|
Italian Restaurant and Authentic Home Style Italian
Gina and Guiseppe’s is an Italian restaurant and full service bar. Voted Tulsa’s Best for 2008 by Tulsa People Magazine.
How it all Began...
It began many years ago in Southern Italy ... Reggio Calabria, to be exact. In 1899, our grandparents, Dominic Macri and Maria Parissi, entered into an arranged marriage lasting over 60 years. Grandpa served in the Italian Army during World War 1, after which he left his wife and children, traveling to America in search of a better life. In 1924, Grandpa settled in South Bend, Indiana with others from the region. Three years later, he sent for Grandma and their three children Francesco 16, Carmella 14, and Guseppe 11. The voyage took 45 days ending in New York Harbor. The Statue of Liberty, grasping her torch, lit the way to Ellis Island. They made their way to Indiana by train to be reunited with Grandpa. The children grew up, and began families of their own. In time, Grandpa retired and tended to his extremely compact and fruitful garden. Grandpa was very proud of his red wine, which he brewed from the grapes that grew over the back porch arbor. In Grandma’s kitchen, there was always a pot of sauce simmering and fresh homemade bread baking in her wood-burning stove.
Guiseppe (Joseph) fancied a girl he had seen in the neighborhood from time to time. One day, mutual friends asked her to go for a ride in their car with Joseph, and she did. The two couples drove around her block, and then dropped her offf in front of her house. “I’ll never see that guy again”, she thought as they drove away. That was 1937. One of the couples, Joseph Macri and Mary Jean Heiden, were married on March 30, 1940. Joseph worked for the Studebaker Car Corp. Mary Jean worked at the South Bend Bait Co., making deep sea fishing rods. Mary Jean, being of German decent was eager to learn to cook the Italian dishes Joseph grew up eating. Grandma, who called mom”Gina”, spoke very broken English with an Italian flair. I remember her saying, “youa justa doa liks dis,” as she measured everything in the palm of her hand. The couple raised four daughters, Joann, Karen, Cynthia, and Jacquelyn. Sundays were always special because dinner was at Grandma and Grandpa’s. the house was full of family and the delicious aroma of homemade meals. Grandma always had 7-up (in bottles, of course) and their canary would be singing in her cage. (See if you can spot these items in the restaurant.)
Joseph enjoyed watching sports, Notre Dame Football was his favorite. For 31 years, he volunteered as an usher. He enjoyed the games in the press box and all the hotdogs he could eat. he worked hard, loved his family, life was good. Then in 1963, Studebakers closed their doors and thanked Joseph for his 24 years of service withe a check for $300. The company spent the employee’s pension money trying to keep things going untill all the money was gone. Imagine starting your career over at 47 with a wife and four daughters, but that is just what he did. He found a job 100 miles away in La Grange, Illinois. As his father before him, Joseph left his family in search of a better life. He lived in an all-male boarding house for three years, worked seven days a week, sometimes a month straight. When Notre Dame played at home, he would drive to South Bend to visit his girls and root the Fighting Irish to victory. In 1967, family relocated to Illinois. But as children do, they grew up, married, and moved away. In 1984, Joseph and Mary Jean retired and at their youngest daughter’s request moved to Tulsa. Jacquelyn has two children, Christopher and Lauren. After Christopher graduated from OSU Culinary School as a Chef, he and Jacquelyn decided to share Grandma’s recipes with you. Searing for a restaurant name, Gina & Guiseppe’s just seemed logical. So in honor of our family, we are pleased to have you and your family enjoy over 100 years of our family recipes.
Buon appetito, Mange, mange” Touto Biene!
|
