Get Cookin' With...Chef Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno

We all know Chef Tony Priolo is an award-winning and much loved Chicago chef. However, what rounds him out as a true celebrity chef is his strong commitment to giving back. Recently, he helped spear-head the Chicago Chefs Cook for Ukraine event at Navy Pier, an event that attracted over 70 local chefs and supported World Central Kitchen and its efforts to provide emergency food relief for Ukrainians in need. 

Now let's find out how Tony Priolo became a household name in the restaurant industry. His track record in the kitchen has brought him many honors, starting in 1997 when critics and diners noticed his culinary skills at Chicago restaurants Coco Pazzo and Coco Pazzo Cafe. He received recognition from many leading local and national food award organizations including AAA, Zagat, Fodor's and so many more. In an episode on The Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay," Tony actually DID beat Flay in one of the challenges. 

Since Tony was a child, he has always wanted to be a chef. He began cooking at the age of 8 at the skirt of his Sicilian grandmother on Chicago's Northwest Side. He loved Sunday dinners when she would make one of his favorite childhood dishes, tomato sauce with neck bones, pork shoulder and meatballs. His first restaurant job was as a 16-year-old prep cook in an Italian restaurant near his house. He went on to graduate at the top of his class from the Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago. The bee was now in the bonnet.  

In 2008, following his award-winning stints at Coco Pazzo and Coco Pazzo Cafe, he partnered with his long time, close friend Ciro Longobardo to open Piccolo Sogno which means "little dream." The restaurant is indeed a dream, a feast for the eyes, senses and stomach at 464 N. Halsted with a delightful outdoor patio encircled with twinkling white lights, and a cozy indoor dining area. The menu features a selection of fresh, seasonal, rustic Italian cuisine. "You go to Italy for simple food, prepared by hand with local ingredients and served with local wines. That's why people love eating in Italy, and we wanted to bring that experience to Chicago," he said. 

As with other restaurants, Piccolo Sogno had to close during the pandemic. "Our restaurant community across the nation felt the wrath of Covid and it caused nothing but problems for our industry. We all adapted to where we are today but, it will never be the same for our industry going forward. At Piccolo Sogno we did okay in the end as we have a large outside area where people felt comfortable dining. We were lucky to have that space to survive," he said.  

In his spare time, Tony loves spending time with his family, wife and two daughters where they enjoy nature walks and cooking together and doing crafts.

One thing you might not know about him? His other passion is baseball. He's been playing for years as an outfielder with the Hawks in the Chicago North Men's Senior Baseball League. Baseball and pasta, sounds like America's pastimes to me!  

Chef Tony Priolo's Ravioli di “Piccolo Sogno”

Filling

• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

• 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

• 1/8 cup goat cheese

• 1/8 cup chopped gorgonzola dolcelatte cheese

• 1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley

• Sicilian sea salt to taste

• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and adjust the seasoning.

Pasta Dough

• 4 whole eggs

• 4 egg yolks

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp Sicilian sea salt

• 2 3/4 cups semolina flour

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp water

Method

1. (Method 1) In a food processor, add all ingredients. Pulse until a ball forms; or, (Method 2) In a large bowl add all dry ingredients into center of the bowl. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the remaining ingredients. With a fork, beat the liquid until smooth, slowly touching the sides and incorporating the dry ingredients. Keep mixing until a ball is formed.

2. Take the ball out and knead by hand until the dough is slightly firm. (The texture should be slightly firmer than your ear lobe.) You may need to adjust the water amount due to the humidity in the air.

3. After the dough has rested, roll it out progressively with a pasta machine until the dough is thin enough that you can see your hand through it.

4. Brush the dough with egg yolk and add a quarter-sized dollop of filling on half of the dough with a spoon.

5. Place the other half of the dough over the side with the filling so that you can form ravioli. With a small shot glass, form the center of the ravioli and press all the air out.

6. Cut with a circle cutter so that there is a small edge around the center.

7. Press the sides, gently pushing the air out, and set aside.

8. Cook in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes, then toss into the sauce.

For the Sauce

• 1/2 cup fresh chicken broth

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

• Sicilian sea salt to taste

• Black pepper to taste

*Marsala glaze: 1 cup Marsala wine cooked down by three-quarters until it is thick. You can use a cornstarch slurry to thicken.

*Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano: Using a potato peeler, lightly shave off curls of cheese from a solid piece for the garnish.

1. In a sauce pan, reduce the chicken broth down by half. Add the butter and bring to a boil, then take the sauce off the heat. Stir quickly so the sauce does not break.

2. Add the cooked ravioli and toasted pine nuts. Adjust the seasoning.

3. Drizzle about six ravioli on a plate with sauce and Marsala glaze, sprinkle with pine nuts, and top with shavings of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.