TEMECULA, CA—Gourmet Italia has served the greater Temecula area fine Italian dining for 25 years this month. The restaurant’s silver anniversary celebration will take place at its original location, where Alessandro “Alex” Prestifilippo opened the doors to introduce Temecula to a Sicilian fine dining experience.
Gourmet Italia’s anniversary celebration is at 5 p.m. Wednesday at 27499 Ynez Road. Dinner will be served buffet style for $25 per person. Wine is available for purchase. Reservations are not being taken, but it is first come, first served.
Though Temecula has grown and changed since 1999, Gourmet Italia has consistently committed to traditional food with exceptional ingredients and service, according to owners Alex and Charity Prestifilippo.
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They took a moment out of their busy schedules to reflect on the milestone and see how far they’ve come.
Alex Prestifilippo, a bachelor, relocated from Italy to Temecula to open Gourmet Italia in October 1999. He did not speak English then, but he brought a strong work ethic, recipes from his mother—who taught him how to cook—and a dream.
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“I fell in love with Temecula,” he said.
Gourmet Italia first opened with seven tables and a small wait staff that fed an endless flow of customers. 
Now, 25 years later, the restaurant has grown to include a bar and more tables indoors and out. He and his wife have raised two sons, opened two additional restaurants, one bar next door, a De Luz winery, and most recently, a farmer’s market at the gateway to Temecula Valley Wine County.
“It’s been a gorgeous journey,” Alex told Patch in his rich Sicilian accent, hinting new business ventures were in the wings. “None of it would be possible without (Gourmet Italia).”
He opened without a liquor license and, when it was time, worked with local wineries to pair their offerings with his food, as is traditionally done with regional menus in Sicily. To this day, his menu is much the same as when he first opened, showcasing original favorites and new offerings. The specials have been around since the doors opened: lobster ravioli, sea bass, linguine pescatore, filet mignon, and more.
“Everyone who comes wants to order the same thing every visit,” he said. “The community loves the original recipes. I have customers who have come for 25 years, and they hug me and tell me they had to return and visit though they moved away, and it’s a great thing.”
Alex says Gourmet Italia is “where customers become friends and friends become family.”
Looking back at the restaurant’s beginnings, he recalls how guests would line up and wait for one of seven tables nightly.
His food and welcoming service, treating all guests like family, gained Gourmet Italia a loyal following and made it frequently recommended by word-of-mouth. Before long, the restaurant became a rapid success and grew beyond its initial footprint.
“Alex would often burst into song or pull up a chair and talk to guests and get to know everyone,” Charity Prestifilippo said. “He’s made everyone feel special here, including me.”
That personal attention made Gourmet Italia into one of Temecula’s favorite “special occasion” restaurants for birthdays, anniversaries, proms, and wedding receptions.
He launches into stories and memories when asked about some of his favorite moments.
“Couples get engaged here, then they bring their children, they celebrate anniversaries, then they become grandparents,” he said. “We’ve had some circle of life moments, with funeral receptions for some of our longtime customers. It’s very sad and uniquely special to be involved in their lives for so long.”
Still, one of Alex and Charity’s favorite memories is meeting each other at Gourmet Italia in the early 2000s and falling in love.
Later, when they became engaged, they returned to share the news with wait staff and guests.
“The servers and customers all encouraged Alex to get down on one knee and propose to me again,” she said, laughing. He served everyone tiramisu to celebrate our engagement that night!”
The couple shared photos of their journey with Patch, showing how the restaurant is a backdrop for some of their favorite memories.
Of the meaning behind the anniversary, Alex smiled.
“The 25th, for me, is just a number, but it is an important number, it means I’m still here,” he said. “You look behind you and see what this little place people that I miss, people that I lost, people that I gained. It’s all thanks to this. This restaurant is my life.”
Be sure to visit Gourmet Italia for its 25th Anniversary celebration, or come for yours! And tell them Patch sent you.
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