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After catching a beautiful and much needed rest at the historic Twin Gables Bed and Breakfast we trigger to research the immediate neighbourhood, the restaurant area on 4th Street. We were going to walk, but considering I was really sick with an aweful chest cold during the last day or two, venturing out in the cold evening air had us a little leery. Henry through the Twin Gables really was kind to make available us a drive a number of blocks up to a restaurant called Il Giardino, one of many locations where had come recommended just for this area from Tourism Calgary. 
We entered a Mediterranean-looking restaurant that was just filled with people. We sat down in a cozy table along the opportunity to invest some time with the owner, Mike Ciccaglione, and the restaurant manager Dorothy, more information concerning this establishment. Wherever Time passes I attempt to obtain the human stories, and boy, was I looking for an appealing one here. I didnrrrt understand that I'd associated with one among Calgary's most successful entrepreneurs, an actual immigrant success story.

Mike was created within the Italian region of Molise and left Italy as he was 16 years to analyze business administration and restaurant and hotel management in Switzerland. He came to Canada in 1962 following that he worked in a variety of hotels and restaurants in Calgary and Banff. Also, he studied English as a second language. In 1967 he opened his first restaurant referred to as the Prairie Dog Inn which initially specialized in Mexican food. 
As if that wasn't enough, Mike continued to open up the Mexican Village chain of junk food restaurants in many shopping malls plus 1980 he opened the "Pied Pickle" chain.

Logically he chose to expand his business to encompass the availability and distribution of tortillas and other Mexican foods: El Molino food manufacturing was created. The corporation manufacturers Mexican foods in addition to pizzas and Italian pasta dishes and distributes its products to warehouses in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal.

In 1998 Mike opened "Il Giardino" (the supreme in Italian food and fun), a restaurant where all the dishes were home-cooked had forever been his big dream. 
Whenever we walked into this restaurant I had no clue that individuals we'd meet this type of successful Canadian entrepreneur. At the same time, you'd can't say for sure it - Mike walks around in casual clothing, laughs and smiles a whole lot and always keeps his eyes open to check on his guests' enjoyment. During our conversation they got up many times to greet or forget guests and Dorothy known him being a "big flirt". It really is plainly obvious that even at 65 years old, Mike loves what he could be doing and Dorothy told us that they does the rounds throughout his various Calgary businesses on a regular basis. Mike is one kind of the individuals who loves his work and try to has a twinkle in his eyes.

Dorothy posseses an interesting story herself: jane is originally from Montreal and her husband, an engineer from the oil industry, lives in England. Before Calgary they have lived in Montreal, St. John's / Newfoundland, as well as Jakarta where they ended up as refugees in Singapore for any month during President Suharto's coup. Now they settled in a calmer life in Calgary. 
Mike attributes his success to a strong resolve for quality ingredients and preparation, anf the husband credits great support from his wife Lucy, his daughter Judy with his fantastic son Michael Jr. for high of his fortune anf the husband hopes any particular one day his children is going to take over. Younger crowd recognizes the significance of his employees as a critical success factor. He told us he feels it's very important to reward his employees and many with the staff in the Il [http://gocode.org/questions/7638/have-you-seen-a-company-similar-to-calgary-best-restaurants calgary best restaurants] are already there 10 and more years. A couple, the night manager along with the hostess, have Fifteen years of service (5 years at Il Giardino and Decade at the Pied Pickel) bewteen barefoot and shoes and Dorothy confirmed that men and women revel in the work here. Mike says "You're nobody until people make you somebody", this is exactly why treats his employees well and appreciates his winning team.

Regarding Il Giardino is a story alone: Mike designed the restaurant and something of his long-time friends, Walter Petrin, did every one of the brickwork while his other great friend Vic Finot was the contractor. Every Friday he and the two special friends get together to fix the problems worldwide. Strangely enough, the following day the difficulties start yet again.

Away from work Mike loves to spend time with friends, a number of whom he's got recognized for 40 years now. His loved ones are very supportive of him and his awesome wife dedicates a lot of her time for it to charitable work. Mike will also support the United Way as well as fundraising drives for breast cancers and also the Calgary Children's Hospital.

He still goes back to Italy once in a while although he says he's seen almost everything in his home country. Therefore he or she is pondering visiting places like Asia, Africa and Latin America so long as it is safe and reasonably clean. Mike loves soccer and the man even used to possess a local soccer team that's referred to as El Molinos Dinos. Another one of Mike's big passions is his Ferrari and that he declared that every once in a as they puts it available for sale just to begin to see the interest for potential purchasers. When it boils down to it he really has no aim of selling it.

But that is not all: Mike is a celebrity too! He's got had roles in "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" plus "Cool Runnings". It seems Mike is definitely up to something, then when you tune in to his list of endeavours it seems incredible that certain person could possibly get pretty much everything done.

Mike embodies hospitality and while we had arrived there he insisted that we get yourself a real taste of the items his kitchen can perform. First of all we have to sample Il Giardino's soups: I tasted a Stracchiatelle egg drop soup while my husband got the "Brodo con Polpettine e Pasta" (chicken broth with tiny meatballs and pasta). Then I got a chance to sample an idea of Il Giardino's famous Calamari (extremely tasty and tender) while Nigel had their Bruschetta bread. Additionally we received a sampler plate of appetizers - Antipasto Italiano (prosciutto with melon). 
That wasn't all: we received a taste of Il Giardino's home-made Gnocchi della Nonna which, by the way, are home-made by Mike's 70 yr old sister. Then, we couldn't trust it, the principle course arrived: a sampler plate of three of Il Giardino's specialties: Pollo ai Funghi (chicken white meat inside a white wine sauce topped with mushrooms), Piccata al Limone (veal in lemon and white wine sauce), and Agnello al Rosmarino (rack of lamb in a rosemary, mint and dark wine sauce). I'm not really often a huge meat eater, these dishes were phenomenal, the meat was tender, the sauces very tasty without having to be overpowering. Mike topped a fabulous meal served by a tasting of the very famous Italian desert: tira misu.