Busy Restaurateur Back at Home Base

September 13, 2007
By JENNIFER OLVERA Contributor

Gabriel Viti still remembers how in sixth grade, he conducted demonstration for his class in how to make pasta. Clearly, food has long been of great interest to this Highwood native, who now lives nearby in Highland Park. Viti went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America, and in 1991 was ranked one of Food & Wine's best new chefs.

Food is still preemient in Viti's life. He's running three restaurants -- his namesake Italian place, the French-Cuban-inflected Miramar Bistro and nearby, Gabe's Backstage Lounge -- all in Highwood.

When he opened Miramar three years ago, Viti left the kitchen at Gabriel's to get the spot up and running. Now, he's officially back at his flagship spot, overseeing a new menu and ready with a whole lot of interesting stories to tell. Food is big, but it's hardly everything in his busy life.

Getting a workout
Among his personal high points is the fact that he completed an Iron Man in Brazil in May, is training for the Chicago triathlon with his 16-year-old son, will run in the Chicago Marathon in October and will begin training in October to eventually climb Mt. Everest.

"Oh, and my youngest son just got certified to scuba dive, so we just did that in the Caymans," he said.

In his free time -- and it's hard to believe he has any -- Viti also runs Gabriel's Wine Cellars, a business that creates cellars in homes start to finish, including racking, temperature control and stocking bottles.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen at Gabriel's, Viti's focus not surprisingly is on fresh, seasonal ingredients.

"We've enjoyed a longtime regular clientele who relied on certain dishes," Viti said. "But we've decided it's really time for a change. We tweaked the menu and added in dishes we're really excited about."

Among his favorites are zucchini blossoms stuffed with scallop mousse and lobster and a simple, pristine heirloom tomato salad with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 25-year aged balsamic vinaigrette.

"We've also added bouillabaisse with lobster, langoustine, clams, mussels and sea bass to the menu, which is something I've always wanted to do," he said.

Pasta favorites
Pastas are made in-house, though Chef Viti has acquired a few assitants since sixth grade, so carefully crafted dishes like lobster and mushroom tortelloni with lobster-basil sauce, tortelloni filled with spinach and ricotta with prosciutto and gnocchi with fresh spinach and a blanket of creamy tomato vodka sauce are menu standouts.

Daily specials, where fresh decidedly rules, might include chilled honeydew soup with chive cream and blueberries and sauteed soft shell crab with smoked tomato vinaigrette and rainbow trout caviar.

"You might think that with the way people are watching their carb and fat intake they'd shy away from certain dishes," Viti said. "But no. They come to Gabriel's ready to feast."

And adding something more to his overbooked schedule, Viti recently launched brunch at Miramar on Sundays as a replacement to its weekend dance parties. The buffet spread, which costs $19.95, includes everything from brioche French toast to smoked salmon with capers, eggs, tomatoes, onions, and crème fraiche and a changing selection of dishes like chicken Parmesan and tilapia Vesuvio.

GABRIEL'S
10 Green Bay Road, Highwood. (847) 433-0031. 5-10:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

MIRAMAR BISTRO
301 Waukegan Ave., Highwood. (847) 433-1078. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.- midnight, Fridays-Saturdays. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays.