Keith Lee has done it again.
When the world-renowned food influencer travels to a city to review the cuisine of various eateries, usually those that are struggling, his positive TikTok review often translates to a surge in popularity for those fortunate establishments.
Last year, after visiting and reviewing the food at Soul Prime, a soul food eatery on Chicago’s North Side, his favorable impression led to a flood of customers, so much so that the eatery had to turn people away.
Again, history has repeated itself in Chicago, and the so-called “Keith Lee effect” has proven to be indisputably real — like crime, climate change and property taxes.
Lee recently visited Amici, a beleaguered restaurant in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The establishment occupies a humble storefront at Broadway and Clarendon Avenue. Owner Alfio Sciacca opened Amici less than a year ago.
His vision was a restaurant specializing in homemade arancini—those delectable Italian fried rice balls—but with a unique twist: ones with Mexican, Indian, African and Chinese culinary influences.
But as inspired and unique as all that sounds, Amici has struggled to remain open. It barely had any customers and seemed destined to close.
Yet, at the behest of his daughter, Sciacca turned to TikTok to deliver a heartfelt video about his business’s struggles, showcasing a sparsely populated storefront. They tagged Lee and extended an invitation to savor their arancini.
The food influencer whose reviews are as consequential as Gordan Ramsey’s answered their call.
Lee visited the restaurant and sampled six distinct arancini: an African Dorowattino arancino, a Mexican Birriacino, an Indian Currycino Masalacino, a Jerkicino infused with the flavors of jerk chicken and a traditional Italian arancino.
@keith_lee125 #stitch with @amici chicago Amici Chicago taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic @amici chicago
He reviewed each one, including the Birriacino, which he said was “delicious,” admiring the ingenuity of it. But the one that really stood out was the Italian arancino, which he rated a nine out of 10, saying it was “gotd—n delicious.”
“This is like a home-cooked meal, beef stew,” he added. Then he gave it his highest praise: “For sure and right on,” which might be equivalent to a Guy Fieri “Flavortown” compliment, when the Food Network personality says something like “this goat cheese risotto is a one-way trip to Flavortown, with no connecting flights” or something like that.
Anyway, before Lee left, he met with Sciacca and left a generous gift: $3,000 to cover the tabs of Amici’s patrons and a generous $1,000 tip for the restaurant itself.
Word has it that the lines have been out the door since that visit, proving that Father Time and the Keith Lee effect remain undefeated.
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