This family’s popular Italian food legacy continues with new Fresno restaurant
A black-and-white photo of a smiling young couple in aprons hangs in the back of one of Fresno’s newest restaurants, Roma Italian Kitchen.
The photo is a reminder of the new restaurant owner’s roots. It’s an image of his grandparents, Mike and Angelina DiNuzzo, who started Mike’s Pizzeria, an old-school Italian restaurant at West and Shields avenues that opened in 1962.
The couple would also go on to start the DiNuzzo family in Fresno, who would open multiple Italian restaurants that would become Fresno favorites.
Their grandson is hoping his new restaurant becomes one of them.
Andrew DiNuzzo opened Roma in June — with some limited help from his 9-year-old daughter Roma, the restaurant’s namesake. It’s a quick-service Italian restaurant at Chestnut and Shepherd avenues in the same shopping center as Food 4 Less in northeast Fresno.
The business operated as a food truck under the name Roma Italian Street Cuisine for about five years — usually parked at Enzo’s Table — before opening the brick-and-mortar spot.
It’s the newest branch in a foodie family tree that includes Mama Mia Pizzeria, food trucks and fine dining restaurants in Fresno.
“Roma is a new name, but the DiNuzzo family has been doing this for years,” Andrew DiNuzzo said.
The food
There are no waiters or candlelight at Roma. It’s a laid-back, order-at-the-counter kind of place that does a ton of DoorDash orders.
The menu is much bigger than on the food truck, with pasta, pizza, calzones, salads and sandwiches — and of course cannoli for dessert.
The No. 1 seller on the truck is also the top seller at the restaurant. It’s the RCBA, the rigatoni, chicken, bacon and Alfredo sauce pasta.
“Pastas are the star of the show,” DiNuzzo said, and also include spicy carbonara and spaghetti with meatballs.
Pizza here is called San Francisco Squares, a personal-sized focaccia-style pizza for $9. The name is a tribute to a square pizza DiNuzzo loves to get when visiting the city.
This version has dough that rises three times, and the final product is charred and crispy on the edges, soft in the middle. Pepperoni pizza is always available, along with one other kind daily.
Prices generally range from $15 for a meatball appetizer to $26 for the rotating specialty pasta, such as linguini with clams and shrimp.
Roma just got its liquor license and now serves wine with pasta and bottles of beer.
The family
Roma is the kid with long brown hair you might see on the Instagram feed or chatting up customers in the restaurant.
She loves going to “work,” her dad says.
“If you see her, you’re more than welcome to say hi,” he said. “She’s a friendly face around here.”
She’s the latest in a string of DiNuzzos in the Italian restaurant scene in Fresno.
Her great grandparents, Mike and Angelina, founded Mike’s Pizzeria more than six decades ago. Their son, Peter, runs it now.
Peter’s son is Andrew, who owns Roma.
“I grew up there working with my dad,” Andrew said. “Very much learned everything that I know from him.”
He still uses many of the family recipes, including the meat sauce, though he often puts his own twist on things.
Andrew’s uncle Michael owns Mama Mia Pizzeria. He runs the one at Palm and Bullard avenues and his son Michael Anthony DiNuzzo runs the Tower District location connected to Lucy’s Lounge.
Andrew’s cousin Luigi Tiso runs the food truck Luigi’s Italian Sandwiches Pastas & Calzones.
Even the owner of Campagnia, Tony Sciola, is part of the family, a cousin to Peter and Michael.
Sciola’s mother, Josephine Sciola, ran Tony’s Pizzeria at Shields and Fruit avenues until it closed a few years ago. She’s also the sister of the Mike who founded Mike’s Pizzeria.
Details: Roma Italian Kitchen is at 8887 N. Chestnut Ave. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. 559-940-7250.
This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
