1931 was an important year for the Anticoli family. It was on New Year’s Eve or 1931 that Antonio and Sarah Anticoli opened their first establishment, “The Rendezvous” in Dayton, Ohio. This would become the foundation of what would be an 87-year run of continuous restaurant operations for 3 generations of family owners.
After 20 years at this original spot on East Fifth Street in St Anne’s Hill (photo-above w/ Antonio behind the counter), the Anticoli family moved to Salem Avenue in North Dayton in 1951 and renamed the restaurant Anticoli’s. In the 1960s and 1970s, Leo oversaw the restaurant’s kitchen, while his brother, Tony, and sister, Gloria, ran the front of the restaurant.
After their parents died in the late 1970s, Leo, Gloria and Tony continued to run the eatery with help from the third generation of Anticolis. The Salem Ave restaurant closed in 2000. Leo then launched Caffe Anticoli, which operated on North Main Street in Clayton from 2000 to 2010. After it closed, Leo and his son Chris moved south to open Anticoli’s Giuliano Tavern in Miamisburg, adding the reference to Leo’s father’s hometown in Italy to the restaurant name. That business closed on June 7, 2015.
Leo’s son Michael opened La Piazza in Troy in 1992, and ran it quite successfully until he closed it in February of 2018. In discussing why he closed it Michael shared how he’d watched his whole family dedicate their lives to the business, working well into their old age as the restaurants daily. He decided he didn’t want to do that, and instead decided to create a balanced life for him and his family. Yet he couldn’t totally walk away from his families legacy.
If you dined at any of these Anticoli establishments, no doubt you remember their House Dressing. Michael Anticoli, who is the 3rd generation of this famed family of restaurateurs is now making the dressing available through Anticoli Specialty Foods website or this summer at the 2nd Street Market. He makes this dressing in small batches with no additives at a production facility in Troy.
It’s Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Sugar-Free.
Ingredients: Garlic, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Vinegar, Herbs, Spices
