KEY Magazine Fort Worth

Chef Showcase featuring Cathy Mancuso
By Don Patterson

Chef Cathy Mancuso acquired her culinary skills by being part of a restaurant family. Her father inspired her as owner and chef of famed Nash's Restaurant in Utica, New York where she was born and raised. "My father immigrated from Italy so I'm first generation Italian-American,” she explained. "My family had restaurants in Italy so it was natural for them to continue the heritage in America. My father and his brothers had different names but wanted everyone to know that they were related, so they adopted the surname of Nash. That’s how Nash's restaurant was born."

As a youth, Cathy worked at the restaurant gathering the cooking skills that would serve her in later life. When she married and her husband's job required them to move to Texas, Cathy found a job in the food service industry. "I was offered a position as consultant and sales coordinator for International Pizza and Deli Supply. I would assist with restaurant openings and the development of their menus. I also gave them recipes and helped in other ways to get them started," Cathy said.

Fate intervened to launch Cathy's career as owner and chef of her own restaurant. "It came out of the blue when a man called me at work asking if I might be interested in doing something with a property he owned. I had always wanted to carry on my family's restaurant tradition, so this seemed like my opportunity."

Cathy soon opened Mancuso's Italian Ristorante in west Fort Worth. Her eatery is housed in what was originally the First Wilderness Baptist Church in the town of White Settlement. She remained true to her Italian culinary traditions, using the recipes her father had introduced at his popular eating-place. The rest is history. Locals and visitors quickly turned her Italian deli-styled bistro into a Fort Worth landmark. It became "the place" to savor superb southern Italian culinary specialties. In its almost two decades of operation, Mancuso's has become a celebrity dining hot spot, attracting everyone from movie and TV stars to sports celebrities and society notables. Singer icon, Tony Bennett enjoyed the food so much he gave Cathy's establishment a vivid plug from the stage at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall. Vincent Pastore, formerly of The Sopranos TV cast, had similar accolades for Chef Cathy's famed cuisine. He visited with Director Reginald Hudlin who was in town filming a movie. Terri Cruz of TV's Battle Zone and sitcom star Sue Ellen Enright are yet other well-satisfied patrons. Cathy's eatery has hosted many other guest celebrities. Baseball greats Tommy Lasorda and Bobby Valentine have repeatedly dined there. Other patrons have included racing legend, Johnny Rutherford, golfer Kathy Whitmore, Tennis great, Martina Navratilova, Chad Varga of the Dallas Mavericks, and Terry Pierce of the Denver Broncos.

"We offer romantic, New York deli-styled décor with friendly informal service," Cathy said. "I love meeting and visiting with the customers. I take great pride in cooking for and serving guests, who I treat as family. I train my staff to treat our patrons in like fashion, which is the way I treat all my employees."

The restaurant's décor and service win accolades but it's the food that gets top billing. "We basically serve southern Italian home style comfort food," Cathy said. “It ranges from spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, and manicotti, to Lobster Ravioli, Veal Parmigiana, and Cannelloni Florentine. Our most popular dishes are the lasagna and our southern catfish version of an Italian Fish Fry. I like to keep dishes simple yet delightful, using the freshest ingredients. My meatballs, for example, are homemade, without fillers of any kind. Most restaurants don’t make homemade meatballs anymore. Mine are homemade and my sausage is specially ordered from New York."

Chef Cathy's food does indeed win rave notices, having scored high marks in local and regional newspaper and magazine polls. When visiting, you won't always be able to see the richly famous who take pains to dine there. Out of respect for their privacy, Cathy often opens after hours to serve them. But you never know. On any given evening you might find yourself sitting across from a famous singer, dancer, author, politician, sports star or filmmaker. Despite who might be present, the food is justly famous, and since you'll be dining in what was once a church, you will undoubtedly find a dining experience that is "Heavenly Italian."

Tomato & Cheese Appetizer
Ingredients:
1 fresh firm tomato, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Shredded Provolone cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
Dash of dried ground oregano

Preparation:
Place tomato slices on ovenproof serving dish. Sprinkle with garlic slices. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Top with shredded cheese and a dash of oregano. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Recipe courtesy of:
Mancuso's Italian Ristorante
9500 White Settlement Road
Fort Worth, Texas
817-246-7041

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