Dante's Italiano
About us
Dante's celebrates Italian food. Specializing in pizza, pasta, and elegant Italian delicacies, our goal is to exceed your expectations of what Italian food is. The fondest memories are made gathered around the dinner table. We hope some of yours are made around ours.
Our Story
Hello, I'm Daniel! At a very young age, I ended up in an orphanage in Upstate New York. In 1969, a family took my siblings and I into foster care in Lindenhurst, Long Island. The youngest of three, I was a problem child with major ADHD and depression, and school was very difficult. I graduated from Lindenhurst High school. Later, I was a ward of the state of NY so once out of school, I was put in the YMCA in Manhattan. Then, I ended up on the streets of Manhattan where I lived in a park at 96th Street and Riverside Dr (I had to figure it out) - It took a few weeks. Then, I got a job as a buss boy and never looked back. I met my wife in '91, got married in '92, and moved to North Carolina where I worked with Steven Horowitz, a good friend from NY. I managed Margaux's restaurant for many years. We worked hard and had our struggles over the years but successfully managed to save enough to get our own place in 2011.
Welcome to Dante's - a mom-and-pop place where we want everyone to feel at home. A place where our personalities are as big as our portions!
Daniel G.
Meet the Business Owner
My love for Italian food began in a small town in Lindenhurst Long Island. Once a week the family would take us to eat out at one of the many Italian eateries around town. When I got older I left home and moved to Manhattan. While in college I started busing tables at Miss Grimbles. After a week, I found a job waiting tables at Pannarellas Italian Restaurant. During the summertime, I worked on Fire Island at La Dock French restaurant.
When the owners of La Dock decided to move to NC, to open up Margaux's, they asked me to come along. I thought it was a good time to try something new, and moved with my wife and young son. Still wishing I could own my own Italian place one day, I worked several jobs at restaurants around town: Margaux's, Brasa the Brazilian Steak House, and Red Monkey. It took me 20 years in NC but here I am still working strong with the same values as when I first started. Love happiness and smiles through the flavors I grew up with and a great wine.