Will Tony Bring Chicago Pies to North Beach? Maybe.

A rumor is floating around now that Tony Gemignani's new restaurant project Capos will serve Chicago-style pizza, and that Tony's International School of Pizza will move to the new location too. Eater just caught up with Tony, who says that he can't confirm or deny the first part (about the pizza), but he's definitely moving most of the school's operations to Vallejo St. Since there aren't many professional pizza schools around, enrollment has been off the hook. Tony says he's recently certified eight (!) local pizzaiolos who want to open new pizza trucks (more on that later), chefs who want to add pizza-making to their repertoire, and students from as far away as New Guinea who want to learn the trade. The new school location should open—with at least four more courses offered—in spring, around the same time as Capos.

Although Tony is staying mum about the Chicago-style pizza rumor, he did say it's on the right track, and he shared some other details. So that the school can operate during the daytime, Capos will be dinner-only, open five nights a week, maybe six. They've already broken through one wall on site, unearthing a very cool 20-foot historic mural painted on canvas. It depicts the addresses' 1950s identity as Adolf's, along with other North Beach landmarks: Victoria Pastry Co., Saints Peter and Paul Church, and more. He said it will definitely feature prominently in Capos future decor.

Meanwhile Tony is also very close to announcing the details of a concept in Las Vegas, a new restaurant in collaboration with the Ruby Skye group to add to his Sacramento portfolio, and something else in North Beach. He says, "Once you hear what I'm doing in North Beach, you'll realize, oh yeah, no one is doing that yet."

· All Tony Gemignani Coverage [~ ESF ~]
· Deep Dish in North Beach? [Gianni TV]