(Left to right) Dana Goldstein, Fay Vahdani, Denise Mangimelli, Adam Glazer, Richard Blumenberg Chamber President Bob Benton, Tatyana Yukhtman, restaurant owners Marlo and Gianba Vinzoni (and Chiara and Antonio), Michael Iskra and Elizabeth Jacobi, all participated in the ribbon cutting for Cinque Terre WEST Osteria.
Although Cinque Terre WEST Osteria has been pleasing Pacific Palisades palates since May, the Chamber of Commerce finally held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 23.
The restaurant’s outdoor patio was packed at the 970 Monument building site, as nearly 110 members arrived to witness the ribbon-cutting and enjoy the Chamber mixer.
This event was special because Chef/Owner Gianbattista “Gianba” Vinzoni had two surprise guests. His wife Marlo orchestrated her in-laws arriving from Italy without Gianba’s knowledge.
“I picked his parents up at the airport and took them home,” Marlo said, and laughed as she recalled how her daughter, a sophomore at Palisades High, opened the door and was caught totally by surprise.
“I almost closed the door because I was so surprised,” said the daughter, Chiara. “Instead I fell backwards.” The Vinzonis have lived in the Palisades for 15 years, where their children, Chiara and Antonio, attend local schools.
Later, Marlo took Gianba’s parents to Cinque Terre. “They were seeing the restaurant for the first time,” she said. “It was also a surprise for my husband’s birthday.”
When Circling the News took the photo of Antonio and Luigina, Gianba’s parents, his proud mother insisted we get the restaurant sign in the background.
“We are all so happy that my in-laws are here,” Marlo said. “It was a wonderful birthday surprise and the ribbon-cutting was the icing on the cake.”
Chef Gianba grew up cooking with his grandmother, who made fresh pasta, stomped grapes for homemade wine, picked olives for pressing olive oil, and raised her own chickens, rabbits and pigs. His parents still live in Bonassola, in the Cinque Terre region.
Gianba spent five years as an Italian Navy Seal. He moved to Los Angeles 22 years ago and rapidly was hired by some of the top kitchens in the city. He even crafted food for the Golden Globes dinners in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The restaurant continues to get top-notch reviews from residents who appreciate the food’s exceptional quality at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The atmosphere is also inviting for meeting friends to have a cappuccino and something sweet.
People at the mixer were treated to pollo al limon (lemon chicken), a risotto, croissants, Cinque Terre salad and roasted squash, burrata and saba.
Several people took extra croissants home with them, proclaiming that “our children love them.”
Everything in the restaurant is made daily and if you order the Cinque Terre salad, the Testaroli al Pesto or the broccolini, a portion of the proceeds from the purchase of those items will support The Painted Turtle, a medical specialty camp for children with serious and life threatening medical conditions. (Visit: the paintedturtle.org.)
Cinque Terre is open Monday from noon to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday brunch 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday, brunch 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit: cinqueterrewest.com.
Marlo, Luigina, Chiana, Antonio and Antonio Vinzoni in front of Cinque Terre. The Vinzonis came from Italy to see their son Chef Gianba’s restaurant and help him celebrate his birthday.