Page 32 - aruba-today-20161203

A32 FEATURE
Saturday 3 december 2016
Rao’s cookbook serves up spicy anecdotes with the meatballs

JOCELYN NOVECK other favorites. very unfortunate incident
AP National Writer On a tiny shelf — there’s — we always viewed Rao’s
NEW YORK (AP) — So one not much wall space — sits more like Switzerland than
night, the story goes, Justin a jar of the famous Rao’s anything else.” He adds
Bieber was in town, and sauce sold in stores by the that rumor has it there was
had a hankering for Italian restaurant’s specialty food an earlier shooting “back
food. Not just any Italian, business. in 1911 or 1912. A woman
but Rao’s, the tiny restau- That business — and the sitting here at the bar, a
rant by a park in East Har- handling of it — is currently stray bullet from outside. I
lem that’s been around for the subject of a lawsuit in can’t confirm it.”
120 years — and is one of state court that has, ac- But back to the food. Pel-
the hardest-to-get tables in cording to tabloid reports, legrino’s favorite dishes
the country, let alone the caused a bitter rift be- include the pork chop
city. tween Pellegrino Sr. and his with cherry peppers — a
Some “serious society cousin and co-owner, Ron 450-year-old recipe — and
types” made inquiries for Straci, and his wife Sharon. the shells with ricotta. The
Bieber, according to an Pellegrino Jr. will only say seafood salad is very pop-
anecdote in the new cook- that the lawsuit is ongoing ular. But probably the one
book, “Rao’s Classics.” But but he’s hopeful it will be thing Rao’s is best known
the place was booked with resolved soon. for is its meatball — about
regulars, as always. Would But it’s hard to say the law- three times the size of a
heaven and earth be suit is the most dramatic normal one. Initially, meat-
moved? The answer came This Oct. 24, 2016 photo shows the exterior of Rao’s restaurant in calamity to befall the res- balls were served only on
crisply and succinctly: “No the Harlem section of New York. taurant — not with the mur- Wednesdays. But demand
one gives a (blank) about Associated Press der and all. was too great to limit the
Justin Bieber.” be handed down in a fam- guests since I was a kid,” It happened, as the book dish.
Many things are said to be ily, or gifted to a friend for says Pellegrino, 46, whose recounts (authors are the Rao’s walls are plastered
impossible in Manhattan. A a night, or auctioned for first job at Rao’s was a two Pellegrinos and Joseph with photos of the celeb-
taxi at rush hour in the rain. charity at many (many!) summer gig in 6th grade. Riccobene), around Christ- rities that have passed
A parking spot on a Satur- thousands of dollars for an “There’s a bond. It’s about mas 2003, when a young through — usually as guests
preservation of relation- actress was serenading of regulars. Hillary Clin-
ships.” diners with “Don’t Rain On ton’s picture is there, from
If you really want a table My Parade.” her Senate years; Donald
at Rao’s, probably the A man at the bar “ut- Trump has also visited. Hol-
best place to try is in Ve- tered unkind words.” An lywood stars galore. And
gas, where the 10-year-old older man, a mobster many cast members of
Rao’s at Caesar’s Palace nicknamed “Louie Lump “The Sopranos.”
occupies 10,000 square Lump,” admonished him, One regular was sportswrit-
feet — “about five New more insults were traded, er Dick Schaap, who died
York Rao’s in one,” quips and Louie ended up pull- in 2001. At his funeral, Billy
Pellegrino — serving 400-
600 people a night (and
800 large meatballs a
day.) There’s also been an
outpost in Hollywood since
2013.
Pellegrino Jr. spends most
of his time out west, while
his father, Frank Sr., pre-
sides over the Manhattan
locale, which opened in
1896. Coming back to New
In this Oct. 24, 2016 photo, Frank Pellegrino Jr. co-owner of York feels like a reunion, he
Rao’s, serves meatballs to accompany fusilli with cabbage and says.
sausage at the restaurant in the Harlem section of New York.
Associated Press Still, “I only get to eat here
when I’m working or when
day night. “Hamilton” tick- evening. I cook myself” — which is
ets in the current century. As the Zagat guide says, it what he’s doing at 1 p.m.
But let’s be precise. Those “practically takes an act of when we arrive.
things are difficult, but not Congress” to score a table. The place is quiet, very
impossible. And so, visiting Rao’s one quiet. Lights are still off in
You know what’s impossi- day recently, some five the dining room. But in
ble? Getting a reservation hours before doors open, the kitchen, a huge pot of In this Oct. 24, 2016 photo, Frank Pellegrino Jr. co-owner of
at Rao’s. one of our first questions is marinara sauce is being Rao’s, prepares fusilli with cabbage and sausage as a pot of his
The first thing to know is whether there’s ever been tended by Paulie Sanchez, signature sauce bubbles on the stove, at the restaurant in the
that Rao’s has only 10 ta- a thought to shaking up who’s been with the res- Harlem section of New York.
bles, serving 60-ish diners a the system — maybe get- taurant some 15 years. Pel- Associated Press
night — one leisurely seat- ting a bunch of fresh blood legrino, meanwhile, is whip-
ing only (and no lunch.) into the doors. ping up some fusilli with ing a gun and killing the Crystal noted in his eulogy
younger man.
that everyone was thinking
The next is that these tables That, says co-owner Frank cabbage and sausage.
have been assigned for Pellegrino Jr., is really miss- The recipe appears in the It didn’t hurt business. the same thought.
“I was here that evening,”
“Who’s going to get his ta-
years. People have their ing the point. new book, with about 140
regular nights. A table can “I’ve known many of these says Pellegrino Jr. “It was a ble at Rao’s?”q