Big modifications are going on at one in every of Merced’s famous Italian restaurants.
But the traditional friendly carrier will continue to be equal, said Devin DeLeon, the new proprietor of what was once DiCicco’s Restaurant at 3360 N. State Hwy 59.
DeLeon, a Merced native and longtime worker of DiCicco’s, stated she presents a sparkling American tackle of traditional Italian cuisine.
The established order’s new call, “Ravello’s Restaurant and Bakery,” harkens returned to her circle of relatives’ ancestral village of the equal name at the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
“I want my place of birth — Merced — to get a touch stamp of my family’s records,” DeLeon said, noting that Ravello’s may even cater to gluten-free customers.
DiCicco’s is a chain of Italian restaurants independently-run using close to and remote loved ones in the DiCicco’s own family.
DeLeon recently took over the restaurant’s Merced location after longtime owners Paul and Rosemarie DiCicco retired and moved out of state because of fitness issues, she said.
DeLeon commenced as a hostess at DiCicco’s in 2011 even as she turned into attending Merced College and labored her way as much as turning into a server, then manager.
She constantly set her attractions on cooking and owning an eating place but credited the DiCiccos for getting ready for her during the last 8 years.
“The preceding proprietors clearly took me beneath their wing as a daughter,” DeLeon said.
But DeLeon additionally grew up in a family of bakers. So, a few of the restaurant’s main modifications are the addition of a bakery that will consist of three kinds of bread, plus eclairs and cream pies.
DeLeon is also starting up the Ravello’s menu to appeal to a much broader American palate whilst incorporating family recipes. For example, the lunch menu consists of a pastrami sandwich that offers damage from the traditional Italian delicacies.
The new owner also plans on serving “secret” and “special” dishes from her personal recipes on Thursday and Friday nights, she stated.
The DiCicco’s gave their blessing to the new proprietor in a Facebook put up.
“She is like a daughter to us, and we can consider nobody more capable of carrying on the tradition of scrumptious meals and friendly ecosystem that our family is thought for,” Paul DiCicco states inside the put up.
DeLeon operated DiCicco’s through the remaining week, after which they closed the eating place down for 3 days to rework and reopen on Wednesday as Ravello’s. The plan is to have consumers attempt out the brand new menu and supply feedback earlier than a grand opening on Sept. 1.
“Some humans will say it has substantially modified,” DeLeon said. “But we have the same pleasant group of workers.”
