A New All-Day Italian Concept Gears Up in La Jolla

Eater readers, eager for more Italian food options, are hopeful for a new restaurant from experienced Italian restaurateurs that's just getting finishing touches in La Jolla.

Set to open in a few weeks is Piazza 1909, named for the year the historic building at 7731 Fay Avenue that houses the restaurant was built.

Owners Roberta Ruffini-Ceresoli and Stefano Ceresoli are likely familiar to longtime San Diegans; the couple founded and operated two local Italian restaurants, Pacific Beach's Caffe Bella Italia and Solare Ristorante in Liberty Station.

After selling both restaurants, they took a break to spend time in Italy and then began to develop this new concept. Stefano, a Milan-trained chef, will head up operations in the kitchen, which includes a stone oven for pizza, bread and pastries and a pasta "lab" where diners can see their homemade pasta being prepped.

Piazza 1909 will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch; breakfast and lunch will be casual, served via a walk-up counter that will feature grab and go options and the opportunity to build your own salads, sandwiches and hot plates that feature local seafood and meat.

Dinner will be more formal; though there will be a la carte menu, they'll also offer a trattoria-style chef-curated meal, a multi-course tasting of seasonal dishes that will change regularly.

The Ceresoli's remodel of the site includes a new dining room and seating for 100, with most of the seating centered around a large heated patio that wraps around the building.