Today we’d like to introduce you to Rina Tonon.
Hi Rina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi. Blessed to grow up in the restaurant world with immigrant parents, who started their own Italian restaurant in Detroit in the mid-’50s. It was called Rina’s. They came to Detroit from New York, where I was born in the Bronx. All the aunts, uncles had their own little New York eateries. It’s what they knew, ‘cooking and hospitality.’ My dad would close Rina’s for a month and as kids, took my sister & I every year to the ‘Island of Ponza, where my parents were born as well as and visiting other towns in Italy. I was European educated early on, it was my destiny to start my own restaurant. I met my Italian husband Adriano @ 17 and married at 18; he and I would take off for Europe and live on his parents’ farm-vineyard in the Veneto region where he was born, where land was rich with Prosecco, my mother-in-law would teach me the northern cooking; I cherished what she taught me as well as my parents’ southern recipes. My husband and I would split our summers with both families.
We traveled on motor scooters (vespas) thru Italy & France and along the way, met many of the local chefs, and before long we developed all these relationships with passionate restauranteurs and chefs. We understood it would be hard work, but we were up for the challenge, as long as we were together.
In 1972, we purchased farmland in Farmington Hills on 10 Mile Rd. It was off the beaten path, but it was 5 acres of land where we could have our dream garden and build our own small restaurant and grow a vegetable & herb garden. We decided to name it Cafe Cortina, after Cortina D’Ampezzo, where Adriano and I would spend weekends traveling on our Vespas.
Once we built Cafe Cortina, Adriano planted his vegetable garden and I started a flower garden, and I would grow all kinds of flowers that I could use throughout the dining room. We couldn’t afford a florist.
Over time, we loved meeting all the new families coming to eat. Adriano & I knew many clients by name.
We introduced diners to the dishes that are popular today and other restaurants never offered. Dishes such as Risottos, Cacio Pepe, Primaveras. Zabagliones, various lettuces, radicchio, arugula, even our tomatoes were seeds passed down to us from our families. Real heirloom tomatoes. In the 70’s they did not exist on menus. It was fun to introduce new recipes to repeat foodie clientele.
When we chose to build our own business, the bankers who we approached for a loan did a traffic study, they told us we would never make it with 10 cars a day driving by. Call it stubbornness, we felt different. We both believed that if the food is exceptional as well as service, guests would find us and drive to eat what we cooked. After one year, they did! By word of mouth, a line of people formed on the sidewalk waiting to get in. We never compromised on quality, food, and genuine hospitality.
My heart was broken when Adriano passed young in 1993; Because we were inseparable, many thought that I would give up the ship we set sail. Instead, I rolled up my sleeves and kept my attitude of hospitality. He would be proud. A question I was often asked by clients in the restaurant: “How do you like working with your husband?” My honest reply: “It’s a privilege.”
At the time of his passing, I also had a young son to raise who was born after 21 years of marriage, and he kept me young in spirit & going. I was blessed with family & staff always close to me. My older son Adrian was @ Michigan State; he was studying Landscape Architecture.
When his dad passed, he approached me to offer putting his career aside and come to manage Cafe Cortina.
My words were “a restaurant has to be in your heart, not because you have to.”
Adrian showed me his strong character side & what he was made of. He went to Italy and apprenticed with a well-known Chef in the kitchen of the Hotel Cipriani, Venice. After 6 months, he returned with a more restaurant-career interest and was prepared to be a ‘hands-on’ operator. He started in the kitchen cooking long hours and running our new menus that he cooked in Italy.
Within a year, because of Adrian, Cafe Cortina earned several awards: HOUR’s Restaurant of the Year, national Di Rona. Later came AAA’s 4-Diamond, and Michigan’s Most Romantic.
Adrian fine-tuned the more European art of service, worked with our wonderful staff. I then decided to remodel a bit, yet keep the intimacy of our dining rooms, where families have been coming to enjoy memories. I believe we are servicing third-generation families.
When Adriano passed, I made a business decision to give up my flower garden on the property in the front of the restaurant; I decided to landscape my small flower garden into private garden for diners. Today the garden patio is a destination for a romantic rendezvous or intimate occasions.
I’m proud and wouldn’t change my thoughts on becoming a hands-on restaurateur. I love and respect every staff member because I’ve been in their shoes. Again, I count my blessings every day to have created happy moments for diners, always with a team of passionate and loyal employees.
Both sons are carrying on the legacy of their parent’s destination restaurant. Apples don’t fall far from their tree.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It most definitely was not a smooth road.
Losing my husband and soulmate at an early age was traumatic & difficult; I carried on as I think he would have wanted.
Getting through the 2008 recession without him was challenging. Having to work more hours & wear many hats to keep costs curtailed to keep doors opened.
Trying to be at my younger son’s sports games as a single parent raising a family, that was challenging, but when I needed, had help from my family, friends, and even Cortina staff members. Today the younger son, Giancarlo is involved and has majorly contributed to the Cafe Cortina table.
Another rough time was having elderly parents, my sister and I took turns taking care of them, my mom developed Alzheimer and my sister and I shared responsibility for her care until, ultimately, we had little choice to place her in a specialized facility. This too was challenging because your heart is breaking, and you need to give happy times to your clients.
When sharing stories with clients, my philosophy for them is love and cherish all the happy moments you have. When guests come to Cafe Cortina, we give them memories of delicious food and genuine hospitality to remember. If walls could talk, there could be many stories told.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Cafe Cortina?
Cafe Cortina started out to bring love and romance of a young couple who dreamed of being a legacy restaurant for generations as their immigrant parents were. 47 years ago, they made a wish that Cafe Cortina would be a place for lovers, and today Cafe Cortina is considered one of Michigan’s Most Romantic Restaurants.
Also, over the years, Cafe Cortina has been charitable in their community and outside community. During Covid, provided many meals for our hospitals and continues today generosity.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
One of the restaurant’s highest honors was the Cortina staff being invited to the James Beard House in New York to cook for our 30-year Anniversary. After the dinner staff and I enjoyed going to Coyoted Ugly Bar and danced on the bar! I had always wanted to do that![��]()
I love Motown music, comedy films, art films, design, flower arranging. Love languages, studied French, fluent Italian. Took pilot’s lesson, flew a Cessna in the late ’60s until my son Adrian was born. Today I’m not an avid flyer.
Music drives me and I will have my favorite Motown sounds on while I cook and garden.
Love being within the company of my 3 teenage grandsons, and they enjoy sharing their grandfather’s stories and cherish the time we do get to hang out. They all are honor students and carry strong work ethics and have different roles @ Cafe Cortina when not in school.
A few months ago, I was recently blessed with my first granddaughter!
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