We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rina Tonon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Rina, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
Being Italian and born in the tough part of the Bronx, you develop a resilient nature. My parents came from Italy, my dad cooked in restaurants in Italy and in New York. My uncle operated an upscale hotel and Restaurant across from the Brooklyn Academy of Music. These were the most influential and inspiring people to start my path in life
My parents were exceptional cooks, and, as many Italians, decided to move the family to Detroit, Michigan and start their own restaurant business, not sure why, but they named it Rina’s. My parents cooked together and developed their neighborhood regulars. Soon, reputation for their cooking became known, there were lines to eat at Rina’s.
Still in grade school, my sister and I went to school, came home, did homework then dad handed us aprons and put us to work.
My parents did well enough all year with business that they would close the restaurant every year for one month and take us traveling through Italy.
Venice, Florence, Rome, Pompei, Catacombs, lots of history and I remember wonderful restaurants along the Almalfi coast.
Every year was a new adventure, we’d sail on a new ocean liner and above of all, an education in history, the culinary world and meeting people.
The Island of Ponza were their roots and where they grew up with fresh seafood. Dad taught us deep diving for sea urchins, and frutti di mare then show us how to cook them for dinner.
Cafe Cortina Pomodoro sauce today is my mom’s recipe. The memories of the early years fed my ambition to want to be in the hospitality world.
My own personal journey began for me when I met my husband at17 and he was 20. He was an artisan baker from a town near Cortina D’Ampezzo. We married at 18 and 21 and then both of us began cooking and working at Rina’s. I would follow my parent’s path, working as a team.
Now older, my parents now could start enjoying their dream to go back to Italy and stay longer, while my husband and I took care of Rina’s.. After 9 years, we decided we wanted ‘our own’ place and to build our clients and our recipes’ So we then focused on a search for our own establishment.
We found ‘acreage, farmland’,in Farmington Hills Michigan and it took us several years of sacrifice to save, but after rezoning our farmland, we were able to construct on what was an apple orchard. My husband planted a huge garden so we could serve all fresh herbs and lettuces for our menu. Cafe Cortina was the first to start a ‘farm to table’ trend. Many of the vegetables, like seeds of heirloom tomatoes passed down from family, were all ingredients in our cooking. Soon we too had a following. Word of mouth was how we got our start.
Loved working with my husband as my business partner. we felt privileged, both of us were passionate about travel, good food, wines and genuine hospitality.
We had our first-born son, Adrian, who also grew up helping his parents when he could, but we provided him with a normal busy young man’s life. He went to private school and played sports and then college. Wanted to give him a life that we never had, being from the Bronx.
Also, after 21 years of marriage, we were blessed with another son, Giancarlo.
I was able to stay home while Adriano stayed on managing Cafe Cortina and worked longer hours.
After 22 years of working together to build our restaurant, Adrian passed away at 51.
Being a single parent of a 14-year-old son and with a restaurant to operate were the most challenging years of my life.
Determined to continue our legacy, instead of selling the business, I rolled up my sleeves and worked tirelessly taking it to another level with help of loyal staff, family and friends. Cafe Cortina started to be recognized nationally.
One year later Cafe Cortina won the DiRona (Distinguished Restaurants of North America). Two years later we were honored to be invited to cook at the James Beard House for a 30th Anniversary.
Also achieved Michigan HOUR Magazine 2003 Restaurant of the Year and House Beautiful Magazine named Cafe Cortina Michigan’s Most Romantic Restaurant.
This year HOUR Magazine placed us in a category as One of Michigan’s Most Iconic Restaurants.
The restaurant industry is the most challenging of any industry. The fatality rate is high. I understood when we chose the path. My belief was, provide the best, there is a need for quality and genuine hospitality and client relationships.
It is now 48 years and I love it as much as when I started. Today my role is planning smaller celebrations and weddings.
My role is still to provide happy memories for clients with generations of family returning.
While still having a genuine rapport with a talented and professional staff.
Cafe Cortina has the reputation as “most romantic”. It is something that I wished for 48 years ago and it came true.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Travel is exciting meeting new people, different cultures. Learning about history and appreciating and respecting all cultures.
We should all learn from each other.
Going Above & Beyond.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My immigrant parents giving me an opportunity and experiences of traveling. I appreciate them and really owe them.
Placing me in a private school with strict nuns, who taught me languages. respect, religion. etiquette. I value all of this.
My parents taught me never take shortcuts. Whatever the product you are representing, selling or managing, strive for the best.
Work with your staff. Let them know life has struggles, but set an example, be a leader, and have patience and laugh when life becomes too serious, It’s great medicine!
Always look up to mentors. Be a mentor yourself.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Sharing time with people who love one another. Laughing at comedy shows, music all genres,
Telling and listening to jokes. Fun comedy, not acerbic comedy.
Love catching up on the food shows. Miss my favorite Anthony Bourdain.
Children’s charity is close to my heart. also love helping hospital staff with meals as they continue doing the hardest job anyone can do.
My grandsons are a hoot and I try to spend much time with them, create good memories. We had the chance to travel to Italy together show them family roots. They were treasured times! A dearest friend said, ‘Live life with passion’!
