Town and Country chef ‘Andre,’ 99
The longtime chef and proprietor of Andre’s of Town and Country, Domenic Andreone, 99, has died.
DOMENIC ANDREONE, shown in a framed clipping on the wall at Andre’s.
Born Sept. 5, 1922 as Domenic Giovanni Andreone (Andre) in Brusasco, Italy, he passed away on Jan. 24.
As reporter Julie Stier wrote of Andre’s local restaurant in a 2019 Larchmont Chronicle article, “It’s hard to believe that a ‘small’ plate of spaghetti the size of my face could be so reasonably priced. Or so delicious. But that’s what Andre’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria is all about. It is the ultimate hotspot for cheap and cheerful — but it won’t be for long.”
However, as of February 2022, Andre’s is still going strong at 6332 West Third Street, just without Andre at the helm.
Furthermore, luck may be on the side of local diners. According to landlord Regency Centers, the company is hopeful that it will be able to bring the restaurant back in a new and improved version of Town & Country. (See adjacent story on development in and around the Miracle Mile.)
ANDRE’S courtyard entrance just east of Whole Foods.
World War II
Andreone began his culinary adventure in Genova under the tutelage of his uncle. When World War II broke out, Andre was conscripted into the Italian army as a cook for a general. When an officer suggested he may do better on “the other side,” he joined the Italian underground. He and his “band of brothers” fought a guerilla war against the Germans. Andre and his closest friend were seriously wounded by the same bullet on the streets of Brusasco.
After the war, he continued his culinary career: first in Genoa, then Switzerland and finally in Paris. He became a chef for an Italian cruise line. On a trip to New York City, Andre conveniently “forgot” to reboard the ship, thus beginning his life in America. He attended the wedding of his cousin Peter Gallina in Springfield, Mass. where he met Angiolina Gagliarducci, who would become his wife. He opened Andre’s of Great Neck and remained in Long Island until 1958, when Andre, Angie and son Peter took off across country, ending up in Los Angeles.A friend, Angelo Patrone, suggested that Andre could do well in the Los Angeles restaurant scene. He met Don Medica, who was working at the Desilu Studio’s commissary, and they opened Andre’s of Beverly Hills in April 1959.
In 1963, he expanded to the Third Street location (nestled in the courtyard just east of Whole Foods), serving “great Italian food at a reasonable price,” he advertised.
As Stier wrote in 2019, he was named Chef of the Year in 1982, and he remained active in restaurant life into his mid-90s. He was influential in the lives of many in the restaurant and business community. Andre was always willing to help someone out. Although he was a shrewd businessman, he had a very tender heart.
Andreone is survived by his son, Peter (Berit), grandsons Gian and Michael, and long-time friend Carolyne Anderson and her family.
A funeral mass was held Feb. 5 at Saint Ambrose Catholic Church.
Portions are excerpted from the “Los Angeles Times,” Feb. 1, 2022.
Category: People