Alessio Casagrande was born and raised in Santa Margarita on the Italian Riviera. He comes from a long line of pastry chefs, butchers and cooks, so the kitchen was always his family’s gathering place; as a kid, Casagrande helped his mom and grandma make dinner every Sunday.

In 2013, Casagrande moved to Santa Cruz, where he and his business partner, Leonardo, opened Bedda Mia less than a year ago. Everything on the menu is homemade.