Amici brings new spin on Italian with globally-inspired arancini to Chicago's North Side
CHICAGO (CBS) – For this Foodie Friday we're checking out a new spot that's remixing a popular Italian snack to take customers on a trip around the world.
As CBS 2's Jamaica Ponder reported, Amici, located at 3933 N. Broadway in Lakeview, is selling globally-inspired Aracini or fried Italian rice balls.
Amici takes that base idea of rice and protein and then applies it to cultures around the world. From India to Ethiopia, the menu covers a lot of ground.
"I think people hear the name "Amici," but they're automatically thinking, this is just going to be Italian food, and then they come in and they're like, this isn't quite what I was expecting," said Dharma Montagno.
Montagno is Amici's first and only employee, and while the restaurant's name, and head chef, Alfio Sciacca may both be Italian …
"We are embracing different cuisine that other restaurants not doing," Sciacca said.
The chef and his family have crafted a menu that goes beyond borders, and it all starts with the most popular ingredient in the world.
AS: It's rice.
DM: You can fill rice with anything.
"And if you look in a different culture from Africa to Indian to Mexico, rice, even though it is starch, is the main tool to introduce the different protein," said Sciacca. "We realized that there was one recipe actually from where I was born in Italy, south part of Italy,"
Arancini is typically made from a risotto filled with meat and cheese, then deep fried to crunch perfection.
"It was the perfect to introduce different types of cuisine," he said.
Chef Sciacca's spent the past thirty-five years cooking in Chicago kitchens he's opened restaurants and closed them, but never on the dawn of turning 60.
"Yes, I did have my doubts because age is a huge factor. You don't know if you still have what it takes to open a business, which is not easy," he said.
They've done no marketing, have minimal machines, and everything's homemade. From the chef's arsenal of spice mixes to his hand-crafted arancini…
"We're building pretty much a business in the way they used to be 30-something years ago. Word of mouth, one customer at a time," Sciacca said.
"I think this is kind of almost old school, almost like small-town vibes, but in a bigger city," Montagno said.
It's only been three months, and already the restaurant seems to be right at home.
"Because this is a pretty diverse neighborhood too, and they see the price point, they see the diversity of flavors," Montagno said.
"You can have a meal with pretty much ten bucks, but we are exposing you to things that you will probably not go for, from Africa and from Indian, from Asian, from even Jamaica," Sciacca said.
With flavors like birria and Doro with jerk and curry, they've curated a world of spices, right from Lakeview.
"And that is one of the reasons why we also opened this business, because we want to share what we have our love, not just for food, our love in general for people," Sciacca said.
One of those plates will only set you back about ten bucks and it's not a small amount of food but it's quick.
Sciacca says that's deliberate as he goes up against larger fast-food chains with his home-cooked meals.