| After catching a lovely and much needed rest at | | | | and more years. A young couple, the evening |
| the historic Twin Gables Bed and Breakfast we | | | | manager and the hostess, have 15 years of |
| set off to explore the immediate neighbourhood, | | | | service (5 years at Il Giardino and 10 years at the |
| the restaurant area on 4th Street. We were | | | | Pied Pickel) between them and Dorothy confirmed |
| going to walk, but considering I had been really | | | | that people really enjoy the work here. Mike says |
| sick with an aweful chest cold in the last few | | | | "You're nobody until people make you somebody", |
| days, venturing out into the cold evening air had | | | | that's why treats his employees well and |
| me a little leery. Henry from the Twin Gables was | | | | appreciates his winning team. |
| really kind to offer us a drive a few blocks up to | | | | The construction of Il Giardino is a story in itself: |
| a restaurant called Il Giardino, one of the places | | | | Mike designed the restaurant and one of his |
| that had come highly recommended for this area | | | | long-time friends, Walter Petrin, did all the |
| from Tourism Calgary. | | | | brickwork while his other great friend Vic Finot |
| We entered a Mediterranean-looking restaurant | | | | was the general contractor. Every Friday he and |
| that was just packed with people. We sat down | | | | these two special friends get together to solve |
| at a cozy table and had a chance to spend some | | | | the problems of the world. Strangely enough, the |
| time with the owner, Mike Ciccaglione, and his | | | | next day the problems start all over again. |
| restaurant manager Dorothy, to find out more | | | | Outside of work Mike loves to spend time with |
| about this establishment. Wherever I go I try to | | | | friends, some of whom he has known for 40 |
| get the human stories, and boy, was I in for an | | | | years now. His family is very supportive of him |
| interesting one here. I did not realize that I had | | | | and his wife dedicates a lot of her time to |
| connected with one of Calgary's most successful | | | | charitable work. Mike also supports the United |
| entrepreneurs, a real immigrant success story. | | | | Way and various fundraising drives for breast |
| Mike was born in the Italian region of Molise and | | | | cancer and the Calgary Children's Hospital. |
| left Italy when he was 16 years old to study | | | | He still goes back to Italy every once in a while |
| business administration and restaurant and hotel | | | | although he says he's seen almost everything in |
| management in Switzerland. He came to Canada | | | | his home country. So now he is thinking of |
| in 1962 following which he worked in a variety of | | | | traveling to places like Asia, Africa and Latin |
| hotels and restaurants in Calgary and Banff. He | | | | America as long as it is safe and reasonably clean. |
| also studied English as a second language. In 1967 | | | | Mike loves soccer and he even used to own a |
| he opened his first restaurant called the Prairie | | | | local soccer team that was called the El Molinos |
| Dog Inn which initially specialized in Mexican food. | | | | Dinos. Another one of Mike's big passions is his |
| As if that wasn't enough, Mike went on to open | | | | Ferrari and he said that every once in a while he |
| the Mexican Village chain of fast food restaurants | | | | puts it on sale just to see the interest on the part |
| in several shopping malls and in 1980 he opened | | | | of potential purchasers. But when it comes down |
| the "Pied Pickle" chain. | | | | to it he really has no intention of selling it. |
| Logically he decided to expand his business to | | | | But that's not all: Mike is a movie star as well! He |
| encompass the supply and distribution of tortillas | | | | has had roles in "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" as |
| and other Mexican foods: El Molino food | | | | well as in "Cool Runnings". It seems Mike is always |
| manufacturing was born. This company | | | | up to something, and when you listen to his list of |
| manufacturers Mexican food products as well as | | | | endeavours it seems incredible that one person |
| pizzas and Italian pasta dishes and distributes its | | | | can get all this done. |
| products to warehouses in Calgary, Edmonton, | | | | Mike embodies hospitality and while we were |
| Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal. | | | | there he insisted that we get a real taste of what |
| In 1998 Mike opened "Il Giardino" (the ultimate in | | | | his kitchen is capable of. For starters we got to |
| Italian food and fun), a restaurant where all the | | | | sample Il Giardino's soups: I tasted a Stracchiatelle |
| dishes were home-cooked had always been his | | | | egg drop soup while my husband got the "Brodo |
| big dream. | | | | con Polpettine e Pasta" (chicken broth with tiny |
| When we walked into this restaurant I had no | | | | meatballs and pasta). Then I got to sample a |
| idea that we we would meet such a successful | | | | taste of Il Giardino's famous Calamari (extremely |
| Canadian entrepreneur. At the same time, you'd | | | | tasty and tender) while Nigel had their Bruschetta |
| never know it - Mike walks around in casual | | | | bread. We also received a sampler plate of |
| clothing, laughs and smiles a lot and always keeps | | | | appetizers - Antipasto Italiano (prosciutto with |
| his eyes open to check on his guests' enjoyment. | | | | melon). |
| During our conversation he got up several times | | | | That wasn't all: we also got a taste of Il Giardino's |
| to greet or say goodbye to guests and Dorothy | | | | home-made Gnocchi della Nonna which, by the |
| referred to him as a "big flirt". It is plainly obvious | | | | way, are home-made by Mike's 70 year old sister. |
| that even at 65 years of age, Mike loves what he | | | | Then, we couldn't believe it, the main course |
| is doing and Dorothy told us that he does the | | | | arrived: a sampler plate of three of Il Giardino's |
| rounds throughout his various Calgary businesses | | | | specialties: Pollo ai Funghi (chicken breast in a white |
| on a daily basis. Mike is one of those people who | | | | wine sauce topped with mushrooms), Piccata al |
| loves his work and always has a twinkle in his | | | | Limone (veal in lemon and white wine sauce), and |
| eyes. | | | | Agnello al Rosmarino (rack of lamb in a rosemary, |
| Dorothy has an interesting story herself: she is | | | | mint and red wine sauce). I am not usually a huge |
| originally from Montreal and her husband, an | | | | meat eater, but these dishes were phenomenal, |
| engineer in the oil industry, hails from England. | | | | the meat was tender, the sauces very tasty |
| Before Calgary they have lived in Montreal, St. | | | | without being overpowering. Mike topped a |
| John's / Newfoundland, as well as Jakarta where | | | | fabulous meal off with a tasting of the most |
| they ended up as refugees in Singapore for a | | | | famous Italian desert: tira misu. |
| month during President Suharto's coup. Now they | | | | Without exaggeration, our culinary experience at Il |
| settled into a calmer life in Calgary. | | | | Giardino ranks right up there as one of my best |
| Mike attributes his success to a strong | | | | restaurant experiences of a life-time, the food |
| commitment to quality ingredients and preparation, | | | | was that delicious. I love Italian food, and the folks |
| and he credits great support from his wife Lucy, | | | | at Il Giardino certainly know how to prepare Italian |
| his daughter Judy and his son Michael Jr. for much | | | | delicacies. We had to take a doggy bag back to |
| of his fortune and he hopes that one day his | | | | our bed and breakfast, there was no way we |
| children will take over. He also recognizes the | | | | could actually eat all this delicious food. There is no |
| importance of his employees as a critical success | | | | doubt that Il Giardino serves great, freshly made |
| factor. He told us that he feels it's very important | | | | food. And even more so, it was a pleasure to |
| to reward his employees and many of the staff | | | | meet the creator behind this welcoming |
| at the Il Giardino Restaurant have been there 10 | | | | neighbourhood institution. |
