Giorgio’s on Hillview is replacing the former Mercato Pizzeria & Bar (previously Ocean Blues, The Table, Zoria) and is expected to open in mid-July. Co-owners Giorgio Guastella, who was proprietor of Mercato for the past year, and Elena de Luca, both native Italians, have given Michael Garey “carte blanche” as operating consultant in redoing the en...
One of the best-known names in Italian dining in St. Louis will soon grace a restaurant again. As St. Louis Magazine first reported, Michael Del Pietro will open Del Pietro's at 1059 South Big Bend Boulevard in Richmond Heights, the address previously occupied by Riverbend Restaurant & Bar and, before that, Harvest. Del Pietro's parents, Michael Sr...
Dan Madaffari, owner of MadaVera’s, an Italian bakery and New York style deli, has been involved in the food industry in Florida for decades. With 25 years experience in restaurant management — overseeing everything from advertising and marketing to hiring — he managed corporate food chains, as well as launching new restaurants for private individu...
It’s only fitting that the first few conversations Roman couple Silvia Rapone and Umberto Naro had about opening their own Italian bakery in Florida took place at a table in their favorite restaurant. As they discussed the idea of owning an Italian cafe and bar that would serve pastries and offer wine and espresso, they divvied up the responsibilit...
If you are hungry for pizza and Italian food, there are two new restaurants in northern Hillsborough County to satisfy your cravings. Two existing Italian restaurants have made changes and expanded to give their customers more of what they want. One year ago, Lutz's Nabruzzi Trattoria, opened a second location in Westchase, and last month, signific...
The Castellucci family has been in the restaurant business for 100 years now. Federico “Mr. C” Castellucci II, the patriarch of Castellucci Hospitality Group (Cooks & Soldiers, Double Zero, Sugo and the Iberian Pig), descends from an Italian father and a Greek mother whose families both immigrated to America. The picture above was taken in Rhode Is...
GROWING UP in upstate New York meant that there was no shortage of Italian eateries, delis, pizzerias and bakeries. My family included, this region is brimming with Italian influences given that so many immigrated to the area many generations ago. When relocating to Savannah, the expectation was that Italian food would be limited to Olive Garden an...
Many locals on the north end of the Grand Strand know where to go for some good Italian food in a friendly environment without breaking the bank. Pizzeli’s Italian Oven on U.S. 17 North just past Mineola Avenue has become a well-known restaurant in Little River in the nearly five years it’s been around. Friends are frequently seen meeting up in the...
Dot Brown stands with Scott Groth, owner of Bellini’s Italian Restaurant, after a satisfying meal of spaghetti and a house salad. Our family went out to dinner to celebrate the Hotel Putnam’s recent victory and DeLand winning the America’s Main Street contest. What better place to celebrate than Bellini’s Italian Restaurant, a family-owned DeLand r...
Positano’s household name, Le Sirenuse, has arrived Stateside, with a restaurant and champagne bar situated in the historic Miami landmark the Surf Club. Serving authentic Italian cuisine at the iconic oceanfront property, in a space designed by Joseph Dirand, Le Sirenuse Miami is the family-owned resort’s first venture away from its Amalfi home. S...
Finding Buon Appetito Cafe in south Fort Myers still takes a little work. Set away from the streets amid nondescript rows of office buildings on Corporate Court off College Parkway, the restaurant is easy to miss. But scratch-made Italian dishes and familial service have drawn people to it for more than 13 years. Most customers hear about Buon App...
You haven't truly had fettuccine Alfredo until you've had it served from a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Ruota di Parmigiano — Italian for "wheel of Parmesan" — is the specialty of Divieto Ristorante in Coconut Point in Estero. Order it and a friendly server will appear tableside with a large wheel of the salty cheese and freshly prepared fettuccin...