Osteria Amici to open in neighborhood once known as South Bend’s “Little Italy”
Pictured is Osteria Amici in Elkhart. Navarre Hospitality Group will open an Amici concept in Eddy Street Commons on Monday, October 12, in the former Urban Outfitters space. (Photos courtesy of Navarre Hospitality Group)
By Gwen O’Brien, NENC Corresponding Secretary, NNRO Board Member
South Bend’s Northeast and the East Bank neighborhoods share a long history of authentic Italian cuisine. Did you know this was once called the city’s “Little Italy”?
Sunny Italy Cafe just celebrated 100 years. Rocco’s Original Pizza is celebrating 75 years. Macri’s Italian Bakery has been here for 48 years and Carmela’s at Macri’s opened as a restaurant in 2006. Parisi’s Ristorante was open for 44 years before closing last October.
The new kid on the block is Osteria Amici, set to open in Eddy Street Commons on Monday, October 12.
Not a chain restaurant
Amici (pronounced “ah-mee-chee”) is not a large Italian restaurant chain. It is a unique pasta and pizza concept by Kurt Janowsky—owner of the Navarre Hospitality Group and the force behind South Bend establishments like O’Rourke’s Public House, also in Eddy Street, as well as Cafe Navarre and Cascade.
Kurt opened his first Osteria Amici in Elkhart just last year. This will be the first time the Navarre Group has opened a second location of a restaurant concept.
Navarre Hospitality Group will open an Amici concept in Eddy Street Commons on Monday, October 12.
“The landlord at Eddy Street Commons, reached out saying the Urban Outfitters store was not renewing its lease and asked if we would be interested in putting a restaurant there. I brought it to the team and we thought, Amici (in Elkhart) is going so well—busy every night— why not try it there?” Janowsky said.
Kurt knows good pizza and where to get it. He grew up in Sunnymeade. His favorite South Bend pizza place is Rocco’s. In Elkhart, he says Antonio’s has the best pizza, so when Kurt set out to open the original Amici’s, he contacted Paul Cataldo, the owner of Antonio’s. Paul and his daughters, Gemma and Carmela, are world champion pizza makers.
“I had been wanting to open an Italian concept in Elkhart, but didn't want to hurt Antonio's, so I talked to Paul and asked him if he would consider partnering on the Amici project. He agreed to be a business partner!” Kurt said.
Among Amici’s signature dishes are, obviously, the pizza—believe me, it’s special— and the polpette (Italian for meatballs). Both should be experienced, which I did at the Elkhart location! My review is below.
Taste (and cost) test
Since the original Amici is just 30 minutes from our Northeast Neighborhood home, my husband Terry and I made the drive to Elkhart to investigate. It was well worth the drive!
Amici’s atmosphere is comfortable and classy, with warm lighting and amber tones. The prices are in the moderate range, with appetizers listed between $12 and $20, pizzas under $23, and individual entrees between $24-35.
The polpette are made of beef, pork, and veal with tomato and parmigiano reggiano cheese.
We found the polpette on the antipasti (appetizer) menu. The three braised meatballs are made of beef, pork, and veal with tomato and parmigiano reggiano cheese. The taste was sweet at first, with a smokey peppery finish. Our waitress said the spiciness is thanks to Calibri peppers from the Calabria region of Italy.
We split a carne (meat) pizza which consisted of hot honey sausage, bacon, meatballs, pepperoni, and parmigiano reggiano. This is not a cheesy pizza, and note, mozzarella is not an ingredient. The pizza is thin but the crust is puffy along the edges and chewy. We found ourselves enjoying the outer crust like bread, ripping off pieces and dipping it into the Amici sauce, which cost an extra $4 and was worth every penny. (We got an extra sauce to go!) Our meal, without beverages, cost about $50, plus tip.
Amici’s pizza is thin, but the crust is puffy along the edges and chewy.
For the record, Kurt also recommends the shrimp scampi ($29) and the braised beef short rib pappardelle ($27), but we couldn’t eat another bite. Next time!
The man behind Navarre Hospitality
Kurt fell in love with the restaurant business in high school, working at the Big Bear Family Restaurant in the Town and Country Shopping Center and the Moonraker, a premier restaurant on Colfax on the river’s east bank where the Cascade now sits. He was a cook.
“I really enjoyed the camaraderie in restaurants. Every day was an adventure, and everybody went out after work and hung out together. I was also attracted to the fact that it didn't matter how young you were, you were rewarded for your abilities. I secured the job of executive chef at Knollwood Country Club when I was 18 years old. I really enjoyed cooking, didn't want to go to college, and thought I could have a nice career in the restaurant industry.”
He has had a very nice career, indeed. Over time, Kurt has owned more than 20 restaurant concepts.
“I opened my first restaurant when I was 21 years old, the Loft in downtown South Bend, where Cinco 5 is now. It was fine dining because that is what I knew coming from Knollwood and that is what it had been before we bought it. From there I joined Bruce and Pat Tassell at the Ice House Restaurant in the 100 Center. They also had Doc Pierce's and The Emporium.
Kurt Janowsky greets guests at Cascade, a prime steak and seafood experience, located at 320 E. Colfax, off of Seitz Park in the East Race Neighborhood.
“So in the beginning the concepts existed already and I just ran them and tried to improve the food and service, and the financial performance. Later, we bought the Matterhorn in Elkhart, and that is how I started in catering. Future restaurants, like Cafe Navarre, Rocky River (in Granger), and Artisan (in Elkhart) were concepts that I felt worked in the neighborhood, and the physical space. To me, Cafe Navarre looks exactly like it should for that old bank building.”
Kurt is a trained chef, but these days he concentrates on operating the business.
“I started out working really hard in the restaurants and at catered events, but that has changed. I hired Jeff Shepard 17 years ago and he does a great job running the catering division. I got lucky when we hired Matt Soutra 7 years ago and he has changed the way we work in the restaurants, for the better. Those two along with the rest of the team do all the heavy lifting, and I get to spend more time developing new concepts, and working with nonprofits, which I've always been involved with and really enjoy.”
Kurt has served on the following nonprofits: Downtown South Bend, Inc., (DTSB), the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, Child and Parent Services (CAPS), YWCA North Central Indiana, the Center for Hospice Care, the Beacon Health Foundation and Wellfield Botanic Garden.
