Family remains at the heart of Tufano’s Restaurant
Street crews were outside 1073 W. Vernon Park Place in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood because a crumbling piece of the sidewalk needed repair. A 14- year- old Joey di Buono watched as they poured the cement. As it was setting, Joey decided to write something because that piece of cement was outside his grandparents’ restaurant: Tufano’s Est. 1930. He also added his own name.
Joey couldn’t have known all those decades ago, that in 2018, Tufano’s is still his family’s restaurant, and he’s been running it with tradition and love. After 98 years, it’s just about Chicago’s oldest family- owned establishment, a James Beard Award winner, serving pasta bolognese, lemon chicken, veal parmigiana, and more.
Home cooking inspires family restaurant
The story began in 1930 when Joseph and Teresa di Buono helped out some cousins who had started a bakery across the street on Vernon Park Place. Soon, a bar and restaurant were natural additions to the family business. Italian immigrants flocked there, including an infamous Chicagoan. Al Capone loved Joseph’s cooking so much, he hired him to be his own chef. So Teresa took over more of the cooking. Tufano’s got so busy, she soon had to make some of the dishes in her home kitchen next door — and passed them through a window they created, into the restaurant’s kitchen.
Over the years, as the number of customers grew, Joey added rooms to Tufano’s. The chalkboard menu has some additional items to accommodate changing palates. But many things haven’t changed: family members still work there, some waitresses have called regulars by name for decades, pictures on the walls are reminders of Joey’s grandfather, grandmother, father and mother.
Recently, I learned to make Teresa di Buono’s lemon chicken, with a perfect side — the D& D Special, a pasta dish created by Joey and wife Tracey’s twins, Darci and Disa.
One more thing that’s still part of Tufano’s — grandmother Teresa’s kitchen window. Directions:
Preheat broiler to highest level.
Cut chicken into pieces. Place in broiler pan ( make sure pieces are lying flat). Drizzle with oils.
Squeeze fresh lemon over chicken, place pieces in pan.
Cook for 20- 25 minutes ( until golden brown and crispy). Turn chicken over, cook flipped side until golden and crispy.
Plate chicken with options such as cottage fried potatoes or rice. Pour lemon juice from pan over dish and serve.