Adriana Giramonti facts for kids
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| Born | Adriana Silvestri May 25, 1929 Presenzano, Italy |
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| Died | June 6, 2016 (aged 87) San Rafael, California, U.S. |
| Spouse | Nino Giramonti |
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Adriana Giramonti (1929–2016) was a talented Italian-American chef. She is famous for starting her own restaurant, Giramonti's, in Mill Valley, California in 1977.
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Adriana's Early Life
Adriana Silvestri was born on May 24, 1929, in Presenzano, Italy. Her parents were Clotilde Pascale and Umberto Silvestri. Adriana was one of five children in her family. They lived in a small village near Monte Cassino.
During World War II, her village was taken over by German soldiers. This made it very hard for her family to find food and supplies. They were often hungry because of the war. Even as a child, Adriana loved to paint and even won an art competition!
Moving to Rome and Learning to Cook
After the war, Adriana's family moved to the big city of Rome, Italy. Her parents taught her how to cook delicious, simple meals. They used fresh ingredients from the local markets.
Adriana was childhood friends with the famous actress Sophia Loren. They stayed friends throughout their lives. The family also spent their summers in a town called Nettuno.
In 1956, Adriana moved to San Francisco in the United States. She settled in the North Beach, San Francisco area. She hoped to become a teacher, but she couldn't find a job in schools.
Adriana's Cooking Career
Adriana started working in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant called Little Joe's. There, she met Nino Giramonti, who worked as a waiter. Adriana and Nino later got married and had two sons.
After working at Little Joe's for 15 years, Adriana and Nino decided to open their own restaurant. In 1977, they opened Giramonti's in Mill Valley, California. The restaurant had a beautiful view of Richardson Bay.
Restaurant Success and Famous Fans
Giramonti's focused on Roman cuisine, which is food from Rome. The restaurant even used the ancient Roman motto "SPQR" on its menus. In 1981, a famous food magazine called Gourmet gave Giramonti's a great review.
In 1983, Adriana Giramonti was featured on a TV show called Great Chefs. Three years later, in 1986, the famous actor Clint Eastwood said Giramonti's served "some of the best food in the Bay Area."
Some popular dishes at her restaurant included Roman-style artichokes and linguine with prawns. Adriana was very careful about where she got her ingredients. For example, she made sure her veal came from local farms. The San Francisco Examiner newspaper called Adriana a "master chef" in 1981.
Opening a Second Restaurant
In 1985, Adriana opened another restaurant called Adriana's in San Rafael, California. By 1992, Adriana's was serving about 100 meals every day! Adriana also appeared regularly on the morning news show on KGO-TV.
Adriana Giramonti always called herself a "cook" instead of a "chef." She knew that not many women were celebrated as chefs in the 1980s. She believed that women chefs were often more creative in the kitchen. She worked five days a week, starting her cooking at 10 a.m.
Later Life and Legacy
Adriana loved to teach her grandchildren how to cook. Gnocchi (a type of pasta) was one of their favorite dishes to make together. She also kept painting throughout her life. She even displayed her own paintings in her home.
Adriana Giramonti passed away on June 6, 2016, in San Rafael, California.
