[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...&TM=56486.3

A Michigan City original

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - "Making great pizza is an art!" is the slogan of Albano's Villa, a Michigan City original with a loyal customer base.

One measure of the Albano fan base is on Facebook, where an Indianapolis woman started an "I Love Albano's Pizza" site. At last count, it had 258 members, including one from Australia and another from Arizona.

That's according to current owner Jim Albano Jr., 45, who believes customers appreciate the fact that "everything is hand-crafted," and made without preservatives. Albano's grinds its own sausage and spices.

The restaurant recipes came from his grandmother, Rosalee. She came from Sicily to Michigan City, where she met Frank Albano, also Sicilian. They got married and opened a grocery store on the ground floor of their house.

A tribute to Frank and Rosalee and their grocery store covers a wall of Albano's Villa in the form of a colorful mural.

The Albanos' house was in the 1800 block of Franklin Street, between Magro's shoe store and La Rocco's cleaners.

Jim's father, James Sr., and his uncle Russ started the original Albano's restaurant in the same house, after the grocery business ended and their father died.

Jim said his grandmother was visiting relatives in Chicago when his father and Uncle Russ decided to start a business and knocked out the wall between the living room and dining room.

"My grandmother came home and cried for a week," Jim said. But a week later she was insisting her sons stick with the fledgling business. She ended up doing most of the cooking.

Albano's opened in June 1957, when James Sr. was 20. As the business grew, the house was torn down, replaced by a 200-seat restaurant plus pizza takeout and delivery. In 1966, the business moved to its present location at 1612 Franklin St., with it's classic '60s sign.

Jim said his father made the move intending to down-size to a take-out business, but that didn't last long.

"The town wasn't happy not to have a dining room," Jim said. So one was added.

James Sr. married local girl Anita Klosinski, and they had two children, Sharon and James Jr. She pursued her own career as an elementary teacher for 30 years.

When Jim turned 16, his father told him to find his own job and learn what it was like to have his own boss. So Jim became a bagger at Jewel.

"My father didn't want me to do the same thing he did," Jim said. "I saw how much it ate up his life."

Jim graduated from Purdue University with a degree in restaurant and hotel management in 1986 then went to work building franchise restaurants for a South Bend based company. He helped build some of the chain restaurants that now dominate the restaurant business - Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC. After living on the road for years, Jim came back to Michigan City where he took a job as a mechanical engineer with Ray Warren.

Jim said it was his mother who encouraged him to open an Albano's in La Porte, starting with a carry-out then adding a 50-seat dining room. James Sr. died in August 2002, before he could retire, and Jim took over the business.

Now he's planning to open the third Albano's on Johnson Road, next to the Waterford Inn, in June. Jim is getting back to his construction roots by doing much of the construction work.

In the Albano tradition, the restaurant will rely on carry-out but will have some tables inside. As the father of three boys, ages 9, 3 and 1 1/2, Jim is targeting a new customer niche. He has hosted kids' parties where the attendees make their own small pizzas. So far, the idea has gotten rave reviews, particularly from parents who watch their kids piling vegetables they don't normally eat onto their own pizzas.

Jim said his oldest son has already expressed an interest in the family business and comes up with good ideas.

"He says we ought to have our own commercials on TV," said Jim, who plans to give his son the same rules he got about finding his own jobs first.

"It's a life lesson," Jim said, adding that it has served him well.

[Tim]

Does anyone remember the old Albano's? I remember picking up pizzas there. As a guy who left MC almost 25 years ago Albano's pizza is one of those sure-bet hometown treats that say Michigan City to me. We had Albano's when I was home last July - and it was fabulous! A big part of the appeal for me is it tastes EXACTLY like it did when I was 14. It's about the only MC biusiness whose phone number I remember and could recite to you right now! I will say there is a big difference between eating in the dining room and taking the pizza home. I don't really care for the dining room experience - the pizza comes out of the oven too hot and gooey for my tastes - it needs that "set-up" time in the car on the way home. Get one home and crack it open, and it's heaven in a box!

Hats off to a real Michigan City institution!

[Michelle]

Does anyone remember the old Albano's? I remember picking up pizzas there. As a guy who left MC almost 25 years ago Albano's pizza is one of those sure-bet hometown treats that say Michigan City to me. We had Albano's when I was home last July - and it was fabulous! A big part of the appeal for me is it tastes EXACTLY like it did when I was 14. It's about the only MC biusiness whose phone number I remember and could recite to you right now! I will say there is a big difference between eating in the dining room and taking the pizza home. I don't really care for the dining room experience - the pizza comes out of the oven too hot and gooey for my tastes - it needs that "set-up" time in the car on the way home. Get one home and crack it open, and it's heaven in a box!

Hats off to a real Michigan City institution!

I was just there last weekend, and the dine-in experience was fantastic. I'm not sure I could handle the take-home pizza, if it's that much better.

[Tim]

I was just there last weekend, and the dine-in experience was fantastic. I'm not sure I could handle the take-home pizza, if it's that much better.

I think it's just a matter of being used to the take-home pizza - as my family has done the take-home Albano's thing since they were in their original location. Yes, the dining room is very nice.

[Homey]

Albano's is the ONLY great pizza in town. It's been our favorite for as long as I can remember. I just wish he would get a bigger place downtown, more seating, better parking. I'll go to the new place on Johnson Road I'm sure, but I sure like the handier location in town.

We've tried so many other pizza places, but they just don't compare.

[Ang]

My dad absolutely LOVES Albano's pizza. Every time my sister or I take a trip home, we always stop and pick up one or two on our way out of town to bring back to WY for my Dad.

[Dave]

Does Albano's do delivery, or is it dine in / carry out only?

And after looking them up on the net, I see reports that they've gone totally non-smoking. Is this true? The feedback section on yahoo says they have, and I have to say that I'm amused by the folks complaining about it -- no doubt the same folks who say there shouldn't be smoking bans because businesses should be able to decide on their own.

[JHeath]

No delivery--dine in/carry-out only.
Personally, I'd prefer smoke-free dining.

[Ang]

I'm a smoker, but I agree with Jenny. The last thing I want to do is eat a meal amid a cloud of cigarette smoke.

[Southsider2k12]

No delivery--dine in/carry-out only.
Personally, I'd prefer smoke-free dining.

I'll be honest, I haven't had a dine in pizza at Albano's in years because of the smoke. I won't take my kids to places like that. I can't wait to go back.