Our Story
Ciao!
In 1977, Enrico and Nino Giacalone, all the way from Palermo, Sicily, landed themselves in Shreveport, Louisiana. Their goal? To continue their culinary pursuits by bringing a piece of Sicily into Shreveport's dining room. In Shreveport, cousins Giuseppe Brucia and Vincent Campanella, World Class Restaurateurs, invited the Giacalone Brothers, their family, to work along side them at Firenze Restaurant at the Fountain Towers on Olive Street. It did not take long for Shreveportians to be enchanted by the flavors, breads, and wines paired with Northern Italian Cuisine. Firenze was a hit.
Eventually, the Cousins and Brothers moved across the street, and introduced Olive Street Bistro (one of the first Brick Oven Pizza Oven's in town), Cambridge Club, and Firenze Bakery to Shreveport. The memorable reception Shreveport had for these eateries are still being talked about to this day.
A few more years passed and it was 1987. With experience gained, the Giacalone Brothers opted to put what they learned into something of their own, Chianti Restaurant. The recipes beloved at Firenze and Olive Street Bistro could now be found at Chianti Restaurant. At the time of this writing, Chianti's is one month away from celebrating it's 35th anniversary. This celebration could not be possible without the love from all our wonderful customers. For this we thank you!
