IN THE BIZ DINING
Tony Mandina’s: A Westbank Culinary Legacy Approaching 40 years in business, this restaurant’s story reaches across oceans and generations. BY P OP PY TO O KE R
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BIZ NEW ORLEANS
NOVEMBER 2021
I L L U ST R AT I O N B Y T O N Y H E A L E Y
A native New Orleanian, Poppy Tooker has spent her life devoted to the cultural essence that food brings to Louisiana, a topic she explores weekly on her NPR-affiliated radio show, Louisiana Eats! From farmers markets to the homes and restaurants where our culinary traditions are revered and renewed, Poppy lends the voice of an insider to interested readers everywhere.
The Mandina’s Sicilian family ties the ABC’s of New Orleans’ legacy restau- are evident in the authenticity of their rant families. And now, just across the cuisine. Tony first connected with cousins Mississippi River in Gretna, Louisiana, there in 1960 while stationed overseas in Tony Mandina’s family is positioned to the Army. In 2009, his daughter, Kolette claim their own place in our culinary Mandina Ditta, expanded family connecpantheon. tions dramatically when she discovered “Tony Mandina’s is a prime example cousins in Salaparuta, a little town in of the multigenerational legacy of our southwestern Sicily where Mandina community,” said Gretna Mayor Belinda family roots can be traced back to 1720, Constant. “The Mandina family has given spanning six generations. their life to food, making everyone who On family land in Salaparuta, the walks through the door feel like family.” Sicilian Mandinas cultivate grapes and Neither Tony Mandina nor his wife, olives that are crafted into fine vintages Grace, had any prior restaurant experience and extra-virgin oil. Kolette quickly began when Tony Mandina’s opened its doors an import venture to make the family’s on November 15, 1982. At the time, Tony vintages and olive oil available both at the was a salesman at Kirschman’s Furniture restaurant and in local stores. store while Grace was a stay-at-home The imported products were a natural mom, raising their three young daughters, addition to the wholesale business Kolette Kim, Kolette and Kary. For several years, created several years ago when she began handyman Tony had dabbled in real estate, producing Tony Mandina’s Red Gravy by buying affordable properties to renovate the quart. The red gravy found a large, and rent or sell when a for sale sign on a devoted following in grocery stores across derelict barbecue shack caught his eye. the South and nationwide as customers Toiling before and after his day job, discovered it on Amazon. construction was almost complete when The family’s entire life has always Grace stopped by for their usual coffee revolved around the restaurant. When break. As they looked around, Tony Kolette gave birth to her daughter, Lindsey, suggested, “I’ve been thinking, Grace. The they stopped at Tony Mandina’s first on girls are getting older … maybe we should the way home from the hospital. Little open this and have a little restaurant Lindsey literally grew up there, working ourselves.” “I was floored! ‘What do we alongside her grandmother in the office know about a restaurant, Tony?’” Grace when she wasn’t helping make meatballs asked. “He said, ‘You’re always cooking in the kitchen. lots of food and we live right down the As Tony and Grace got older, the street…’ Little did I know it wasn’t just demands of the business weighed on the about cooking!” entire family. It was clear that in order In those early days, before beginning to retire, the business would have to his day at Kirshmann’s, Tony would close or be sold, neither of which seemed rise before dawn to make red gravy and like a solution. After a great deal of soul bake fresh bread and cuccidati, closely searching, in 2020 Kolette and daughter following heritage recipes learned from his Lindsey decided to purchase the family mother, “Maw-maw” Mandina. By lunch- business to guarantee its future. In their time, he was back, greeting customers “retirement,” Tony and Grace never miss a at the door while Grace and her sisters day at the restaurant. Stop by and you’ll performed the other duties. find them happily ensconced at Table 41 Originally, Tony Mandina’s offered only ready to see old friends and meet new weekday lunch service. Eager for more ones as they raise a toast to “La Familia.” n business only two months after opening, he came up with the idea to offer buy-one, get-one free meatballs and spaghetti on Tuesdays. “Two For Tuesdays” created such a sensation that by late spring 1983, the restaurant’s hours expanded to include dinner on Friday and Saturday, Catch Poppy Tooker on her radio show, while Monday lunch was eliminated. It’s a “Louisiana Eats!” Saturdays at 3 p.m. and schedule they still maintain today. Mondays at 8 p.m. on WWNO 89.9 FM. ALCIATORE, BRENNAN, CHASE – THESE ARE
