Francesco "Nino" Giramonti

Francesco "Nino" Giramonti Was born in the town of Torre del Benaco on Lake Garda in Veneto,Italy on 20 April, 1932. He survived the German occupation of Northern Italy during World War II as a youth and moved to Verona at age 18. He apprenticed in a textile factory for almost a decade before seeking the promise of life in America. In 1958, he left Verona for Stamford, Connecticut seeking relatives who had immigrated to America a generation earlier. After two cold winters in Connecticut, he bought a Buick and drove across America to San Francisco in 1960. The Golden Gate beckoned. Nino worked at Vanessi's Restaurant on Broadway in early 1960 and met Adriana Silvestri who worked at Little Joe's around the corner on Columbus Avenue. The two were married the same year and continued working in the San Francisco restaurant business prior to opening the nationally renowned Giramonti Restaurant in Mill Valley in 1977. The restaurant was a Bay Area culinary landmark for the next 20 years, and Nino was beloved by all as host and master of ceremonies on a nightly basis. Nino is survived by his two sons, Piero and Roberto, two grandchildren, his ex-wife Adriana, and his partner Luci Milani.