Welcome to Nani’s Cucina Italiana serving Jackson Hole locals and guests since June 1990
She was an accident, a whim, a fifteen minute decision, the desire of my heart, and they said she’d never last. They were right about some things, we didn’t know anything about the restaurant business, but then, we weren’t really opening a restaurant…we just wanted to give our friends and neighbors in Jackson a quiet place to escape and enjoy a bowl of pasta made the way we knew it should be. We vowed from the beginning to only use the freshest ingredients and to make everything from scratch just the way our grandmothers had taught us. So we did just that. We made the bread, brought in some great olive oil, fresh herbs, vegetables, imported cheeses and cured meats, found the recipes, baked the sponge cake and whipped up the cream. The beer and Chianti list were short.
There were eight tables seating 22 people including those next to the front door. Luckily we had space to build a couple of benches in the entry for those who didn’t mind waiting for dinner…mostly the benches stayed full. Camille, was eleven when we opened…she poured water for our guests, some of whom would slip her a dollar here and there.
We struggled, worked, cooked and planned. We adjusted and changed this menu item and added that piece of equipment. Little by little one more bridge was built bringing in one more room for a few more guests. The benches stayed full. Between her birthday parties in back rooms at Nani’s, Camille absorbed more, asked questions and began making suggestions after a night as hostess or server. Trips to Italy became more scouting and learning than shopping and sun bathing.
Then, a day after Rome and Sicily had imprinted her and culinary school had given her the tools, a day as good as the day she turned eight, Camille was in the kitchen…and we were partners. Ninety-eight percent in sync, but always and still with the same mission as the day we opened…to bring the Italian cuisine and culture in it’s truest form to the place our grandparents loved and lived in gratitude, America…to American people who’ve never been to Italy, to those who have, and to surprised guests traveling through the Rocky Mountains.
During the summer of 2006 we took the plunge remodeling, adding indoor seating, a wine bar, and three small but fabulous summer patios. You might look around and feel you are in a real restaurant, but we hope you won’t take that too seriously. We want you to know us, and to know that some things just don’t change. We are still concerned about making you feel at home, we are still preparing and cooking everything we serve you from scratch, and we still have a passion for Nani’s. Especially you, our regulars who know this story by heart, but also you, our new guests, we thank you for being a part of her, too.
And, as time goes by, we never tire of discussing all the aspects of Italy or Italian cuisine or Nani's, of course. So, if you'd like to share ideas and thoughts you have with us, please feel free to email us at carol@nanis.com or call me on my cell phone at 307.690.3888 (no solicitations, please).
Carol & Camille
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Jackson Hole
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