The large open kitchen, possibly the first of its kind, is the focal point of the restaurant.

In 1961 Giovanni Restaurant started out as a small family run pizzeria with Giovanni tossing pizzas in the storefront kitchen window. As his success grew, so did the need for more space. In 1965, he purchased the building located at 2420 Shattuck Avenue and completely transformed an empty space into a gorgeous restaurant. The large open kitchen, possibly the first of its kind, was the focal point of the restaurant. Back in the day, Nonna Savaria, Giovanni’s mother from Calabria, Italy was in the kitchen every morning lovingly preparing the marinara sauce, meatballs, lasagna and desserts. One of our cooks, Juan Sanchez, who has been cooking in the Giovanni kitchen for 40 years, learned many culinary secrets from Savaria.

In 2010 when the Schipani family reopened the restaurant, expert pasta maker Alex Sanchez joined the team to help lead the kitchen. Now, Juan and Alex collaborate with the family, cooking delicious traditional recipes and introducing age old techniques, such as making fresh pasta by hand everyday for our loyal customers, to create Giovanni’s menu.