"Italian Restaurant" On the Market

If you've ever wanted to decide on a bottle of red or a bottle of white at the restaurant that played the role of muse in Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," you better make your reservations soon.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Il Cortile and the two walk-up buildings that it connects are on the market—though the owners are reportedly seeking to lease the restaurant from the new owner so they can continue to run it (they're also allegedly willing to sell some stakes in the restaurant).

The Esposito family, who have owned the buildings since 1975 (at the time the space was a bedding store), are asking $15 million for the two residential buildings on Mulberry and Hester. The building sits across from a one-time mob social club and while organized crime members have been reportedly spotted at the restaurant in the past, the owners say they've only ever seen members of The Sopranos there.

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By Jen Carlson in Food on June 7, 2010 11:18 AM

Comments [rss]

reidontravel

This is a hotly debated question.

First of all, that Wiki source is likely wrong. At the concert across the street from Fontana di Trevi in June 1977 -- at Carnegie Hall -- Billy Joel dedicated the song to Cristiano's in Syosset, New York. You can hear this in 'The Stranger: 30th Anniversary Edition.'

Now, David Fricke claims that Billy told him it was the Fontana in that album's liner notes. And that's the place he and Phil Ramone bonded at the time. I'm not sure I buy it -- either David misquotes Billy or Billy MIGHT mis-remember it, three decades on.

Importantly, it seems less likely Billy would have been so familiar with Fontana before his string of Carnegie Hall shows in 1977 (and apparently he played the song first at Long Island University - CW Post in May 1977...). Who really knows?

I went to Cristiano's a couple weeks ago on Billy Joel's 61st Birthday Eve (May 8) and talked with the owner. Billy certainly was familiar with it, but I doubt anyone would want those 'seats by the street' he refers to in the song. It's in a relatively unflattering strip mall -- though the inside is impressive.

You can see the video yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWWp16qOATk

My opinion? It's none of the above, ultimately. Billy simply pieced together a scene based on a number of Italian restaurants he's been to in his life. But Syosset is closest to where the characters were from: Hicksville, NY.

Next question: where is the stairway to heaven? Must be Wales.

BoerumHillJo

from Wiki:

"After years of speculation about which restaurant exactly inspired the song, Joel stated on The Stranger 30th anniversary edition DVD interview, that the song was written about a restaurant called Fontana di Trevi, which was located across from Carnegie Hall in Manhattan. While Joel had a series of concerts there in June 1977, he frequented the restaurant. He does also state that it was a combination of places, but Fontana di Trevi was on his mind while he was writing the song."

Oof.