Zagat: 9 Chicago Restaurant Families You Need to Know
FROM OLD-SCHOOL BAKERIES TO ITALIAN CLASSICS, GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES KEEP THESE INSTITUTIONS GOING STRONG
The Durpetti family, Gene & Georgetti
Marion Durpetti, the daughter of Chicago steakhouse legend Gene Michelotti, keeps the family tradition alive by running the city’s oldest steakhouse with her husband Tony Durpetti. Founded in 1941 by Michelotti and Alfredo “Georgetti” Federighi, the old-school restaurant has amassed generations of fans for classic chophouse dishes like steaks, wedge salads, veal and shrimp de Jonghe. Thanks to Michelotti’s charming persona (he was known to make the rounds in the dining room schmoozing with patrons), Gene & Georgetti quickly became a place where customers felt like family. Some regulars have visited weekly for years. Although Georgetti passed away in 1969, and Gene in 1989, the tradition and the recipes are going strong. While Gene & Georgetti is best known for steaks and chops, managing partner Rich Ciota calls the linguini mussels marinara a hidden gem.
500 N. Franklin St.; 312-527-3718
