Family Matters

For many chefs, working in a restaurant is a lifelong dream. Their passion for food comes at a young age, and they grow up experimenting in the kitchen. But chef Polo Adamo’s foray into the culinary world was much more practical: He wanted to save money by learning how to cook his own meals. His practicality blossomed into a career that would later earn him a devoted fan following at his family-run restaurant, Adamo’s Kitchen in Midtown Sacramento.

Two other Adamos actually opened Adamo’s Kitchen in 2014: John, Polo’s dad, and Chiara, his sister. John made all the pasta by hand each day while Chiara handled the front of house. Although neither John nor Chiara had any experience running a restaurant, it had been a longtime goal. 

“I always had the desire to have a real Italian restaurant,” John says. “Not anything fancy, but something more casual. My daughter was game, so we decided to go for it.”

Chiara, who calls her dad a “jack of all trades,” says that he made pasta by following the same techniques as his own mother, an Italian immigrant. The restaurant’s most popular dish, Bolognese, is similar to his family recipe, consisting of San Marzano tomatoes, mirepoix, and local beef simmered for hours and served with pappardelle.

Polo didn’t set out to become a chef. As a student at Sacramento State studying athletic training, he realized he didn’t have the same enthusiasm as his classmates. So he switched to the culinary arts program at American River College in Sacramento, thinking at least he’d learn some practical skills and save a buck or two eating meals he prepared himself. He assumed he’d return to Sac State later and figure out what he really wanted to do. 

But once in the program, Polo was hooked. Afterward, he went on to work at several restaurants around Sacramento, including Selland’s Market-Café, and then to the famed Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco. 

RETURNING TO HIS ROOTS

When Adamo’s original chef left in 2016, Polo jumped at the chance to come home and take over the kitchen at the family business. With him, he brought an innovative approach to Italian cooking, one that seamlessly blends classic flavors with local ingredients and modern tastes. 

“I love Sacramento,” Polo says about returning to his hometown. “The access we have to ingredients is unreal. The farms are right here. At one farm, I buy right out of the ground. I’m all about finding the best ingredients I can.” 

He’s also known for putting his own spin on classic dishes. For example, instead of the expected chicken piccata, he offers salmon piccata. He substitutes squash for potatoes in squash bravas. Risotto balls are served with cilantro lime aioli, and octopus is fried and accompanied by okra and corn. 

Chef Polo credits his customers for fanning his creativity in the kitchen. He says he often tries out new recipes with regulars and relies on their feedback (good and bad!) to perfect his offerings. 

“My goal is to make food interesting. To keep people fascinated by what we’re doing and keep them coming back,” he says.

In Sacramento, he says, diners are highly educated about food and cooking. They appreciate where their food comes from and are typically familiar with cooking methods. They demand more than meat and potatoes.

“They want the food that comes from right here,” he says. “It’s been refreshing to see people not only being open minded about different things, but excited about them.”

This open-mindedness has led to Polo trying new approaches in the kitchen to meet changing tastes. He has several vegan items on the menu, which are designed to appeal not just to vegans but also to meat eaters who appreciate the agricultural heritage of the Sacramento area. 

“People are getting more into vegetable-forward dishes rather than meat-forward dishes,” he says. “Their mindset is, ‘I’m sure you can cook a steak well, but what can you do with, say, fennel?’ The average diner has a much higher education level when it comes to food. I can push them out of their comfort zones.”

Italian Fare, Italian Wine

The restaurant has a modest, yet unique, wine list. John is passionate about it, especially Italian wine, and not only imports wine but owns a winery in the Lucca region of Italy. The signature offering is Orvieto, a light, approachable white made from Grechetto grapes grown in Umbria. 

Naturally, it pairs well with handmade pasta. 

Recipe