Amato’s Holiday House
Amato’s Holiday House was an Italian restaurant at 515 S. Park St., in the Greenbush neighborhood. It opened in November 1947 as Amato's Frozen Custard Restaurant[1]. Sam and Roselyn Amato ran it for 43 years, until it closed in 1991[2]. By 1958 it called its pizza "Madison's Finest PIZZA, Served or Carry Out"[3].
History
On November 12, 1947, a "Now Open!" ad for Amato's Frozen Custard Restaurant offered "complete dinners, lunches, sandwiches, and fountain service"[1]. In January 1949 Amato's advertised shrimp dinners and frozen custard[4]. In late 1951 it closed for remodeling from November 26 to December 7 and put its "Frozen Custard Equipment for Sale"[5]. In December 1953, as Amato's Holiday House, it announced that it had been "remodeled! enlarged!", with a freshly decorated kitchen, parking and rooms for private parties[6].
Tony Schiavo, later of Antonio's and Café Continental, worked at Amato's as a boy; it was owned by a relative. He washed dishes there from the age of 8 or 9, and at 15, "before he had a driver's license, he was making and delivering pizzas"[7].
Madison Magazine wrote in 2010 that for most of the years Sam and Roselyn Amato ran it, the restaurant was a hangout for many of Madison's political movers and shakers. Amato's closed in 1991, and La Hacienda now occupies the space[2]. A family member later wrote that it closed because the owner's health was failing[8].
Pizza
- 1958: "Madison's Finest PIZZA, Served or Carry Out"[3].
- 1960: "The Finest in Pizzas," in an ad in the Daily Cardinal[9].
Trivia
- The Greenbush Bar bakes its pizzas in the old brick oven from Amato's[10].
- In a local-history group online, a former customer remembered tasting pizza for the first time at Amato's, where free samples were set out on a baby grand piano in the bar during sing-alongs. Others remembered the Friday fish fry, for which it was hard to get a table, and the table jukeboxes[11].
- One online post called it one of the very best fish fries in Madison[8]. A photo shared by Sam Amato's daughter shows him cooking pasta for the restaurant's lasagna[12].
Locations
- 515 S. Park St. (1947–1991).
See also
- 1940s (decade)
- 1950s (decade)
- 1990s (decade)
- Amato’s Holiday House in the Madison Pizza Wiki database
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 (1947, November 12). "Now open!" Amato's Frozen Custard Restaurant, 515 S. Park St.: complete dinners, lunches, sandwiches and fountain service. The Capital Times. p. 6. Newspapers.com image 518277461.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Beilke, D. (2010, October 20). "Boomer Bust." Madison Magazine.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 (1958, November 7). Carlo's Carry-Out Food Service, 435 State St.: "We deliver". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 24. Newspapers.com image 397160527.
- ↑ (1949, January 14). "Pizza Pie Pizza Pie Pizza — Yes we're still the home of Pizza Pie" — 3 Sisters Dining Room, Tony's Bar, 736 W. Washington Ave. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 11. Newspapers.com image 401296779.
- ↑ (1951, November 26). Amato's Restaurant closed November 26 to December 7 for remodeling; "Frozen Custard Equipment for Sale". The Capital Times. p. 8. Newspapers.com image 521609644.
- ↑ (1953, December 11). Amato's Holiday House "remodeled! enlarged!": "Our modern kitchen now freshly decorated, too!"; parking; private parties. The Capital Times. p. 30. Newspapers.com image 518620508.
- ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2011, November 2). "Restaurateur 'Tony' Schiavo dies of cancer at age 68." madison.com.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 (2020, May 13). "Post with a photo of Amato's Holiday House, Historic Madison Wi. photo group." Facebook.
- ↑ (1960, December 9). "Carlo's Pizza Delivered To Your Room", 435 State St., open till 1 a.m. The Daily Cardinal. p. 6.
- ↑ Evans, G. (2006, August 10). "Secret's out: Greenbush Bar is worth a visit." madison.com.
- ↑ (2021, October 21). "Post of the 1947 Amato's Frozen Custard Restaurant ad, Historic Madison Wi. photo group." Facebook.
- ↑ (2023, July 3). "Post with a photo of Sam Amato in the Amato's Holiday House kitchen, Forgotten Wisconsin group." Facebook.
