Not only is Tony Mantuano the chef of Spiaggia, Chicago's only four-star Italian restaurant, he's also an international authority on authentic Italian cuisine. Having cooked in Italy's Michelin-starred restaurants, the heart and soul of Italia has been ingrained into Mantuano's brain from a young age.
His food is really that fabulous – the Obamas have been dining at his restaurant for a long time. He's so serious about his food that he even has a temperature-controlled cheese cave inside his restaurant.
The James Beard Award winner shared his experiences on growing up in an Italian grocery, trading in his trombone for a chef's apron, and, of course, cooking in Italy:
What's the difference between the cuisine in Italy and the typical Italian restaurant in the U.S.? Is the American interpretation authentic to the old-world style of cooking, or could it be improved upon?
In Italy, chefs are more inspired by their culture and how the region influences their cuisine. There are so many types of Italian cooking that's authentic but we tend to only have one image in our minds.
The cooking of southern Italy, like Naples and Sicily, is what people generally associate with authentic Italian food, but it really comes down to dishes that best represent the food, life and culture of a region. All Italian cooking is terrific in its own right and can't really be improved upon, but with American cuisine there's room for evolution and change.
What is it like to grow up in an Italian grocery with your grandparents? How did they help shape your views on food?
There were lots of Italian-Americans in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where I grew up, and my grandparents' store was the heart of the community. It's a mom-and-pop store that you rarely find now – it had a butcher, great canned goods and fresh produce. My father would deliver fresh chickens in burlap sacks to all of the Italian ladies, and they would only accept the chickens if they were alive. What a different time than today. My grandparents really shaped all my views on food. It was an incredible experience, even at a young age, that I'm really happy I was able to be part of. It shaped the type of chef I am today.
My grandmother was especially influential as she created these amazing, bold flavors with just a few ingredients. These flavors were forever branded into my brain and onto my taste buds. For example, she would use pork neck bones, olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes, and that would make a flavor that I'll never forget.
We know that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama love your cooking. What's their favorite dish?
We're always honored when the Obamas choose to dine with us on their special occasions. They're long-time regulars; they enjoy the multi-course Italian style of dining. I've mentioned before that one of President Obama's favorites is our wood-roasted scallop.
Aside from Italian cuisine, what other types of food do you like?
I really enjoy Chinese food. It reminds me of Italian food in the sense that the food is very regional and full of many different flavors. I've operated a wine bar at the U.S. Open Tennis Championship in Queens, New York the past two years and its great getting to explore the Chinese food of downtown Flushing. White Bear is one of my favorites. If you go, get the number 6. For traditional Chinese food in Chicago, you'll often find me at Lao Sze Chuan.
I also love the flavors of the Mediterranean, which inspired my wife and I to write our second cookbook Wine Bar Food. Wine bar culture is great because you can create and taste a range of recipes and wines. It's all about an adventure and stepping a bit out of your comfort zone to try similar flavors and textures you're probably already used to.
What's your favorite ingredient to work with right now?
It's truffle season right now, and as I answer these questions, I'm holding the two biggest white truffles I've seen in a long time. Nothing gets our staff and guests more excited than white truffle season.
On a day-to-day basis, I'm passionate about a good olive oil – the fresher, the younger, the better. It's not even an oil for me, but a finishing sauce.
What's usually inside your fridge at home? What do you cook with them?
Our fridge always has wine, beer, great cheeses and basics like eggs, butter, bacon, etc. We also keep giardiniera, an Italian vegetable relish. But, you'll also find chicken and steak as we try to cook outside on our patio on the grill whenever we can – even in Chicago's winter season.
Our pantry is also well stocked with high-quality, gourmet pantry items that can be easily mixed together to great simple dishes. Some of our favorites are ceci beans, harissa, passato di pomodoro, capers in salt and Mediterranean tuna in olive oil.
What kind of music did you study in college? Do you still dabble in it? If you could change things, would you still want to become a musician?
I studied everything and played in almost every type of band in college including a jazz band, a rock band, and the symphony. My specialty was the trombone. I still love listening to all types of music, but I rarely dabble in it anymore. I'm happy I choose the chef route! I think my love for music has been passed on to my son, who's taken up guitar as a hobby and he's great at it.
What was it like to live and cook in Italy for a year? Would you credit this experience as the key to your success?
Working in Italy made me the chef I am today. I worked in some of Italy's best Michelin-starred restaurants including the three-star Dal Pescatore in Lombardia and Da Romano on the Tuscan coast in Viareggio. It's definitely a huge key to my success. I'm really happy where I am at now and that Spiaggia has been around for 25 years. It's still Chicago's only four-star Italian restaurant. Anyone serious about Italian cooking needs to go there and cook. If you ask anyone who's been there, they will understand.
Our staff goes to Italy at least once a year to maintain our connection with Italy. Our chef di cucina Sarah Grueneberg went last February to work in some of the same kitchens I did 26 years ago and she's planning another trip for January. Our sommelier is heading over there soon to meet with some Spiaggia friends and to source new wine producers.
