Many of Lino Viola’s fondest childhood memories recall family meals in a small Northern Italian spa village. His love of all things culinary is rooted in these recollections of food, laughter and love. He attended school for hotel and restaurant management in Italy, then found employment with a prestigious European cruise line, routinely working eighteen hour days on transatlantic voyages. He settled in New York, the ship’s final port of call, and opened his first restaurant in 1977. A few years later, economic trends led him to change his white gloved French-Italian hybrid to a family style restaurant dishing hearty Italian cuisine. Accomplished chef Giuseppe Agnese, who formed a lasting partnership with Lino, made the transition with him. When a fire ravaged the building, they relocated the thriving eatery to a larger space. Lino’s favorite part of the business is the people he interacts with, whether his staff or his patrons. He says, “I love to please people and make them happy.”
Filippo Viola started going to work with his father when he was 11 years old. The boy was the elder Viola’s shadow, following him around and learning as he went. With time and age came more responsibility, and all his hard work and adolescent sacrifice has paid off. He manages the Cedarhurst location, running everything with Lino and his sister, Paulette helps tend bar. Filippo has “the same kind of air” as his father but brings a fresh perspective to the business, a youthful face younger customers can relate to. The two get along splendidly, often arriving together in the morning and going home together
at the end of a grueling day. They may disagree at times, but Filippo acknowledges that father knows best. CLICK HERE TO POST YOUR COMMENTS
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