ST. LOUIS — Italian restaurateur Mario Iaccarino is opening his first U.S. restaurant, Casa Don Alfonso, at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis this fall.
The Iaccarino family first opened Don Alfonso 1890 in southern Italy. Now, the restaurant has locations all over the world, including Toronto and Macao, China.
At Casa Don Alfonso, Iaccarino is looking to welcome St. Louisans with his family’s Mediterranean recipes and “signature charming hospitality that encapsulate the essence of the Sorrento Coast.”
“It was an easy choice to bring this project to the states with The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis,” said Iaccarino. “We share the same philosophy and incredible attention to detail, so it was a natural fit from the very beginning.”
The 140-seat restaurant and bar feature multiple dining areas with relaxed seating in the lounge area and counter seating surrounding the open kitchen.
Artwork from Italian artist Anna Russo will be prominently displayed. The artwork features Mediterranean landscapes and shorelines, citrus fruit and florals. Family photos of the Iaccarinos also will be featured in the restaurant’s corridor.
The Mediterranean menu will include recipes that have been passed down in the Iaccarino family for generations. The dinner menu will include: Anti-Aging Soup, Sorrento-Style Gnocchi, Grandmother Titina’s Ziti, Organic Neopolitan Pizzas and Fish Cartoccio. It will also include desserts found in bakeries in Naples, Italy.
Chef Sergio Chierego will be overseeing the kitchen at Casa Don Alfonso as the chef de cuisine. Chierego has worked in kitchens all over the world, including in the United Kingdom, Germany and Saudi Arabia.
Most recently, Chierego served as the chef de cuisine of Azzurro at The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh. Working at Casa Don Alfonso is his first stateside appointment, according to a news release.
Casa Don Alfonso will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Ritz-Carlton located at 100 Carondelet Plaza in Clayton. The restaurant has not yet announced an opening date or hours of operation.