When Lynette Greco Mertens launched her Italian restaurant in Frankfort, she did so in memory of her late father, Artie Greco.
“He always had a smile on his face,” said Mertens, who co-owns Sorriso Italian Ristorante with her husband, Jim Mertens, and their business partner, Jack Daly, of Frankfort.
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“When he passed I thought this is perfect to honor my father. I just know he would be so happy and so honored. I get all of his customers and they love it.”
The Italian word “sorriso” means smile in English and was what Greco named his last restaurant, Sorriso Italian Ristorante, which was along the Chicago River from 1992-2002.
“I always have a smile on my face,” said Mertens, of Worth.
Here is the dish on this local eatery, which opened in February:
On the menu: Chef Miguel Ayala, who started cooking with the Greco family more than 30 years ago and lives in Orland Park, leads the classic southern Italian lineup. “Miguel makes everything with love. He really does. Nothing has changed. It’s like from the beginning of time,” said Mertens about the menu featuring recipes mostly from her father, who was married to the late Patricia D’Angelo Greco for more than 50 years. “These are recipes that go back to 1974. They really have not changed at all so they are good as they ever were. I don’t even have them on paper. They’re just in my head.”
About the owners: “I’ve been doing this for 40 years. My father opened up Greco’s in Evergreen Park. I was 14 years old when he started this business. There were 22 Grecos there on 95th Street,” said Mertens, who began as a bus girl, graduated to the kitchen where she became the salad girl and eventually hosted at Greco’s Restaurant, which was established in 1974. Mertens continued to help her father in various roles with his restaurants, which included Artie G’s in Palos Heights from 1981-1986 and in River North Hotel in Chicago from 1986-1992. Mertens and her husband, who recently celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary, have two sons, Michael and Nicholas.
A mission statement: “We want to just bring a smile to everybody’s face. I hope they enjoy the food. We want to make everybody happy so they leave with a smile,” Mertens said. “We’re not corporate. We’re just family-owned and it comes from the heart.”
Decor: “It’s just a simple, clean atmosphere. It’s not loud in here. You’re able to talk to people next to you. It’s a friendly environment,” Mertens said. The restaurant seats a total of 100 people in the dining room and bar, and is billed as a “casual dining experience in a warm and inviting environment.”
Specialties: “We do cioppino, which is a fish stew,” Mertens said. Specialties include classic three-cheese lasagna; eggplant Parmesan; escarole, beans and sausage; Italian sausage and peppers; orecchiette, escarole and sausage; cheese ravioli; veal cutlet and peppers; veal marsala; veal parmigiana; and veal piccata.
We’re different because: A happy hour and bar menu is available from 3-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. “We’re just trying to create a little more earlier business since we’re open at 3 o’clock,” Mertens said.
Prices: $2.95 for zuppa (soup), $3.95 for insalata (salad), $7.95 for antipasti (appetizers), $12.95 for pasta dishes, $15.95 for Sorriso Italian specialties, $17.95 for chicken selections, $18.95 for seafood dishes, and $21.95 for steaks and chops.
Logistics: Sorriso Italian Ristorante is at 9500 Lincoln Highway, Frankfort. Hours are 3-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 3-9 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays-Thursdays, and closed Mondays. Call 815-534-5074 or go to www.my-sorriso.com.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.