Building an original slice of the Bronx in Baltimore will cost as much as $3 million.
The owners of
Aldo's Italian Restaurant in Little Italy are teaming up with Hollywood actor Chazz Palminteri to open a coal-fired pizza restaurant in Harbor East.
Much of that money will go in the restaurant's design, Aldo's Co-owner Alessandro Vitale says. The owners have hired Baltimore's Rita St. Clair, who has put her stamp on the Prime Rib and Aldo's.
"We're trying to capture old-school Bronx" circa 1950, Vitale says. (That's the same era depicted in Palminteri's movie and play "A Bronx Tale.")
You can expect to see a black-and-white checker floor, marble tops, and subway tiles behind the pizza oven. Diners will be able to watch the guys making pizza.
"We're trying to create an immersive experience," Vitale says, adding, "You can't fake it."
Partners in the venture include the Vitales, Palminteri and Kerry Kessel, an investor and friend of the actor.
Palminteri forged a friendship with the Vitale brothers after falling in love with Aldo's marinara sauce.
The 7,000-square-foot restaurant will employ more than 40.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Alessandro Vitale, Aldo's Italian Restaurant, Chazz: A Bronx Original