Restaurant family with deep roots in Little Italy stakes its claim in Old Town

For greater than 40 years, the Busalacchi title has been synonymous with Little Italy’s restaurant scene. However one department of the Busalacchi household tree is now making its mark in one other historic San Diego group.

In August 2020, father-and-son restaurateurs Sal and Pietro Busalacchi, with Sal’s longtime buddy, lawyer Gustavo Rios, opened their first restaurant enterprise collectively: Trattoria Don Pietro, at 2415 San Diego Ave. in Previous City. Their second and much more formidable enterprise, a lavish two-story Mexican restaurant and cocktail lounge named El Sueño, will open this summer time within the long-shuttered La Piñata Mexican Restaurant at 2836 Juan St.

Pietro Busalacchi, 28, grew up working in his father’s former eating places earlier than placing out on his personal in L.A.’s hospitality business in his early 20s. However his dream was to open a restaurant along with his dad in his hometown of San Diego. They spent 5 years searching for a location earlier than deciding on the Previous City house that’s now residence to the 210-seat Trattoria Don Pietro.

The restaurant is known as after Sal’s late father, the senior Pietro Busalacchi, a Sicilian fisherman who moved along with his spouse, Cristina, and their seven youngsters to Little Italy within the mid-Nineteen Sixties. Sal, now 68, began out fishing along with his dad, then he started working in Little Italy eating places earlier than beginning his personal, Hollywood Pizza, in 1978. Later, Sal ran a enterprise importing high-end Italian espresso machines after which one other Little Italy restaurant that he bought in 2013. His prolonged Busalacchi household nonetheless owns many Little Italy eating places.

Sal Busalacchi is the co-owner of Trattoria Don Pietro and the soon-to-open El Sueno.

(Josue Castro)

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Trattoria Don Pietro serves genuine Sicilian recipes that Cristina Busalacchi, now 92, introduced over from the island practically 60 years in the past. The youthful Pietro mentioned that in his teenagers he used to observe his grandmother make these dishes on daily basis in her Mission Hills kitchen. Together with his brother Joe’s assist, Pietro has re-created her dishes with some variations to swimsuit California tastes. For instance, a few of his favourite household dishes — like sardine meatballs and anchovy sauce — don’t attraction to American diners.

Pietro serves because the restaurant’s normal supervisor, bar supervisor and cocktail crafter. The restaurant’s specialties are its Bolognese sauce, beef quick rib, lobster ravioli and sfincione, which is a Sicilian pan-style pizza. He mentioned the trattoria is understood for its celebratory environment, vibrant music and imaginative cocktails, like an espresso martini, Emerald Metropolis pistachio drink and Half Blood Prince negroni.

Gustavo Rios is a companion in Trattoria Don Pietro and El Sueno eating places in Previous City San Diego.

(Josue Castro)

The trio’s subsequent massive enterprise is El Sueño, which implies “the dream” in Spanish. They’re hoping for a July opening. Pietro mentioned he primarily based its “eatertainment” idea on his travels by way of Mexico, describing it as an expensive hideaway that has been deserted and overgrown by the jungle.

“It is going to be Kettner Change meets Javier’s meets Pablo Escobar’s secret over-the-top retreat.”

Earlier than shifting again to San Diego a couple of years in the past, Pietro labored in Los Angeles at Lisa Vanderpump’s luxurious Tom Tom Restaurant & Bar. There, he mentioned he realized quite a bit about creating the form of service-forward vibe and environment that he desires at El Sueño.

“It begins the second company step foot into the restaurant. Every time they return, we would like them to be wowed — to say, ‘I haven’t seen that earlier than,’” he mentioned. “And we would like them to really feel like that is their place — at all times welcomed. Service is a precedence. Meals high quality … one other precedence. Eating needs to be the complete expertise.”

At 6,000 sq. toes, El Sueño will accommodate as much as 600 folks, with a rooftop bar and DJs on some nights. Its menu might be Mexican, however with a concentrate on high-end components, elegant plating and California twists on conventional dishes.

If El Sueño is as profitable as Trattoria Don Pietro has been, Pietro mentioned he hopes there are extra Previous City eating places in his funding group’s future.

“There aren’t a variety of big-name restaurant teams right here (in Previous City) proper now and there hasn’t been a lot turnover prior to now 20 years. This space is up for grabs,” he mentioned.

An octopus dish at Trattoria Don Pietro in Previous City.

(John Dole)