Lady Gaga Invests in Upper West Side Italian Restaurant
Leslie Albrecht, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — Though she's better known for wearing meat than serving it, Lady Gaga has gotten into the restaurant business.
The mega pop star, who recently made headlines when she wore a dress made of raw beef to the MTV Video Music Awards, is now an investor with her parents in Vince & Eddie's, an Italian-American eatery on West 68th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, according to Peter Digiuseppi, the restaurant's owner.
Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, grew up on the Upper West Side. Her parents live "within walking distance" of the restaurant, and they've been regulars for about four years, said Digiuseppi.
Favorite dishes for the famous family include the chicken Milanese, the pan-roasted chicken and the flash-fried calamari, which comes with a lemon-lime jalapeno dipping sauce, Digiuseppi said.
Asked how it feels to be linked to one of the world's most famous pop stars, Digiuseppi just shrugged.
"A lot of celebrities come here," he said, adding that Howard Stern and Harrison Ford have dined at Vince & Eddie's, which opened in 1989.
Digiuseppi said the restaurant has no plans to name any menu items after Gaga, so don't look for a "Poker Face" polenta or "Telephone" tagliatelle.
Gaga has mentioned the restaurant on her Facebook page, and has given away tickets to her shows to diners. Gaga will be a silent partner in the eatery, while her parents will be co-owners, W magazine reported.
Cynthia Germanotta, Gaga's mother, said her famous daughter likes the restaurant's low-key vibe, reported W magazine.
"When she's in town she likes to come here with her friends because it's very homey and private. She'll come here on her time off," Germanotta told the fashion magazine.
Photo credit: U.S singer-songwriter Lady Gaga poses for photographers in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Aug. 17, 2009 .Lady Gaga will perform in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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