The Feast in Little Italy

It's time for tens of thousands of Clevelander's to roam the brick roads of Little Italy. It's time for young men to smoke cigars, wear Italian golf shirts, and talk with their hands. It's time for 80 year old grandmothers and grandfathers to join together and drink some chianti while listening to Old Blue Eyes. It's time for the Feast in Little Italy!

I seldom use my website to make a personal reflection, but this is a unique opportunity for me to share with you, my thousands of loyal readers, an interpretation of one of Cleveland's biggest ethnic weekends- The Feast.

Little Italy, to so many, is perceived as a dining destination, a cigar smoker's haven, or even a place to take a romantic walk down century old brick roads. Yes, it's all of that (and more), but Little Italy has a true foundation often overlooked- Family.

Something people may not realize is that the same families have been operating out of those neighborhoods for as many as 90 years! Let's take a step back and think about that. One of the books I read in college about the hospitality industry expressed that a successful business plan for a restaurant is to sell out in seven to eleven years. So how on Earth do restaurants like Mama Santa's, Baricelli Inn, and my family restaurant, Guarinos, last that long?? I can answer for one of them- Family.

I don't know a whole lot about what happend from 1918 to 1996 at Guarino's Restaurant in Little Italy. What I do know is that Vincenzo Guarino lived above his restaurant (much like my grandmother, Nancy, does today) and operated his business as though it was his own kitchen table and wet bar. It began as a speak-easy during prohibition and gradually evolved into a Cleveland icon seating as many as 200 people during summer (with the expansive 125 seat garden patio.)

Guarino's was passed through generations of family, and while I vaguely remember my Uncle Sam Guarino, I know he'd be proud of my grandmother for keeping the place alive into its 90th year. She is now 73 years old and still unlocks the doors each day for business among her many responsibilities.

Guarino's, much like many restaurants in the neighborhood, is all about family. At any given moment, you'll have Nancy's children, grandchildren, and dearest friends working the floor and in the kitchen. I put in ten years at Guarino's, beginning as a cook at age 13, and I can assure you that even if you're not related to Nancy by blood, you become related to her through business. She, like many of the owners in the neighborhood, can unconventionally manage her business by firing you in the middle of the dinner hour, and then giving you a hug and kiss as you come back to work the next day apologizing- just like family. This, perhaps, is one of the secrets to longevity in the industry. Some of her employees have been there as many as forty (40) years.

Tens of thousands of people will come to the Feast this year. They will celebrate 100 years of Holy Rosary Church, 90 years of Cleveland's oldest restaurant- Guarino's, and of course the Catholic holiday that brings so many together this morning. When you're roaming the streets looking for cavatelli pesto, come on over to Guarino's, say hello to my family, and give Nancy a hug to honor her work that has kept Cleveland's Oldest Restaurant in business for 90 consecutive years. And for all you paisan reading this: Cent' anni!

written by: Scott Phillips Jr. - photos by: Doug Nagy