Barone’s Restaurant on St. John Street in Pleasanton, Calif., can be turned into housing or mixed-use housing and commercial project. (File photo, Cindi Christie/Staff)
Barone’s, a downtown Pleasanton fine dining restaurant known for white tablecloths and veal-laced meatballs, held its last dinner service on Dec 22.
Married owners Joe and Maricela Barone have closed the establishment after 27 years at 475 St. John St. Barone’s specialized in classic Italian food, including beef carpaccio, shrimp risotto and linguine and clams, and was beloved for its live music and garden patio, where many private events were hosted over the years.
As first reported by Pleasanton Weekly, Barone’s closure was the result of the post-COVID economic downturn.
“The last few years have been difficult for us all, with Covid, inflationary pressures and staffing shortages impacting day-to-day operations,” the Barones stated on the website.
The Barones opened their namesake restaurant in 1995 after purchasing the historic Casanova’s Restaurant space in downtown Pleasanton. Over the years, they grew the restaurant into a fine dining favorite among Tri-Valley residents who celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones on the 2.3-acre covered event space.
A housing project including 14 attached single-family homes and a commercial component has been proposed for the site, the Pleasanton Weekly reports, and is currently under city review.
Check back for updates.
Originally published at Jessica Yadegaran