Erie loves its pepperoni balls.  It's a simple, but delicious food item.  Dough, baked or deep fried, with some pepperoni inside. Cheese or no cheese.  It's an Erie favorite that really doesn't need any changes. Right?

Don't tell that to Julio Reyes.  He's the owner of a new restaurant called Julius.  It's located in the former Maennerchor Club building on State Street.  When Julio decided to start the new restaurant, he vowed to put some of Erie's favorite foods on the menu and add his own Mexican twist.

"I'm not an artist.  I'm not a chef,” he says.  “I'm just a regular kind of guy that likes to try things.  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes it doesn't work."

Julio believes his Mexican Pepperoni Balls will work and become a new Erie favorite.  It's actually a Mexican dish called a pambazo but instead of using a sausage called churizo, Julio uses pepperoni. The pepperoni is mixed-in with sauteed potatoes and onions. The bread, made to order at Bill’s Bakery in Erie, is then covered in a guajillo sauce.

"The guajillo sauce is a mild pepper that is not too spicy.  But it has a very unique flavor,” he said.

The pambazo is then grilled and served.  No deep fryers can be found in Julio's kitchen.

"I have to believe that I will go to the history record to say I was the one who invented the Mexican Pepperoni Ball,” he said.

Julio has two other inventions on his menu that combine an Erie favorite with his Mexican heritage.  One is a pescadilla. It’s basically a fish taco.  Except the fish used at Julius is walleye.

The other unique item is arroz con salchichas which features a bread bowl especially made at Erie's Majestic Bakery.  It's a spicy dish. The bowl is filled with rice, vegetables, and Smith's hot dogs.

"Whenever you come across anybody from Erie, the thing that they brag about is that the greatest things on Earth are the pepperoni ball, the walleye fried fish, and the Smith Hot Dogs.  So, what I'm attempting to do here is to bring it up to the next level,” Julio said.

Another special item will be added to the menu in the spring that also puts a new twist on an Erie favorite.... Mexican perogies.

Julius is open Thursday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday brunch is held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.