Penny Pollack

Waiting for Moretti

Giovanni Denigris, the Puglia-born owner of Trattoria Trullo (4767 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-506-0093) and chef-partner at Macello (1235 W. Lake St.; 312-850-9870) is building a mini pizzeria in the front of Trullo. It’s expected to launch on December 10th; right now he’s waiting for his 900-degree Moretti Forni electric oven to arrive from Italy. “I have a pizza guy from Bari,” says Denigris. “I’m not going to say his name until he gets back from vacation. We are going to make Pugliese pizza. Neapolitan is more chewy. Our pizza is much thinner and crispier. . . . I grew up with Puglia. That’s why...

Tricky Rick

The decision leading to Rick Tramonto’s and Gale Gand’s split from Mid-America Development and its restaurant arm, Cenitare Restaurants, seems pretty straightforward. “We wanted to take the brand [Osteria di Tramonto and Tramonto Steak & Seafood, both at 601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling] national, and I don’t think they were able to,” Tramonto says. “I’m looking at some...

Street Justice

Later this month, Rick Spiros (Block 44, Roy’s, Madame B) plans to unveil Mantou Noodles Bar (1633 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-772-8688), a 71-seat spot in Wicker Park. “It’s based on Asian street food,” says Spiros. “People there eat that stuff during the day, on the street, on their way to work as opposed to how we eat it here—sitting down to dinner.” Mantou’s menu will include spicy chicken steamed buns; curries made from scratch; udon noodles with...

All About Eve

Matt Fisher, the owner of eight-month-old Tallulah (4539 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-942-7585), hasn’t slept since summer. He signed a deal in late August on the old Flapjaws space (840 N. Wabash Ave.) in the Gold Coast, which he is rehabbing and renaming Eve—and he has his chef at Tallulah, Troy Graves, crafting a menu to be ready by the time...