Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonia Buono, Tom Tarantino, Vincenzo Bruno.
Antonia, Tom, Vincenzo, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Tom is very proud of his Italian heritage. Not only did his parents arrive to the United States from Porticello, Sicily, but his family also has historical roots to Downtown San Diego, dating back to the early 1900s when both of his grandfathers were fishermen in Little Italy. This is where Tom spent his childhood growing up and where his passion for Sicilian cooking was learned from his Italian family.
Tom has been involved in the food industry for over 30 years. From the beginning, he had a desire to not only understand the art of cooking but also just as important to him were the ingredients that went into creating a wonderful meal. As a result, Tom spent many years not only in restaurants but also in the grocery business, learning about locally sourced produce and how important premium ingredients were to creating any dish.
In 2016, Tom took all of his food knowledge and experience, and along with his two partners, opened the critically acclaimed RoVino Restaurant + Wine Bar in Little Italy. In less than three years, RoVino has been recognized as one of San Diego’s best Italian Restaurants. They were awarded “Best New Restaurant” in 2017 by the San Diego Magazine, “Best Italian Restaurant” by both San Diego Magazine and Ranch & Coast Magazine in 2018 and 2019, as well as “Best Wine Bar,” among other dining awards. RoVino is also the only restaurant in Little Italy to have an overall 5-star Yelp rating. This same commitment to food, service, and Italian culture is at the heart of Rovino.
In 1971 as a child, Antonia immigrated to the United States from Florence, Italy along with her parents. But Italy had left an indelible mark on Antonia, and this is where she discovered the importance of family, faith, and where her love for Italian cooking was born.
Over the years, Antonia learned much from watching her mother Francesca cook and was taught traditional recipes that dated back to multiple family generations living in Italy. She took that love for generational cooking and created her own catering company, where she prepared dishes for private events in addition to training select San Diego restaurants on how to improve their Northern and Southern Italian dishes.
As a business partner at RoVino since the beginning, Antonia has been able to pass down her family’s recipes and incorporate many of them into the current menu at RoVino. She is excited to assist in developing The Foodery restaurant menu that will feature a few familiar items from RoVino and many new dishes she will incorporate into the casual sit-down dining concept.
Vincenzo (Vince) is the son of Nick Bruno and Rosalie D’Acquisto, and his parents have strong ties to the little Italy community in San Diego. Vincenzo’s grandfather (who he was named after) came to Little Italy in 1949 and was the proprietor of the famous Vincenzo’s Barber Shop on India Street. Vincenzo’s father owned the critically acclaimed Venetian Restaurant in Point Loma, and Vince worked there while he was growing up and attending school.
As one of the owners of RoVino, Vince has the heart of an entrepreneur and is building upon his family’s heritage of operating restaurants. His experience working at his father’s restaurant, as well as working at one of Little Italy’s most well-known food establishments, has prepared him to pursue his dream of serving others through his passion for Italian food and culture. Vince graduated from San Diego State University in 2016 with a degree in Business Management, with an emphasis in Accounting. He is excited to take this knowledge and apply it to The Foodery.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Some struggles include everyone trying to agree in a partnership, keeping good employees, and making a small space work.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are an Italian Restaurant in the heart of San Diego’s Little Italy. All three of us owners have ties to Little Italy and the Italian Community. Our commitment to food, family, and faith and the Italian culture has led us to opening RoVino Restaurant. We specialize in Northern and Southern Italian cuisine. We are known for our Rotisserie chicken, our extensive Italian wine list, and 5-star customer service. We are most proud of our 5-star food and customer service. We believe our commitment to our food, family, and faith sets us apart from everyone else.
What were you like growing up?
Tom:
I believe I had the best childhood you could ask for. I grew up in the heart of Little Italy with my family. My father was a fisherman, and my mom was a homemaker. We grew up with the importance of food, family, and faith. We would eat at both grandparents houses every weekend. Both of my grandfathers would cook all day knowing that we were coming over. Food, family, and faith was the base of my childhood.
Antonia:
I was born in Florence, Italy, and came to the U.S. at five years old. I learned how to speak English in 6 months. I grew up in a traditional Italian family with Sunday dinners and big parties for the holidays. My passion for cooking started at the age of 5 and was in love with it ever since. Growing up in this environment led to my passion for opening a restaurant. I have always wanted to help people and love interacting with customers on a daily basis.
Vince:
I grew up coming down to Little Italy very often since my grandfather had a barbershop on India Street next to Assenti’s Pasta and across from Mona Lisa Italian Foods. Ever since I was young, I was drawn to Little Italy. It was an exciting neighborhood, and my grandfather worked there, so it has sentimental value for me. I was very lucky to grow up in an awesome family. We all get together on the weekends and holidays surrounded by food. Growing up in an Italian family from Little Italy began my passion in pursuit of getting into the restaurant business.
Pricing:
- Wine Wednesday 50% off select wine bottles
- Thirsty Thursday Buy One get One By The glass
- Happy Hour M-F 3PM TO 6PM
Contact Info:
- Address: 2034 Kettner Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92101 - Website: rovinosd.com
- Phone: 1-619-269-9341
- Email: vince.rovino@gmail.com
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