A lot of people were shocked and saddened when a favorite Italian restaurant called Baonecci Ristorante closed down but people, especially those in Dallas, are in for a treat after its successor restaurant opens in Frisco according a 

“Baonecci Ristorante, a treasured Italian eatery located in the heart of North Beach for more than 15 years, has a new home halfway across the country.

The city mourned the loss of the local gem when owners Walter and Stefania Gambaccini, who originally hail from Lucca and took over the former Danilo Bakery space in 2004, closed up shop last year after reportedly facing challenges related to the pandemic. But it appears that an end of an era for San Francisco is a fresh start for Frisco, Texas, where the couple recently moved and are opening a new iteration of their restaurant, also named Caffe Baonecci

Commonly lauded as a standout Italian eatery in a neighborhood chock-full of them, Baonecci Ristorante was known for its craggy thin-crust pizzas, fresh-made pastas and cozy at-home ambiance. Former Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer listed the spot among his favorites in North Beach in 2018, and it was named by Eater as one of the best Italian restaurants in San Francisco.“

The restaurant is not the only thing making a comeback since the couples are also to bring their Italian expertise and talent to serve genuine and authentic Italian food according to a CultureMap Dallas article from March 3. They say, 

“Lucca is blessed with its own culinary traditions, and our homemade traditional recipes are not the usual,” Walter says. “People also love our pizza which is unlike any other. It’s thin and crackly, but not dry. It’s very thin and baked on a stone, similar to the way  pizza is done in Rome. We were the only restaurant in San Francisco doing that style.”

Their menu is still being finalized but includes dishes such as tagliatelle pasta with San Marzano tomato sauce, and tortellini filled with porcini mushrooms — a Northern Italian favorite. Pizza Baonecci is a classic with prosciutto, arugula, and shaved Parmigiano.

One thing they’ll add for Texas: a full bar with Italian-inspired cocktails such as the Negroni and Aperol Spritz.

Walter has a casual attitude, one that almost takes for granted that of course they’ll make their pasta made fresh every day, with sauces made in house — no need to mention that everything will be from scratch, carefully prepared, fresh, what other way would there be?”

While preparations are ongoing together with the soft opening week, the couple maintains that the prices of their food in their new location will be significantly lower than the original especially since there is an ongoing pandemic and that they will be sourcing out to cheaper suppliers.