An anonymous donor contacted Hyde Park’s UChicago Medicine with a generous offer – they wanted to donate $500 a day to cater meals from Hyde Park’s Nella Pizza e Pasta for the doctors and nurses working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. When contacted by the hospital, Frank and Nella Grassano, the owners of Nella, had a generous offer of their own – they would match the original donor’s $500 donation, making it possible to feed 100 staff members with the restaurant’s popular pastas, pizzas, and salads. Nella is located at 1125 E. 55th Street, just blocks from the hospital, making it easy to drop off the meals within minutes. Meals are currently sponsored through April 19, and the goal is to sponsor the entire month. If people would like to sponsor a day of meals or contribute a donation of any amount, please contact the restaurant at 773-643-0603.
For anyone who’s been watching New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s televised addresses, you may have heard him mention the importance of the Sunday dinner in his Italian-American family as a way to “…find ways to make a little joy” during these hard times. He commented, “You know, everybody talks about how the Italians love the food. That’s true, but really they love bringing the family together and the food was the way that people came together…” In honor of Governor Cuomo, Nella is offering a special Sunday dinner menu for this Sunday, April 5 – including meat lasagna for $16, spinach and ricotta cannelloni for $16, and eggplant parmigiana for $14. Customers are encouraged to order by Saturday, April 4 and add their own starters and desserts from the menu for a full meal – and don’t forget a bottle of wine!
