A true “American Dream” success story and inspiration to all, Italian-American Giuliana Rancic has developed her career over the years as an entertainment journalist, author, fashion and beauty expert, and television personality. Born in Naples, Italy, she moved to the United States when she was just a little girl, where she now lives and works as the host of the internationally-watched entertainment news series E! News. And besides her successful career as a television journalist, Giuliana Rancic has also become a restaurateur, along with her husband Bill Rancic, since opening their first restaurant, RPM Italian.
Giuliana Rancic (ph Alicia Fierro)
After opening RPM Italian, Rancic decided to open four more restaurants that pair contemporary cuisine with classic Italian hospitality and style – an ambiance that many celebrities seem to love as much as we do! Most recently, she launched her brand Giuliana Prosecco, a DOC Italian prosecco wine made from 100% Glera grapes from Veneto, one of Italy's premier wine-making regions.
In an exclusive interview with La Cucina Italiana, Giuliana opened up to us about her career, her childhood in Naples, and her love for food.
You were born in Naples and came to the United States at the age of 7. What kind of food did you grow up with?
My mom makes incredible Neapolitan food – mainly Southern Italian dishes. I never realized how lucky I was as a kid, because every day when I would come home from school, my mom would have a big bowl of Mama Depandi’s Bucatini pasta ready for me to eat. To this day, that is one of my all-time favorite dishes.
Considering that Naples is a city famous for its food traditions, what do you miss most?
Thankfully, I go back to Naples every summer with my family, so I’m able to enjoy all that the city has to offer – from the food and the people to the architecture, shopping, and nightlife. My favorite part of being in Naples is seeing my family and friends. I have about 40 first cousins and half of them still live in Naples. We do big family dinners at their homes and at their restaurants since many of them are also in the restaurant business there. Every time we go back to visit, Bill, Duke, and I always get excited for a haircut from my uncle Enzo, who owns a hair salon in Naples.
RPM Italian Prime Beef Meatballs (ph Lettuce Entertain You)
Besides your career as a journalist, you are also an entrepreneur in the food industry. What inspired you and your husband to open your RPM Italian restaurant group?
I have always been inspired by my mom’s incredible Italian cooking. Bill and I were even thinking of opening a small restaurant based on her recipes. Around that time, we were introduced to the Melman family, who are very talented restaurateurs that own and operate Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. They too were thinking about starting an Italian concept. The timing was perfect, and RPM Italian was born in February 2012.
Today, the RPM brand has grown to include five restaurants – starting with RPM Italian in Chicago and Washington D.C., followed by RPM Steak, Pizzeria Portofino, RPM Seafood, and an event space, RPM Events.
Your restaurants have been popular with celebrities like Barack and Michelle Obama. Are there other VIPs who have tried your cuisine?
Justin and Hailey Bieber, Taylor Lautner, Adam Levine, and Behati Prinsloo, and even Lady Gaga, who I am very excited to say is a fan of RPM Italian. She is one of the nicest and most talented people I have ever met – or interviewed!
How has Italian food changed in the USA over the past 10 years? Is it more authentic and closer to cuisine from the homeland than when you first came to the States?
I think that Italian food in the U.S. has become more and more authentic, and RPM Italian is a great example of that. The team of chefs at RPM Italian does a great job sourcing ingredients from Italian artisans – like the 600-day aged San Daniele Prosciutto, which comes from a small village in Italy's northern region; Tutto Calabria oregano from the region of Calabria; and Acquerello from Piedmont’s Vercelli Province, which we use for our risotto.
We love when guests come in and discover an Italian dish they may not have tried before, and we’re really proud that many of RPM’s menu items are authentic to the region in Italy where they originated.
RPM Italian Carbonara
What is your favorite Italian dish?
Mama Depandi’s Bucatini Pomodoro. It’s been a favorite of mine since childhood and has been an absolute bestseller at RPM Italian ever since we opened. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be Mama Depandi’s Bucatini.
Is there an Italian dish or ingredient that you can really only taste in Italy?
Neapolitan-style pizza. This style of pizza is so sacred in Naples that there is an organization called Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) that is dedicated to certifying pizzerias making Neapolitan-style pizza in accordance with tradition, in both the U.S. and around the world. They look at everything, from the dough to the pizza technique.
What do you cook when you’re at home?
Bill and I like to make different types of pastas with simple sauces. We do our version of Mama Depandi’s Bucatini, and while I do have my mom’s exact recipe, it's never quite the same as when she makes it.
RPM Italian Lobster FraDiavlo (ph Stoffer)