Lady Gaga's parents enter restaurant biz
James Keivom/New York Daily News
Joanne's Trattoria, owned by Lady Gaga's parents Cynthia and Joseph Germanotta, is set to open Wednesday night on the upper West Side.
Their world-famous daughter has strutted her stuff in a dress made of raw top sirloin, but Lady Gagas parents are out to show food is more than a fashion statement.
When Joe and Cynthia Germanotta open their upper West Side restaurant Wednesday night theyll be serving the Italian dishes their leggy daughter grew up eating.
Among the menu offerings at Joannes Trattoria will be Six-Layer Lasagna with Germanotta family pronto tomato sauce, Papa Joes Chicken and Joannes Meatballs and Spaghetti with Sunday Gravy.
This has been a lifelong dream, and I couldnt be happier that its finally happening, Joe Germanotta, a former Internet entrepreneur, told the Daily News Tuesday.
Papa Gaga offered The News a sneak peek inside the W. 68th St. restaurant named after his late sister, a poet and painter who died of Lupus at the age of 19. Lady Gaga credits her with inspiring her to be an artist.
The 70-seat dining room is very un-Gagaesque.
The atmosphere is more laid back than baroque w! ith a co zy fireplace, brick walls, a well-stocked bar and paintings of the Tuscan countryside.
While the family might hang some childhood photos of Gaga, the singers so-called Little Monster fans will not be seeing any of her five Grammys or one of her over-the-top outfits on display.
Running the kitchen will be Southern-raised chef Art Smith, who used to be Oprahs private chef until he met Lady Gaga.
Smith said he met the famous pop idol, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, at a taping of an Oprah show and he cooked her fried chicken and waffles backstage, the same dish he plans to serve at the restaurant on Sundays.
This is truly a collaborative effort, inspired by the Germanottas family love of food and family, Smith said. Everything from the menu to the decor has a bit of their family in it. Its why everything is so warm and approachable.
Gagas mother, Cynthia, was busy Tuesday answering the phones, which were ringing off the hook with people wanting reservations. The place, just off Columbus Ave., is booked through the end of February.
When they open, the eyes of patrons and paparazzi alike will likely be glued to the front door, hoping the pop princess pops in but no ones saying if shell show.
asidman@nydailynews.com