WRITTEN BY: Maria Weller | PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Bill Roper
Whether you’re looking for cutting-edge cuisine, well-sauced pasta, brick oven pies, hand-filled cannoli or a family dedicated to serving only the most authentic recipes from some of the tastiest regions of "the boot," Mondo’s has you covered.
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here are cultures that immediately make you think of longstoried histories full of accomplishments. The Italian culture is one such example, having given us great works of art, architecture and most importantly, food. Much like the rich culture from which they come, the Aloisio family also has had a long and successful history with Mondo’s Ristorante Italiano. Angelo Aloisio immigrated from Abruzzi, Italy to Ellis Island in 1920 and at 15 quickly found work achieving his dream of becoming a chef. Having inherited his father’s passion for creating delicious Italian food, Louis Aloisio, affectionately referred to as Papa Lou, decided to open up a restaurant of his own right here in Tulsa in 1969. With his father’s assistance and recipes, Papa Lou met instant success. Rob Aloisio was 6 when Mondo’s first opened its doors and began working when he was only 14 bussing tables. From then on, he was involved with Mondo’s until the family sold the restaurant in 1997. Having been a Tulsa favorite for nearly three decades, it was only natural that locals would lament its loss. “Friends would see us around and tell us how much they missed Mondo’s,” Rob Aloisio says. And so, thoughts of bringing back Mondo’s began. There was
much thought and planning that went into the reopening of the family business. “I started looking for a location three years before we opened. I had grown up around Brookside and knew that’s where we wanted to be,” Rob says. When the opportunity fell into his lap, he snatched it up immediately and signed a lease. With the help of Papa Lou and his two brothers, Mondo’s was reborn. The Brookside location was absolutely perfect. The shotgun style space is not only reminiscent of something one would find in an Italian neighborhood in New York City, but it also came equipped with a brick pizza oven that would give new life and flavor to Mondo’s old pizza recipes. With comfortable banquet seating as well as tables and a fully stocked bar where you can order the full menu, Mondo’s is the perfect combination of familiar and comfortable with modern style. Though the space has a modern style, it still gives off the cozy, family friendly vibe expected of a true Italian restaurant. And just in case you wanted to question that, take a look at the walls-they are covered with around 200 photos of the various generations of the Aloisio family. “We are truly a family friendly and family run business. Our motto is, ‘If our doors are open, there’s an Aloisio in the house,’” Rob says. Preview918.com 81