Matthew “Call me Sherm” Sherman refers to the restaurants along the small stretch of Columbus Street on the square in Galena as Murderers’ Row.
For some, this might conjure up images of Al Capone and Chicago-style mobsters.
Unless, of course, you’re a baseball fan and understand that Murderers’ Row was the nickname given to the 1927 New York Yankees and a lineup that included sluggers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earle Combs and Tony Lazzeri.
So now it makes perfect sense, right?
Okay, maybe not.
Let me explain. Within that small stretch of Columbus Street are four excellent eateries – Son of Thurman, Toni’s Trattoria, the venerable Galena Diner, and the Coffee Vault.
You see, he was making an analogy between baseball and restaurants. It makes perfect sense if you’re the kind of guy who can tell you Babe Ruth’s career ratio of at bats per home run – 11.78, and without steroids, thank you, very much.
Otherwise, just trust me that tiny Galena has been blessed with great restaurants. Matthew is the general manager of two of those eateries – the Galena Diner and the newest kid on the block, Toni’s Trattoria.
We need to drop back a few years and come forward to explain how Toni’s came to be.
Years ago, Nick Ridenour and Matthew worked together at The Pub at Polaris. When Nick purchased the Galena Diner in October of 2018, he asked Matthew to be the general manager. Matthew joined Nick a few months later, after finishing his degree at the Culinary Institute of New York.
The goal for the Galena Diner was to maintain the traditional look and feel of a small-town diner, while creating an upscale menu. Nick previously worked for Cameron Mitchell, so think of Cap City Diner. The Galena Diner offers Blue Plate Specials and made-from-scratch stocks, soups, sauces and gravies. You have to get there early on Tuesdays, because the Blue Plate meat loaf sells out quickly.
With things going well at the Diner, Nick had an idea for an Italian concept, but he was without a building, which is a bit of a problem if you want to open a restaurant.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, the COVID-19 epidemic hit, and the owners of the real estate company next door to the Diner decided to put up a “For Sale” sign on their business, creating a space for Toni’s Trattoria.
Not immediately, however. It took nearly two years to do the renovation, which involved a complete makeover, including building an addition to accommodate the kitchen.
The result is a truly Italian menu with fresh ingredients and whole foods, prepared by Chef Cory Schloring. Here are a few of the menu items that are customer favorites according to an extensive survey of two of their favorite customers.
- Appetizers: Prime Beef Carpaccio and the Calamari alla Fritto, which the queen loves.
- Salads: The house and the Caesar are both terrific.
- Pizza: There are no bad ones. Order one of the house specials or create your own. The dough is created on-site every day and includes Mama Toni’s sauce.
- Pastas: Toni’s Spaghetti and Meatball, Blackened Shrimp Diavolo, and Rigatoni alla Vodka. I’m not a big white sauce guy, but the queen says the Fettuccine alla Alfredo is incredible.
- House Favorites: Filet Medallions and perhaps the best Chicken Parmesan on the planet.
- Sweets: I don’t know. I’ve never had enough room left for dessert, but Jess McFarland, who manages the front of both Toni’s and the Galena Diner, swears by the Tiramisu Cheesecake.
Toni, by the way, is a real person. She’s owner Nick’s mother, and she passed along her Sicilian grandmother’s recipes for him to use in the restaurant. These include meatballs, sauce, and the special recipe for spaghetti with meatballs, sausage and short ribs. It’s not like those cheapo restaurants that make you pick one of the meats. No, sir. You get all three in Mama Toni’s spaghetti.
By the way, Tony Soprano’s family was from Sicily, too. So, think about that before you criticize any of Toni’s recipes.
Toni’s has a lot of Big Walnut High School students working at the restaurant. Sherm says it’s rewarding to see the kids grow up, go to college, and then come back to work on their breaks. They also recommend their younger siblings for work at Toni’s. It’s like a farm system for employees, which, of course, is another baseball reference and a cool way to wrap up this blog.
By: Robin Yocum
