The crew behind San Diego's hit Italian restaurant group, Buona Forchetta, is in the process of a huge expansion! In addition to a Coronado location of Buona Forchetta, a for-charity breakfast restaurant and a Texas-style BBQ house, they are opening Gelati & Peccati - a new fast-casual concept centered around Roman-style pizza and gelato set to open this spring in North Park.
Italian native Matteo Cattaneo opened his award-winning Buona Forchetta in San Diego's South Park neighborhood in 2013 and has been packing the house ever since. In March 2017, the company opened an offshoot dubbed Officine Buona Forchetta in Liberty Station, which coincided with the announcement of an incoming, 1,100 square foot Encinitas branch that debuted in October 2018. Buona Forchetta also launched a branch inside Petco Park for the 2018 season, which they plan on maintaining for at least the next two years. An Italian bodega and bistro that sits two doors down from the company's flagship South Park restaurant, Enoteca Buona Forchetta also unveiled last fall. Set to open in late 2019 is a Coronado offshoot being installed within the space that long housed El Cordova Garage, tentatively dubbed "Garage Buona Forchetta." Buona Forchetta ownership also has plans for a non-profit breakfast-centric restaurant being built in the former Rebecca's coffee space at 3015 Juniper Street in South Park and a Texas-style barbecue restaurant called Carbón set to debut this summer at 2314 30th Street, also in South Park.
For Gelati & Peccati, Cattaneo is helping two of his longtime employees excel at their respective trades. Luca Zamboni will be in charge of the pizza and Giovanni Bonomi will prepare the gelato. Zamboni previously worked under famed Italian pizzaiolo, Gabriele Bonci, who has lines out the doors of his namesake pizzerias in Rome and Chicago. Bonomi is a master gelato maker with a passion for producing unique flavors. The team recently took over a 700 square-foot portion from North Park Optometry at 3068 University Avenue. Gelati & Peccati will offer a menu centered around Roman-style pizza al taglio and organic gelato, which will be viewable from inside glass display cases. Pizza al taglio is a variety of pizza baked in large rectangular trays and sold by the slice. While the eatery will have a few tables, it will be fast-casual counter service designed for grab and go. Gelati & Peccati will offer late night hours.
Gelati & Peccati is anticipated to open as early as this April.
Gelati & Peccati is anticipated to open as early as this April.