Large-Scale Italian Food Emporium and Eatery Arrives in the East Village

A generous helping of Italian culture has landed in the East Village on the corner of Market Street and Ninth Avenue. At 4,800-square-feet, RoVino The Foodery is San Diego’s largest Italian market; it’s aiming to be an asset to the neighborhood, featuring an all-day eatery, grab-and-go foods, and take-home ingredients as well as offering free delivery to upstairs residents in the Strata Building.

The grand opening weekend kicks off at 2 p.m. this Friday, August 23, with a raffle prize of dinner for two and a portion of opening day sales going to the Helen Woodward Animal Center.

Customers can start their mornings with fresh pastries and a specialty coffee drinks at the illy coffee bar while those seeking lunch and dinner have lots of options, from to-go salads and a hot food counter to made-to-order deli sandwiches and 12-inch pizzas. Desserts include a gelato bar and house-baked Italian cookies and cakes. There’s also indoor and outdoor seating in the general market space, which holds everything you need to create a gourmet Italian meal.

The food hall is an extension of Kettner Street’s RoVino Restaurant + Wine, whose owners Tom Tarantino, Antonia Buono, and Vincenzo Bruno are all longtime members of the Little Italy community. They’ve created a host of new dishes, based on family recipes, for The Foodery’s 55-seat, full-service restaurant and wine bar, which offers a well-priced weekday happy hour and dinner nightly. The menu includes a large range of housemade pasta that can be paired with a variety of sauces (which are also available for retail), and any bottle of wine sold in the market can be opened for on-site for a corkage fee.

“We are excited to have RoVino, and the authentic product type they will bring to the area. They will be an excellent and unique addition to the East Village neighborhood and further diversify the surrounding tenant mix. ” said Pasquale Ioele of Flocke & Avoyer’s Urban Strategies Group who facilitated the transaction.