Bringing Italy’s Best to Madison
by nate on 02/01/10 at 8:15 am
As Featured in the April 2005 Issue of Madison Originals Magazine
Of course you’ve seen him. Strolling down Old University…stepping into a nearby coffeehouse…pumping gas…perhaps driving to or from the UW Hospital. No matter your first impression, this is one man so large and so pleased with himself that it would take real willpower not to notice his inviting expression. “Come in as you are,” he calls out encouragingly, scanning the street for anyone craving an Italian meal. He’s an exceptionally good-natured recruiter, forever chuckling and sporting an appropriately jovial handlebar moustache. That’s right; you know who I’m talking about. It’s the Lombardino’s guy.
A fixture of the University Avenue area as well as of the Madison restaurant scene, Lombardino’s is a name as easily recognizable as its mural’s ambassador. Founded in 1954 by Matteo Lombardino, a Sicilian immigrant, the restaurant has been serving Italian dishes for more than half a century, surviving some lean years while thriving in others. Plenty of restaurants can come and go in 50 years…tastes diversify, competition increases, ownership changes hands. By itself, Lombardino’s continued existence is noteworthy. More than merely sticking around, however, Lombardino’s has come to represent something truly special to Madison. Fittingly, its current form reflects both an appreciation for the restaurant’s history and the infusion of a fresh new vision. Presently under its fourth ownership, Lombardino’s most recent reinvention has proved a smashing success, revitalizing its reputation, reintroducing it to past patrons, and inviting new customers with an enticing array of food, wine, atmosphere and activity.
The restaurant owes its renewed prosperity in large part to Marcia and Patrick O’Halloran, who moved to Madison in 1999 with the intention of opening a business. After completing a number of apprenticeships and working in catering, they had decided it was time to move on, and stopped into Lombardino’s when they heard it was for sale. They were immediately drawn to the restaurant’s quirky atmosphere. “Once we sat at the bar and had a glass of wine—and it was brought from a tapper!—we knew we wanted to stay,” Marcia says. “It was a cool, old, kitschy place. It had a lot of what we wanted already.” Taking a year to commute between Madison and Milwaukee for business courses, Marcia and Patrick prepared to reshape the restaurant.
The O’Hallorans recognized early on that part of their job in making over Lombardino’s was to lure past customers back to a place they would remember. “People come in and say, ‘I haven’t been here in 30 years,’” Patrick explains, “and they still recognize certain things. So we want to maintain the décor.” In their desire to restore what Marcia calls “the classic kitsch,” the O’Hallorans undertook a significant remodeling. Much of the initial work involved stripping away decades’ worth of accumulated miscellany, such as neon bar signs that were covering up original mosaic tiles. Patrick remembers the overhaul: “We put in new carpeting, ceilings, heating, air conditioning. When we pulled up the carpeting, there were layers of grease underneath.” For those not familiar with the restaurant, of course, such renovations may lack context on a first viewing. Patrick acknowledges that not everyone is attracted to the interior: “Sometimes people say, ‘You know, the food’s pretty good, but I can’t stand the cheesy décor.’” He laughs, then admits, “I don’t know. I kind of like it.”
Not content solely to uncover the restaurant’s past charms, Marcia and Patrick set to work creating a gourmet menu that would change every two months, highlighting the flavors and cooking styles of Italy’s different regions while taking advantage of the best ingredients available seasonally. Adding to their enthusiasm was expertise: Patrick had traveled to Italy several years before, and had fallen in love with the country. At the time, having just completed an apprenticeship in Switzerland, Patrick’s visit to Italy was an impressively instructive “post-graduate” experience: he roomed with a family in Emilia-Romagna, a region on the Adriatic Coast renowned for its excellent and varied cuisine. “I stayed in a 600-year-old house and watched the mom make ravioli from scratch,” Patrick remembers fondly. The experience helped him develop an appreciation and enthusiasm for Italian culture that continues to inform his cooking.
Returning annually to keep attuned to genuine Italian flavors and techniques, Patrick and a handful of other key staff members visit Italian wineries, sample different kinds of cooking, and soak up the local culture. They get a feel not only for how Italians prepare food, but also for how prominently food and drink figure into Italians’ lives. In addition to bringing back perspective, they also return to Madison with special new touches. Patrick points to his last visit to Italy, after which he decided to bring back an Italian friend who also happened to be a master olive oil producer. As a result of that partnering, and of the cookstaff’s striving to incorporate the best ingredients available, Lombardino’s uses only specially pressed Italian olive oils.
Just as their attention to detail adds authenticity to each carefully crafted dish, the O’Hallorans’ fostering of customer interest adds a strong sense of community to the continued development of the restaurant. Special features and events abound at Lombardino’s, from cooking classes and wine tastings to special dinners and Italian guest speakers. Enthusiasts and frequent diners—as well as the merely curious—can keep abreast of this rigorous schedule of extracurriculars through Lombardino’s Special Events Newsletter, which highlights recent activities and previews upcoming events. Combined, these efforts mix learning, dining and socializing in a way that enhances the restaurant’s neighborly feel.
Most everyone gains understanding from such encounters, including Marcia and Patrick. The cooking classes, which sprang from the O’Hallorans’ catering experience, have since become something of a magnet for area gourmands. “We started with a hands-on approach, but we found that a lot of people wanted to watch instead of jump into the middle of things,” Marcia recalls, “so we turned it into a demonstration.” Customer interest was piqued, and the cooking classes became an immediate success. The popularity of the classes continues to grow as more people discover the pleasure of a glimpse behind the scenes at Lombardino’s. “We do a whole meal, starting with wines,” says Marcia. “At the end, the staff will sit down and join in. Everyone has a good time with it.” Asked how much she views her role as one of educating people about Italian food and culture, Marcia emphasizes didacticism; strict pedagogy is beside the point. Of the special events in general, she says simply, “We continue to learn ourselves.”
Clever though it is, the combination of old and new at Lombardino’s transcends novelty. Blending traditional Italian cooking with Midwestern ingredients is the critical factor; there can be no question that the food is good. But in restoring aspects of the restaurant’s original atmosphere while continuing to introduce new menu offerings and special events, the O’Hallorans achieve just the right balance of history and innovation. “People are really invested in the memories,” Marcia observes. With all signs indicating Lombardino’s continued success, it seems certain that people will continue making the same investment for years to come.
