Featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, walk into this hole-in-the-wall restaurant and find the walls covered in photos of famous people, friends, and family alike who have sat down for a meal, or many. My family has been coming this hidden gem, Tufano’s, since the 70’s, and it has remained a family favorite!
An excellent description comes from
Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap.
Tucked away on the outskirts of Little Italy, Tufano’s sets the mark for classic red-sauce Italian joints. With no sign on the door and a solid stream of regulars, you may wonder if you’ve walked into a restaurant or accidentally crashed someone’s family reunion. Well, you’ve done both.
Owner Joey DiBuono’s family started Tufano’s in 1930. His sister waits tables, his daughter helps him run the business, and the rest have been eating there since the Capone era. Literally. Not much has changed since then, and the people are still pouring in. Maybe it’s the laid-back atmosphere, but most likely, it’s the food.
If you’re struggling with what to wear, don’t. You’ll see families coming straight from soccer practice, or friends on their way to a Hawks game. We once saw an Italian nonna eating pasta in her long nightgown and sidearm holster, and barely gave it a sideways glance. Chill, she was unarmed, and probably thought it was still 1929. But if that isn’t a testament to the Tufano’s time warp, then we don’t know what is.
Are they reinventing the wheel? Absolutely not. This is classic, no B.S. Italian-American fare. It just so happens that the prices are good, and the atmosphere feels like home. Whether you live in Chicago or are just visiting, you don’t really get what old-school means until you come here.
Just remember, CASH ONLY.
TUFANO’S:
——-
Bushwick Tarantella by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Source:
――――
Bushwick Tarentella – Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Source:
Artist: