Rao's
| Rao's | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurantinformation | |
| Established | 1896 |
| Food type | Italian-American |
| Street address | 455 East 114th Street (atPleasant Avenue),Italian Harlem,Manhattan |
| City | New York City |
| State | New York |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 10029 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | raosrestaurants |
Rao's(/ˈreɪoʊz/) is anItalian-Americanrestaurant founded in 1896. It is located at 455 East 114th Street, on the corner ofPleasant AvenueinEast Harlem(orItalian Harlem),New York City.Rao's has a sister restaurant inLos Angeles.[1][2]
History[edit]
The restaurant was started in 1896 by Joshua Anthony Rao, who moved with his parents from Italy to the United States. He bought a small shop inItalian Harlem,once a very large Italian-American community, and ran the restaurant until his death in 1909. Louis Rao took over the business. He was seen by many as a very suave man.[citation needed]He had his hair cut at theWaldorf-Astoria Hoteland wore many fancy suits.[citation needed]
In December 2006, Rao's opened a second restaurant in Las Vegas, under executive chef Carla Pellegrino, with two ten-table rooms and additional seating available on an outdoor garden patio.[3]In early 2009, Rao's in Las Vegas opened aboccebar outside and began offering bocce lessons and cocktails there.[4]In July 2013, Frank Pellegrino Jr. announced onLate Night with Jimmy Fallonthat Rao's would open in Hollywood soon.[5]It has since been opened.[6][7]
Rao's now sells products in gourmet markets and supermarkets. Products include pasta, sauces, as well as olive oil.[8]
Though small, Italian Harlem culture is still kept alive by Rao's and theGiglio Society of East Harlem.Every year on the second weekend of August in honor of Back To School, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the "Dancing of the Giglio" is performed while thousands of visitors and onlookers celebrate the once largest Italian community in New York City.
TheNew York Postdescribes the restaurant as "one of the hardest places to get into in the city".[9] Notable patrons of the eatery have includedJohn Gotti,Rudy Giuliani,Robert De Niro,and others.
In media[edit]
Film[edit]
In the movieThe Wolf of Wall Street,which premiered in December 2013, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is seen eating dinner in Rao's restaurant during a meeting with private investigatorBo Dietl.
Woody AllenandMia Farrowregularly ate at Rao's in the 1980s. Mrs. Rao inspired the character Tina Vitale in his 1984 filmBroadway Danny Rose.
Jars of sauce can be seen in the grocery store scene in the movieChristmas With The Kranks.
Music[edit]
In 2009,Jay-Zshot the music video for "D.O.A." (Death of Autotune) at Rao's.[citation needed]
Television[edit]
Rao's was the basis for "Raimondo's," a fictional restaurant featured as the site of a murder in theLaw & Orderepisode "Everybody Loves Raimondo's." The owner of the fictional restaurant was played by actorRay Abruzzo,who later co-starred with Pellegrino onThe Sopranos.[citation needed]The episode was based on a shooting at the restaurant in 2003.[10]
OnTop Chef: All Stars,season 8, episode 8,an elimination challenge required the chefs to cook a three-course family-style Italian meal at Rao's restaurant for the judges and Rao's owners and staff.
On an episode ofKitchen Nightmares,Season 7, episode 2 "Pantaleone's",Gordon Ramsaytalks about the history of Rao's restaurant to the family who owns the pizza shop "Pantalone's" inDenver, Colorado.He then takes the father and son to the Rao's restaurant atCaesar's PalaceinLas Vegas.They then meet the owner, Frank Pellegrino Jr., and learn that he is the fourth generation of successors to operate the family-owned restaurant.
Rao's was profiled on the pilot episode ofGuilty Pleasuresas home ofBobby Flay'sfavorite meal.[11]
In Season 7, Episode 11 of the TV showBillionsBobby Axelrod takes an influential politician to Rao's for dinner.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"History of Rao's".Raos.
- ^"Rao's | Manhattan | Restaurant Menus and Reviews".Zagat.Retrieved2013-02-19.
- ^"Caesers Palace Rao's".Harrahs.Retrieved2013-02-19.
- ^Shindler, Merrill (May 28, 2009)."A Rao's-ing Tale".Zagat.
- ^"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon".Internet Archive - TV News Archive.NBC. July 25, 2013.Retrieved14 June2017.
- ^Baum, Gary (September 18, 2013)."Opening Night Report: NYC Landmark Rao's Debuts in LA".HollywoodReporter.The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved14 June2017.
- ^Nagourney, Adam (January 21, 2014)."At Rao's in Los Angeles, Red Sauce and Rivalry".The New York Times online.The New York Times Company.Retrieved14 June2017.
- ^"Rao's Specialty Foods, Inc. -Premium Pasta Sauces, Pasta, Oil, Vinegars, Marinades and Gifts".Raos. 2004-03-23.Retrieved2013-02-19.
- ^Landman, Beth (22 November 2015)."Inside the restaurant that's the hardest reservation in town".New York Post.Retrieved27 November2015.
- ^Dwyer, Kevin; Juré Fiorillo (2006).True stories of Law & order: the real crimes behind the best episodes of the hit TV show.Berkley Boulevard. p.142-.ISBN9780739476871.
- ^"Ooey-Gooey Obsessions".Food Network. n.d.Retrieved2021-07-02.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- "So you wanna get into Rao's?".So you wanna.Archived fromthe originalon 2000-12-11.
- "Murder at Rao's".New York Magazine.
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