Venerable Chicago restaurants hold a special place in my heart; while I usually cover the new and notable in the scene, any chef or restaurant that has managed to keep producing quality food and making people happy for decades on end deserves attention. That’s why when I found out that Mia Francesca, Scott Harris’s classic Italian spot in Lincoln Park, was celebrating 32 years in business, I had to sit down with him to learn more about how he’s been so successful for so long. Here are some pearls of wisdom and stories from one of the kings of Chicago Italian food, who has owned more than 30 different restaurants over the years.
On getting started in the restaurant industry: “I started when I was a kid. My dad was a carpenter, and my mom was a waitress, so in the summer I worked with him and in the winter, I worked as a dishwasher, starting when I was 14. An old chef, a Vietnam vet with a big beard, took a liking to me; he really got me involved and I knew I didn’t want to do construction. I went from dishwasher to fry cook and then went to culinary school. A mentor told me: go to the top places on the Chicago magazine 25 Best Restaurants list, bring your knife, and beg for a job. I did that all through my 20s.”
On the origins of Mia Francesca: “My partners and my then-wife Francesca, back then, we all had about $50,000 in our pockets, and that was a lot of money. We probably did the whole place for $250,000; we did a lot of work ourselves, it was a very simple trattoria. We were driving around the neighborhood and this place, Ideal Candies, was closing and had been there for 37 years. We called the owner, and it was between us and a Starbucks; thank God he took a liking to us. I knew what to do in the kitchen, but I knew nothing about construction.”
His favorite closed concept: “My favorite was Glazed and Infused Doughnuts. I live in River North, I’d hang out in the location on Hubbard, and I’d take three to four boxes, go to a bar or a hair salon, and give them a dozen. You’d think I gave them $100 bills. But at that time in my life, it cost too much to keep it going. I was devastated when I lost that concept; doughnuts just made people happy.”
His favorite places to eat in town: “I go to Shaw’s a lot and sit at the oyster bar. I go to Sushi-San. I’ve got dear friends over at Portofino and Chicago Cut. I go where my friends are. I’m watching John Manion, he’s a great cook. I go where the food is great, the bartenders know you, and mostly to say hello to my friends. The best restaurateur in the country is Rich Melman; I used to work at Ambria over in Lincoln Park, and that’s where I met Rich; he’s been a mentor all along. I was at the bar at Tre Dita the other night and saw RJ; they are such good people.”
On the importance of people: “My guys have been with me forever; if you come to my restaurants, most have been with me for 15 to 20 years. Some of the kitchen guys are getting a little old now! We always take care of our people; that’s the number one thing you have to do. They are the only reason I’m there. The dishwasher is always the first person I say hello to whenever I go to a restaurant — they are the most important people.”
His favorite dish at Mia Francesca: “The rigatoni Siciliana is still my favorite. We roast the eggplant in a hot oven. It goes in a pan with garlic, white wine, tomato sauce, chiles, some Boursin cheese. It’s just the most flavorful dish — with a little mozzarella, freshly made. We try to take it off and people complain.”
On the renovation of Mia Francesca: “We totally brought in a new vibe. No tablecloths, a more casual feel, more of a trattoria feel. When we did it, it was on a dime, there were no pads on the chairs. There’s a new back patio, new bathrooms. Everything looks brand new. We put in a chef’s table with a slicer. We have an antipasto table right there. Changed all the lighting, freshened it up. It looks clean, like a 2024 restaurant, not a 1992 restaurant. The renovation brings back so many memories of customers and their kids and their kids. It’s surreal how it’s evolved.”
On next steps: “I’m 62, I still love what I do. I don’t golf, so I’d drive my wife crazy if I was home. I still have 18 restaurants, and I’m looking to expand. I still cook; I have been dabbling in the Mia Francesca kitchen. I can’t bend over the ovens anymore, but I work with the pasta guys a lot.”