Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide

Articles Sections >> Arts + Words Bars + Clubs Dating Festivals Fitness Food Lifestyle Music Theater Travel + Tourism Who's Who > View All Arts and Words Food and Drink Music

Charlie Trotter's former right-hand man takes the helm at this acclaimed Halsted Street spot.

Tuesday Mar 20, 2007.     By Michael Nagrant

Who's Who Feed

Growing up in Lodi, a small town outside of Milan, Giuseppe Tentori spent hours watching his grandmother stir polenta. Her passion for the simplest kitchen tasks inspired his love of cooking. While cooking was in his blood, Tentori considers himself a bit of a "black sheep"—excepting his grandmother, most of his family works in medicine.

While working a kitchen in Milan, he hooked up with Gabriel Viti, chef of the North Shore restaurant Gabriel's, where Viti invited Tentori to join him for his first job in the States. After a stint in Salt Lake City, Tentori ultimately ended up at Charlie Trotter's, where he's worked for the last eight years. Many chefs do a one- or two-year stint in Trotter's kitchen, but the consistent attention to detail and the challenge of wowing customers daily inspired Tentori to stay.

As Trotter's right-hand man, Tentori could probably have had his pick of restaurant jobs. But it was the hands-on approach of co-owners Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz that drew him to Boka, a Lincoln Park restaurant heavy on seafood and small plates. While he leaves behind a good deal of creative freedom at Trotter's, there's a lot more responsibility in the next phase of his career: With every plate served at Boka, Tentori's name and reputation are on the line.

What do you wish you could change/pickle about the Chicago restaurant scene?
I'd like to see more comfortable late-night food. I'm a steak and potato guy and a big fan of steakhouses. I'd like to see more of those.

What would your last meal be?
I'd love to have dinner in the desert in Moab Utah with my best friend: a meal of stewed octopus and whole roasted rabbit cooked over the campfire.

Where do you eat before/after a shift?
Argo. Every day I have a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino. I get upset when the croissant isn't there.

What's the can't-miss dish at your restaurant?
Stuffed squid with spicy pineapple and black tapioca. I think it's exciting, and it will be on the menu for a while.

What should we know about your restaurant that we probably don't?
I'm not big on butter and cream. I love extra virgin olive oil. I love when the guests get up from the table and they don't feel stuffed from a heavy meal, and they have enough energy to go out and have a good time afterward.