Think about some of the best Italian restaurants in town and chances are, the LaRocca family had something to do with them. The family will be honored Monday with a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Best of the Valley Restaurant Awards. The event is hosted by the Fresno chapter of the California Restaurant Association.

While all sorts of restaurants will be honored in various “best of” categories, the Lifetime Achievement Award goes to all the LaRoccas. The family has connections to FIVE Restaurant, Ovidio Italian Restaurant and DiCicco’s Italian Restaurant. Today, many Fresnans know FIVE, the eatery that’s a blend of contemporary Californian and Italian cuisines at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue.