Today’s lesson in the restaurant biz: Never steal a chef. Especially away from a certain Italian restaurant.

When I called Michael Genovise this morning to ask how soon we can expect the doors to open at his West Town Italian restaurant Natalino’s, I got an earful. "Well, I was gonna open tonight, but now I’m watching windows go up all around my place to replace all the windows they shot out," Genovise huffed.

Come again? Windows "they" shot out? "Yeah, and I’m pretty sure I know who did it. I told my chef [Martine Perdomo] that we were gonna make some people not too happy with him and his chef coming over here, leaving Piano Piano."

So we had to ask the direct question, "You think the guys from Piano Piano shot out your windows for stealing their chefs?" "Well, it seems pretty coincidental, doesn’t it? $15,000 worth of coincidence."

Genovise was watching workers install new windows as we spoke, and said he hopes to be open by next Wednesday. No comment on whether or not his chefs’ coats will be made of Kevlar.

(1523 W Chicago Ave, 312-997-3700)

Image: Jeremy Bolen