Rosati’s Owner Brings Taste of Chicago To Oxford

FOOD& DRINK

Big flavors, cozy settings

Rosati's brings Chicago to Oxford

BY MARY KELLEY ZELESKEY PHOTOS BY JOEY BRENT

WWith Italian recipes and rich family history dating back to 1895, Rosati's authentic Chicago-style pizza offers big flavors in a cozy setting. The family history and Italian themes is what originally attracted owner Scott Whitaker to bring the Roasti’s concept to Oxford. “For me, after traveling over the years to Chicago, I’ve eaten in most of the big name restaurants up there, and I always have a Chicago deep-dish pizza at least once, but they really are more known for their thin crust,” said Whitaker.

Offering both deep-dish and thin crust pizza, the Rosatis’ recipes have been passed down from generation to generation. Beginning when the family’s first Italian restaurant and pizzeria was opened on Coney Island by Italian immigrant Ferdinand Rosati, Rosati later opened a similar concept in Chicago in 1906. His son, Saverio Rosati, followed in his father’s footsteps in 1927 and opened his own Italian restaurant in Chicago, where Al Capone and his entourage could be seen enjoying pasta dishes. It wasn’t until 1978 that the Rosati family began franchising their restaurants. Rosati’s opened its doors on North Lamar Boulevard in the summer of 2021, bringing a variety of traditional Italian dishes with an emphasis on Chicago-style pizza. “It was

really important to us to do something in the downtown area. We wanted to have a unique concept but something that would really add to the options here”, said Davis Brown, one of the managers of Rosati’s in Oxford. “I think we have been able to accomplish that”.

All of the Rosati’s restaurants pride themselves on sourcing fresh ingredients and staying true to the rich family history. With authentic sauces, like marinara and alfredo, made daily in Chicago and shipped directly to Oxford every week, the dishes remain fresh and unique. “You can’t get our sauces at the grocery store. You can’t get substitutes for what we have here”, said Whitaker. “This is all proprietary items, which