A legacy of excellence

When a beloved actor or director passes away on Broadway, the lights in all the theaters and on the Great White Way itself dim for a minute before curtain time to pay tribute. It was such a moment on Restaurant Row on South Main Street in Providence on Oct. 27. George Germon, founder with his wife, Johanne Killeen, of the iconic Providence restaurant Al Forno, died that day following an illness. He was 70.

Germon and Al Forno did nothing short of putting Providence on the culinary map long before the restaurant boom, celebrity chefs and competition cooking. There was simply no competition with their invention of grilled pizza, which Germon discovered while teaching sculpture and architecture in Italy. At the same time, Killeen was working at a small restaurant in Florence where they met.

The tradition of cooking in the north of Italy revolved around open-flame grilling and wood-burning ovens. The flames brought out bold flavors in oven-baked pasta dishes and hearty vegetable creations.

Germon and Killeen brought the recipes and open-flame cooking style to Rhode Island and Al Forno received international acclaim, including accolades from the International Herald Tribune.

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But before the accolades, the couple surely knew they were on to something. Al Forno opened on Jan. 2, 1980, on Steeple Street in the space now occupied by New Rivers. Al Forno moved to its present location on South Main Street on July 4, 1989. As I wrote in 2010 on Al Forno’s 30th anniversary, Germon recalled nights when almost every table ordered one of his signature grilled pizzas and he literally could not leave the pizza-making station all night.

“It took us seven years to become an overnight sensation!” said Killeen. In 1987, Bon Appetit published a seven-page spread that put the restaurant on the map, which led to the “quote heard ’round the world” from writer Patricia Wells in the International Herald Tribune: “Al Forno is simply the world’s best casual restaurant!”

The accolades and awards followed, from a Who’s Who of culinary organizations. Al Forno received James Beard Awards in several categories and three separate nominations for Best Restaurant, after which it was retired from competition. Among their numerous awards, Germon and Killeen both received honorary degrees in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University.

As the glowing reviews went forth around the world, the celebrities flocked to Al Forno, led by those with offspring attending Brown University or other local colleges. Julia Child celebrated at least one birthday there. Jacques Pepin, during his many Rhode Island appearances, spoke of his “close friends George and Johanne.”

The list of celebrity chefs and restaurateurs who are Al Forno alumni rivals is long. Suzanne Goin started out on the line at Al Forno while a student at Brown when Jaime D’Oliveira was chef. She now presides over a group of restaurants headed by flagship Lucques in Los Angeles and is herself a James Beard Award winner. Others included Ken Oringer, famed chef of Clio in Boston, and Brian Kingsford, who left Germon’s kitchen to start his own successful Bacaro just a few blocks toward downtown Providence.

Back in 2010, I asked Germon to predict what might be in store for the next 30 years. He and Killeen were quick to declare they would most likely not stray far from Rhode Island.

Al Forno was open for business on the night of Oct. 27. A spokeswoman told me it’s what Germon would have wanted. •

Bruce Newbury’s Dining Out talk radio show is heard on 920 WHJJ-AM, 1540 WADK-AM and on mobile applications. He can be reached by email at bruce@brucenewbury.com.

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