When Northwest Indiana diners want to celebrate, they may head to Gamba Ristorante in Merrillville as the establishment offers not only fine dining but also family-style pastas.
“Sometimes I hear that we are a special occasion place but for us, any opportunity to serve you is a special occasion. I hope every guest leaves dinner feeling like they were the most important person in the room,” said Mike Rueth, executive chef of Gamba Ristorante.
“It’s a restaurant that anyone can feel comfortable at.”
Here is the dish on this local eatery, which launched its fall-winter dinner menu in October:
On the menu: Modernized Italian food. “We offer things that you can’t get at other places,” said Rueth, who cited foie gras and chicken liver mousse, pan-fried speck-wrapped tomino da padella and pappardelle as among his favorites.
About the owners: Gamba Ristorante is owned by Dyer residents Benito and Hilda Gamba, former owners of Venezia Bar & Grill and Cafe Venezia in Merrillville. Their daughters include general manager Michaelle Gamba, of Crown Point, and Krystle Tadin, of Chicago, who help with the restaurant. “Benny has truly built a family of staff and diners in his 30 years of restaurant ownership in Northwest Indiana. New members are always welcomed with open arms. I’m incredibly proud to be part of that and to be able to contribute my own new ideas, techniques and ingredients to our guests,” said Rueth, who attended the California School of Culinary Arts and had restaurateur grandparents.
A mission statement: “We do aspire to give our guests the absolute highest-quality ingredients from Italy and the Midwest prepared with meticulous attention to technique and detail but without the stuffiness that occasionally accompanies fine dining. We want you to feel like guests in the home of an Italian relative who happens to be a good cook,” said Rueth, originally of Schererville and now of Merrillville. “Part of the Italian philosophy of cooking is using the best things that are available to you locally.”
Decor: “Our decor is modern. It’s comfortable. We’ve won architectural awards. The building is actually modeled after a building in Benny’s hometown in Italy. It’s a large circular building. The thing people overlook or don’t realize we have is a beautiful courtyard,” said Rueth, noting that a summer dinner series is offered in the courtyard.
Specialties: “We’re well-known for our pastas. The lobster, scallop and shrimp ravioli is a big seller. The sauce we use on that is the same sauce Benny used at Cafe Venezia. It’s reinventing something familiar,” said Rueth, who recalled the Gambas catering his First Communion. “Our Calabrian-style braised pork shoulder is actually Benny’s sister Rita’s recipe. She learned it from their mother. They ate it growing up. I like that connection to Italy.” Other popular dishes include grilled filet mignon and grilled elk chop.
We’re different because: Gamba Ristorante was among the 2015 Most Romantic Restaurants in America as voted by OpenTable diners. “We definitely are the best place for a date night. We have proposals in the dining room all the time,” said Rueth, who graduated from Andrean High School in Merrillville.
Prices: Start at $7 for soup and salads, $12 for appetizers, $21 for first courses and $24 for main courses. An inaugural holiday brunch featuring prime rib from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 10 costs $48 for adults and $15 for ages 12 and younger.
Logistics: Gamba Ristorante is at 455 E. 84th Drive, Merrillville. Hours are 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays for lunch, 5-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 5-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays for dinner and closed Sundays. Call 219-736-5000 or go to www.gambaristorante.com.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.