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I heard that the chef there worked at the ORIGINAL Giannotti's (where WAS that place located again?) where my parents took me to eat regularly as a kid. Best rigatoni ever - they would stuff every noodle INDIVIDUALLY with ricotta. Memorable cheese cake too.
Anyhow, this guy couldn't be any youngster; I'm 50 now and would eat at G's in the 60's up to @ '75.
Anyone been to Grotto? Can you vouch for the food? Supposedly it features the late Mary Giannotti's recipe for Chicken Vesuvio.

If it's the Gianotti's I'm thinking of it was located at the intersection of Midwest Rd and 22nd St in Oakbrook Terrace. This restaurant is now run by the son of the original owner and has changed names to Vic's Italian Steakhouse. Their menu has remained the same, including the Chicken Vesuvio.

I have also heard that the chef at the Grotto comes from Gianotti's, but have not visited.

Flip

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Hopefully Leesh will see this thread; I trust she'll be able to answer the question.

Antonius

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I believe the original Gianotti's was actually on Roosevelt in Forest Park. Back in the 70's. I never figured out whether there was a connection between that one and the place in Oak Brook, the now re-concepted Vic's. I always assumed there was, but while this place has been on my radar for 30 years, and I have only heard positive things about it, I never made it to either Gianotti's or now Vic's.

Guess it needs to be added to the list of places I really need to get to. I have managed to make it to the Grotto and had an enjoyable meal (of that Chicago original, Chicken Vesuvius - no need to reply Antonius, that was just a cheap tweak ), though Leesh was not there when I asked after her.

If I recall correctly, the Oak Brook Gianotti's was also on Drucker's list of Chicago favorites, back when he was up here frequently.

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d
Retired, gone fishing, and exploring my curmudgeon within

FWIW, there is a Gianotti's steakhouse scheduled to open on River Road in Rosement in the next few weeks.

Pardon the monkey wrench in the works, but wasn't the first Gianotti's in Norridge [Lawrence block west of Cumberland]?

Giovanna

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I know the one in Norridge predates the one in Oak Brook Terrace. They were both open for a while and the Norridge location closed due to a Real Estate deal if memory serves. They certainly had the same menu while they were both open.

The original Giannotti's was definitely on Cumberland and I think Lawrence is the correct intersection. I don't know anything about a Giannotti's chef being at The Grotto.
Give them a call, or there is a woman who works at the Grotto on this board, so maybe she will see the thread.

dickson, I remember Gianotti's from the late 60s or early 70s on Roosevelt a few blocks east of Harlem. Prior to that, I think it was the Armory Lounge, if I'm not confusing two old restaurants.

The original Gianotti's, owned by Vic Gianotti, was in Forest Park. It closed in the early 1980s. Then, Vic Gianotti opened another restaurant in Norridge at Lawrence & Cumberland in the late 1980s. A few years later, he opened a second restaurant in Oak Brook on 22nd Street.

The Norridge Gianotti's closed and was torn down a few years ago to make way for yet another Walgreen's and aLaSalle Bank branch. The Oak Brook Gianotti's changed their name to Vic's Italian Steakhouse about 2 years ago.

Vic Gianotti is now putting the finishing touches on his new restaurant in Rosemont, on River Road just north of Lawrence.

(A family friend has been waiting tables at various Gianotti-owned restaurants for 35+ years.)

Thanks Katursi - good to have my memory confirmed, at least this once. Since I worked at the Kennedy & Cumberland in the mid-80's and could not remember a Gianotti's in the neighborhood I rather doubted the northside one could be "the original" that I remembered in FP (we ranged pretty far & wide for lunch since that area was not so great for food back then), but I was not so certain.

Actually, I think the Gianotti's building is still there & still a restaurant in FP, which is part of why I remember it - each time I drive by it reminds me. Next time I will see what it is. Back in the 70's it was pretty high in the Chicago universe of Italian places, at least as far as Chicago Mag & the Trib were concerned. The parking lot was always packed, but I went to Cermak in Cicero when I ate out in the area (I lived in Oak Park back then), less expensive, less crowded, more single-friendly. Funny to think that people drove to Forest Park for fine Italian, and to Melrose Park for the Come Back Inn. Times do change. For the better, even if they have not been so kind to near west suburban destination dining.

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d
Retired, gone fishing, and exploring my curmudgeon within

The Chef here at Grotto, Abraham Aguirre, did indeed work at the original Gianotti's which was in Forest Park. and the original owner was Nick, Vic's father, for whom Chef Abe worked. he was there thru the 70's for about 11yrs.

In the 60's he worked at Mama Shiabone's (sp?) and in about '79 he worked at Billy's on Rush. After that he was the Chef for Harry Caray's for about 13yrs, before coming here to the Grotto.

Abe is a really friendly guy. He love's to say hello to people, especially folks that know him from way back when. If you do decide to come visit the Grotto, Chef is off on Wednesdays. His Chicken Vesuvio is excellent, as well as his veal osso bucco (the best anywhere, in my opinion )

Don't forget Melrose Park had that golf lovin' Slicker Sam and his Slicker Sam's! (which people may not realize, only died a peaceful death about 4 years ago).

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The Local Beet's very big list of 2013 Farmer's Markets

I recall growing up my parents specifically avoiding the Cumberland location after there was a Chicago "Mob" hit that occured in the parking lot in the 80's

Some pretty familiar dining establishments were also favorites of the Outfit

http://www.ipsn.org/orourke_affidavit.htm

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Bill-Aurora

Great, though somewhat off-topic, link. (Those Chicago mafiosos knew how to eat.)

I remember my parents talking about Slicker Sam's, and going there with my grandparents (of Italian-American descent) back in the 1960's. A Slicker Sam's opened on Halsted in Lincoln Park several years ago (in the somewhat hot area currently occupied by Alinea and Boka). Our one visit there was extremely disappointing, and the place closed relatively quickly (even by restaurant standards).

On a separate note, Chef Abraham Aguirre's family runs the restaurant Bella Notte on Grand Avenue.

]For the best info watch this interview with Vic Gianotti on the BUSY GUY SHOW with Vince LoCascio.
Type in this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FjTDjpF ... A&index=13
Busy Guy on You Tube

There are some interesting interviews here, mostly with people who don't get a lot of exposure (eg, the late Nello Ferrara, long-time head of Ferrara Pan Candy).

I couldn't help noticing Mr Giannotti still says his father invented Chicken Vesuvio (at about 5:10 into the interview). Despite having a couple well-known Chicago food writers repeat the claim that the dish originated in the 1960s at Giannotti's, it seems to be without factual basis. The dish has been featured on Chicago menus since the 1930s (though I have yet to see evidence Italian Village served it that long ago).