Marchigiani Became a Montreal Institution by Staying Old School

Old-school, family-owned restaurants can sometimes become the cultural icons of a city or the best-kept secrets among those within the know. Much of this esoteric knowledge is now slowly being disseminated online. Some businesses lean into it, while others stay traditional and let the world discover them. In the case of Marchigiani, social media found them. 

Let’s be clear, the butcher shop has an Instagram page, but it’s seldom active. As Adam Vannicola, one of the owners of the butcher shop, said, “I hate doing this social media shit.” For Adam's father, Fiorino “Rudy” Vannicola, social media is irrelevant. For residents of LaSalle and Montreal’s West End, Marchigiani was their local spot and perhaps never needed the extra attention.