Check Out Cesarina Mezzoni’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cesarina Mezzoni. 

Hi Cesarina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Growing up in Rome, some of my warmest childhood memories are cooking family meals alongside my mother. She discovered a love for Italian cooking upon moving from Seychelles to Italy when she was a young woman herself. As an immigrant, learning recipes and mastering traditional dishes was her way of adopting the culture of her new home. And in turn, she passed her knowledge and passion of cooking onto me. 

When I met Niccolò, we instantly connected over our love for food. He was an aspiring restauranteur, and I was an aspiring chef. Together, we took a leap of faith and moved across the world to San Diego in 2015 to pursue our dream of opening a restaurant. We began as a pop-up booth, selling vegan handmade pasta and all-natural sauces at farmers’ markets all around San Diego. Then, in 2019, we opened doors to Cesarina Ristorante—and the rest is history! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I was only 23 years old when we opened Cesarina Ristorante, so the prospect of going from a modest farmers’ market operation to suddenly cooking for thousands of people a week felt overwhelming. Up until that point, I had been entirely self-taught, but I knew that in order to make Cesarina Ristorante a success, I’d have to continuously push myself to evolve as a chef. So, before even opening the restaurant, I went back to Italy to attend a 3-month curriculum at culinary school. 

Even now, nearly four years later, I’m still driven by personal and professional growth—there’s always more to learn, skills to improve upon, new experiences to be had. In fact, I recently returned from Rome where I participated in an 8-week stage at a highly-esteemed, fine dining restaurant. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What sets Cesarina Ristorante apart is the love we put into absolutely everything we do— that’s even our motto: “Fatto con amore!” 

As a chef, I channel memories and emotions into the creation of each dish. My greatest goal is that guests feel the intention and integrity we put into not only the food but the atmosphere, service, and everything else that goes into making the dining experience at Cesarina so unique. 

What’s next?
We’re underway with plans to expand the Cesarina brand; we’ll be selling our pasta and from-scratch sauces for retail, launching a made-to-order cake division called “Le Torte di Cesarina” and offering full-service catering for events. 

Alongside my husband, Niccolò, and our longtime friend/business partner, Giuseppe Capasso, we’ll also be opening our second restaurant concept: Angelo Pizza! Located directly across the street from Cesarina, we anticipate Angelo will be open by early next year. I’m looking forward to heading up the culinary department and developing a menu that’s distinct from Cesarina Ristorante but echoes the creativity and authenticity that we’ve established there. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cesarinarestaurant.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cesarinapasta
• Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/cesarina-san-diego-3
• Other: www.instagram.com/cesarinamzzn

Image Credits
Arlene Ibarra