Pizza, Pasta and Pop Art...

Frank Palazzolo, a native Chicagoan with Sicilian roots, is not only enjoying his success as an artist but also as a restaurant owner. Palazzolo, a first- generation American was raised in his parents pizzeria, where he began his art work and encountered his love for the basics of Italian cuisine, pizza and pasta. Now a owner of Nonna Maria's Pizzeria in Oracle, Arizona, Palazzolo maintains his passion for both art and Italian food. His art work, heavily influenced by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, add to the vibrant ambiance of the family's restaurant based on the combination of pizza, pasta, and pop art. The large canvasses covering the walls depict colorful renditions of famous celebrities including Shirley Temple, Abbott and Costello, Bob Hope, and even Dennis Rodman, sharing pizza or pasta on red and white checkered tablecloths. The artist signs his work with the name "Papuni" in honor of his late grandfather's nickname which means "tugboat." He also honors his Sicilian roots with the Italian food served at Nonna Maria's Ristoranté.