Lombardino’s
Lombardino’s is an Italian restaurant at 2500 University Ave., at Highland Avenue, on Madison's Near West Side. Matt Lombardino opened it as Lombardino's Garden Restaurant in April 1954[1], and it has served pizza from the start[2]. Before that he ran the Italian Village on State Street, which advertised pizza in 1951[3].
History
Matt Lombardino ran a steak house on State Street during World War II, then the Italian Village at 651 State St. In about late 1952 he turned the Italian Village over to his nephew, Joseph Troia[1].
He was hiring for his "new restaurant" in March 1954[4]. On April 3 the Capital Times described the place "just opened at University and Highland Aves." He decorated it with art he had brought back from Italy: a Venetian glass fountain, statues from Florence and paintings by Alfredo Valenti. Waitresses wore Sorrento-style dresses, and food came out on a Sicilian cart[1]. Later listings say "since 1952," but the 1954 papers describe a new restaurant that spring.
The restaurant was still on University Avenue in the 1980 Yellow Pages[5]. In 2017 its chef and co-owner was Patrick O'Halloran[6]. In 2025 it was one of the 22 restaurants in the Madison Originals group when the group disbanded[7].
Pizza
An ad in May 1954 offered "Genuine Italian Pizza & Spaghetti," with any dish "packed to go out"[2]. By 1980 the Yellow Pages listed carryout pizza[5]. In 1971 the Daily Cardinal's "State Street Gourmet" used Lombardino's as the measure of a thick-crust, heavy-cheese pie, writing that a delivered Gino's pizza looked "just like a pie from Lombardino's"[8].
Trivia
- The owner of Nuha's Ark got a job at Lombardino's in 1960 making pizzas and later managed it, before opening his own restaurant in 1974[9].
- In 2017 diners walked past "the smiling pizza man mural and the Trevi Fountain sculpture"[6].
Locations
- 2500 University Ave. (since April 1954).
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kreisman, B. I. (1954, April 3). "Lombardino Has A Dream, And Lo, It Comes to Pass." The Capital Times. p. 13. Newspapers.com image 518688905.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 (1954, May 14). "Madison's Italian Corner at Highland and University Avenue for Genuine Italian Pizza & Spaghetti" — Lombardino's Garden Restaurant, 2500 University. The Capital Times. p. 34. Newspapers.com image 518611845.
- ↑ (1951, May 11). "Extra! Italian Village Restaurant Introduces Famous Italian Pizza!", 651 State St. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 22. Newspapers.com image 400557812.
- ↑ (1954, March 11). Help wanted: waitresses for a "new restaurant," Lombardino's Garden, University Ave. The Capital Times. p. 26. Newspapers.com image 521636718.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 (1980). Madison Yellow Pages, 1980 edition (Wisconsin Telephone Co.), 'Pizza' classification, p. 447: listings Barnaby's Family Inn (4802 E. Washington Ave. 241-2131; 6613 Mineral Point Rd. 833-1671), Brat und Brau (1421 Regent; …. Madison telephone directory. p. 447.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 (2017, November 22). Eggplant dishes around Madison, incl. Lombardino's (chef and co-owner Patrick O'Halloran; pizza man mural, Trevi Fountain sculpture; eggplant Napoletana). The Capital Times. p. O32. Newspapers.com image 516781933.
- ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2025, November 15). "Changing landscape left organization with diminishing footprint." Wisconsin State Journal. p. A3. Newspapers.com image 1273294307.
- ↑ Gourmet, S. S. (1971, October 28). State Street Gourmet column on delivered pizza: Eveready Roll'n Pizza, KC Roll'n Pizza Man, Gino's. The Daily Cardinal. p. 4.
- ↑ (1982, March 21). Feature on Nuha's Ark: its owner started at Lombardino's in 1960 making pizzas and later managed it. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 83. Newspapers.com image 401242963.
