Get Cookin' with Tocco Chef Bruno Abate

In 2001, Italian born Chef Bruno Abate burst into Chicago's consciousness, both as a restaurateur and as a social scenester, when he opened his first restaurant, Follia. Located in the Fulton Market District, it was THE place to see and be seen. Besides having the best pizza around, a surprise aspect to the eatery was Bruno's dedication to Chicago's budding fashion community. He incorporated displays of young designers’ fashions into the restaurant's decor and it was an instant hit, attracting both foodies and fashionistas alike!   

But before Bruno made his mark on Chicago, he had already made a name for himself in Milan with a company he founded selling fish and caviar to high-end restaurants. With his oversized, gregarious personality and a unique flair for fashion, he attracted attention and business. 

Born in Naples to a mother who was an accomplished chef and a father who was a tailor, Bruno developed both a love of cooking and fine design. His extensive travels around the world helped him hone these skills and eventually led him to Chicago, where he combined these passions as a much loved, award-winning restaurateur. 

Following the success of Follia, Bruno opened Tocco in Wicker Park in 2008. The restaurant was converted from a former McDonald's into a stylish eatery that served his signature pizza, pasta and a variety of other Italian dishes. Tocco lasted in this location for a decade but, due to rising operating costs and the need for expensive upgrades, Bruno decided to close and try a new location in Winnetka, which he opened in 2019 at 507 Chestnut. 

The restaurant became an immediate hotspot with Bruno exclaiming in a Chicago Magazine article that "this space is too much sexy!" And it's true! At Tocco Winnetka, all his past efforts have come together to create a perfect dining experience. His flair for design is evident everywhere you look. Massively oversized light fixtures frame a moss accented wall, and an all-glass walk-in cooler displays wheels of imported Italian cheese much like in an art gallery. 

But there's much more to Bruno besides being a successful restaurateur. In 2014, he had an epiphany. His daughter had a friend whose father was in prison in Italy. He learned of a program there that taught inmates how to cook and it made an impression. Around this same time, during a sleepless night, he turned on the TV where a program about incarcerated youths in America caught his attention. He felt these two events spoke to him and were a calling from God. In an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes, he said, "I have a purpose, not a purpose to buy three Rolexes, a big house or two Ferraris, but rather to change something in the prison system."

And change it he did. Today, his Recipe for Change nonprofit, which he founded in 2014, is now a full-time rehabilitation program in the Cook County Jail system providing culinary and fine arts educational programming five days a week. He teaches inmates the skills they need to get a job following their incarceration. 

"I'm here to bring love. To make them [inmates] understand, you know, we make mistakes in life, but what I say all the time, when we touch the bottom, what do we do? You can only go up. The key is rehabilitation. Give these people back their dignity and let them know that they are human beings. People make mistakes," Bruno said. In January, he will leave for Kenya for four months where he will teach young people there how to become a chef. 

If Bruno wasn’t a chef, he said he would be a teacher imparting wisdom to young people on manners, style, common sense and how to eat. In his rare spare time, he designs shoes, prays, and plays golf. And the best advice he ever received? “Everything you do in your life, add love, passion and pride and the result will always be positive.” 

Bruno, thank you for your  good food, good deeds and words of wisdom. You are truly making a difference, but honestly, you had me at "pizza." (Check out Bruno's favorite pasta recipe below:  

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for dusting completed dish

• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, plus more for finishing the dish

• ¾ pound long pasta spaghetti (bring water to boil, salt and cook the spaghetti, al dente)

Mix Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh black pepper together with spaghetti, adding a little water from the pasta mix to create a creamy texture. Yields 4 servings.