View source for 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<ref name="ct-1947-11-12-p6">(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 [https://www.newspapers.com/image/518277461/ 518277461].</ref>. Sam and Roselyn Amato ran it for 43 years, until it closed in 1991<ref name="madmag-2010-10-20-boomer-bust">Beilke, D. (2010, October 20). [https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/city-life/boomer-bust/article_ac2fd804-0596-52c8-afdc-fb5b49fe289a.html "Boomer Bust."] ''Madison Magazine''.</ref>. By 1958 it called its pizza "Madison's Finest PIZZA, Served or Carry Out"<ref name="wsj-1958-11-07-p24">(1958, November 7). Carlo's Carry-Out Food Service, 435 State St.: "We deliver". ''Wisconsin State Journal''. p. 24. Newspapers.com image [https://www.newspapers.com/image/397160527/ 397160527].</ref>.

==History==
On November 12, 1947, a "Now Open!" ad for Amato's Frozen Custard Restaurant offered "complete dinners, lunches, sandwiches, and fountain service"<ref name="ct-1947-11-12-p6" />. In January 1949 Amato's advertised shrimp dinners and frozen custard<ref name="wsj-1949-01-14-p11">(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 [https://www.newspapers.com/image/401296779/ 401296779].</ref>. In late 1951 it closed for remodeling from November 26 to December 7 and put its "Frozen Custard Equipment for Sale"<ref name="ct-1951-11-26-p8">(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 [https://www.newspapers.com/image/521609644/ 521609644].</ref>. 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<ref name="ct-1953-12-11-p30">(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 [https://www.newspapers.com/image/518620508/ 518620508].</ref>.

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"<ref name="mc-2011-11-02-schiavo-obituary">Kalk Derby, S. (2011, November 2). [https://madison.com/news/local/article_fbbcdbba-05a0-11e1-966a-001cc4c002e0.html "Restaurateur 'Tony' Schiavo dies of cancer at age 68."] ''madison.com''.</ref>.

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<ref name="madmag-2010-10-20-boomer-bust" />. A family member later wrote that it closed because the owner's health was failing<ref name="fb-2020-05-13-amatos-holiday-house">(2020, May 13). [https://www.facebook.com/groups/159700503902/posts/10158180225603903/ "Post with a photo of Amato's Holiday House, Historic Madison Wi. photo group."] ''Facebook''.</ref>.

==Pizza==
* 1958: "Madison's Finest PIZZA, Served or Carry Out"<ref name="wsj-1958-11-07-p24" />.
* 1960: "The Finest in Pizzas," in an ad in the Daily Cardinal<ref name="dc-1960-12-09-p6">(1960, December 9). [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AG2DE5OIJ7JMYM8Q/pages/AHY7PNTAWOMZ7C8C "Carlo's Pizza Delivered To Your Room", 435 State St., open till 1 a.m.] ''The Daily Cardinal''. p. 6.</ref>.

==Trivia==
* The [[Greenbush Bar]] bakes its pizzas in the old brick oven from Amato's<ref name="mc-2006-08-10-greenbush-secret">Evans, G. (2006, August 10). [https://madison.com/entertainment/article_3b42ba0a-203d-5dc8-827a-7f0c5ab6303d.html "Secret's out: Greenbush Bar is worth a visit."] ''madison.com''.</ref>.
* 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<ref name="fb-2021-10-21-amatos-custard">(2021, October 21). [https://www.facebook.com/groups/159700503902/posts/10159418115578903/ "Post of the 1947 Amato's Frozen Custard Restaurant ad, Historic Madison Wi. photo group."] ''Facebook''.</ref>.
* One online post called it one of the very best fish fries in Madison<ref name="fb-2020-05-13-amatos-holiday-house" />. A photo shared by Sam Amato's daughter shows him cooking pasta for the restaurant's lasagna<ref name="fb-2023-07-03-amatos-kitchen">(2023, July 3). [https://www.facebook.com/groups/333827440359540/posts/1537868656622073/ "Post with a photo of Sam Amato in the Amato's Holiday House kitchen, Forgotten Wisconsin group."] ''Facebook''.</ref>.

==Locations==
* 515 S. Park St. (1947–1991).

==See also==
* [[1940s (decade)]]
* [[1950s (decade)]]
* [[1990s (decade)]]
* [[Item:Q3085|Amato’s Holiday House in the Madison Pizza Wiki database]]

==Notes==
<references />