Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Tully Aranza.
Christine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was introduced to the Chicago Restaurant Community while I was a student at Loyola. What started as a part time gig ended up changing the trajectory of my career. I was fortunate enough to work at this amazing restaurant, Tuttaposto, under Chef Tony Mantuano. Working with the team that was there was inspiring. The passion for getting it right and the focus on hospitality won me over immediately. This is a business that kind of chooses you rather than the other way around. Since that time, I have been fortunate to work with other great chefs and FOH talents who have been incredibly generous with their knowledge and talent. What I have tried to do in my own restaurant is honor that tradition and continue it.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think that any business owner large or small will tell you (if they are honest) that starting and growing a business is a smooth road. There are always some struggles some large, some small. What you hopefully learn along the way is that there are so many people who are willing to help and provide solutions if you reach out. Additionally, you learn that in order to succeed you really need to learn to push fear & struggle aside and search for the solution. Having great friends and family to support you doesn’t hurt either!
Autre Monde – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Autre Monde was the collective brainchild of myself and my partners. The genesis was to put a city style restaurant into a blighted building. We took an unoccupied storefront and built out the restaurant complete with commercial kitchen and a beautiful hidden patio. One of our goals from the outset was to be environmentally sensitive in both building and operating so we built and decorated with this in mind and ultimately attained certification from Green Seal which was a great way to start out.
The restaurant celebrates the vibrant and varied cultures of the Mediterranean. Our from scratch kitchen specializes in hand made pastas, wood grilled seafoods and meats and of course lots of amazing produce, especially this time of year. We are also known for our patio and our extensive wine list which is almost exclusively old world and features natural wines as well as many from far flung wine hot spots such as Croatia and Soviet Georgia. We have been fortunate to have been embraced both critically and by our local community.
I am most proud of our amazing team and the bonds they have built with each other and our clientele. There is a unique pride of place and passion for what we do. I also have the most talented and committed business partners which make all the difference in the world.
I think what sets us apart is just that commitment and our constant effort to be authentic to the traditions of the Med. It is such a great way to dine and really to live that we love to emulate that in the guest experience.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There are so many, but I think that when you own a business that is a passion project like this, it is a bit like nurturing a child. There is no set moment that sums it all up but there are moments where you take a step back and look at what you have built and it fills you with a satisfaction that is unlike any other.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6727 W Roosevelt Road
Berwyn, IL 60402 - Website: www.autremondecafe.net
- Phone: 708-775-8122
- Email: info@autremondecafe.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/autremondecafe
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/autremondecafe
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/autremondecafe
Image Credit:
Christine Tully Aranza
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