, the jalapeno cheddar. Just a little too much for you. Now, for people that like jalapeno, a little bit of hot What do you think of the jalapeno cheddar?

Nestor Aparicio  17:07

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I want to be really honest with you, and this is just mine, to be brutally, really honest, the Italian still the best. Yes. Go Boston number two, yes, I like the cheddar and the hots.

Darren Paciocco  17:20

Just delicious. The cheddar is the jalapeno jalapeno cheddar. I like the pub talking about the problem, all right, so I got your approval. Now, how about people that like,

Nestor Aparicio  17:32

Could your sausages? Darren, you don’t need my approval.

Darren Paciocco  17:35

Yeah, I appreciate it, by the way, Nestor, ego’s big enough, by the way, Nestor, every restaurant the city’s using your sausage. Yes, they are. Thank you. Well, it’s true best in the country. Every decent restaurants using your sauce. I think I’m the best in the country. My wife uses your sausage, and I appreciate that, Nestor, who’s been with you since day one, Pete cringey, besides Pete cringey, you me when I was skinny.

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Nestor Aparicio  17:59

Yeah, he used to deliver sausage over the radio station. You bring these bodies to go up here? He would bring 80 sausages to the radio station, yeah. I mean 80. Take six home. And, you know, Bob Haney, everybody take take sausage home. Wait, it was like a

Speaker 1  18:13

parting gift, raw sauce. He’s a good hearted guy.

Nestor Aparicio  18:17

I’m gonna take a break. I’m gonna bring Joe Tom. Somebody’s gonna come back here. We’re gonna talk some more soccer. Darren, I love you. Hey, man, I’m gonna have your kielbasa in my I’m leaving here today with your kielbasa. This is my first Christmas where your kill boss is gonna be in my sauerkraut.

Pete Caringi  18:33

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Oh, that’s a big thing. Big thing. It’s you. That’s huge.

Nestor Aparicio  18:37

It’s also huge after my colonoscopy too, because I could eat more sauerkraut. Pete’s gonna say we’re gonna talk some more soccer. And by the way, you’re not the most famous Pete in town anymore. And that

Speaker 1  18:46

Pete and Alonzo Pete Alonso’s,

Darren Paciocco  18:49

how about that signing? He’s gonna be the biggest Pete now, like that signing? Let’s talk about that.

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Nestor Aparicio  18:56

You know, Luke, love that signing. I like that signing. We’re gonna come back. Seven Fishes is going on at Al Forno. We have seven different fishes here. We’re gonna come back talk Feast of the Seven Fishes

Darren Paciocco  19:07

with I’m signing out.

Nestor Aparicio  19:09

Nice, my show. God, I lose control of the show when I’m here with him. Busy.

Darren Paciocco  19:14

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I gotta get going. You’re an executive producer, and I want and you’re coming back with Joey, right? Joey, it’s all brought

Nestor Aparicio  19:20

to my friends at the Maryland lottery. I’ve lost control here. I’m giving Raven scratch offs away. I’m in the sun here. I feel like Superstar Billy Graham. It’s a sun’s in my eyes. It’s all brought to you by our friends at GBMC who helped save my life a couple weeks ago. They can help save yours too. But you got to you got to get in. You got to submit to the doctor thing, which has been harder for me at 57 but it has not been hard for me to Submit to submit to the sausage thing. We’re here at deeper squad. He’s back for more. We are W N, S T, a 1570 task in Baltimore. We are Baltimore, positive and positively in Canton and positively eating too much for the holidays. Have you got the cookies I’ve been staring at him? You?