FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Andrew DiNuzzo’s creativity stokes the flames at Roma Italian Kitchen at Chestnut and Shepherd in northeast Fresno.
“We do have quite a few things on the menu that aren’t your typical Italian,” he said. “Still in the bubble, but outside of the box at the same time.”
We love surprises.
“This is our take on a cordon bleu — it is a pounded out chicken breast, breaded,” DiNuzzo said. “We stuff it with dry blue cheese, Canadian bacon, mushroom and garlic.”
It’s covered with melted mozzarella.
The mushroom agnolotti, I liked “a-lotty.”
“It is a larger agnolotti, so it’s essentially a ravioli, crescent-shaped,” DiNuzzo said. “Wild mushroom stuffed, and we saute some onion, mushroom and garlic, and we hit it with a little bit of marsala, so it’s a marsala cream reduction.”
Andrew’s family has been feeding Fresno for a long time.
“Grandparents started Mike’s Pizzeria — it’s my Nono Mike and Nona Angelina in 1962 on the corner of West and Shields,” he said.
Dad still runs the pizzeria.
Andrew’s restaurant is named after his daughter, Roma.
“I feel really special with it and just appreciated,” she said.
“Obviously, it’s a family thing, so it just seemed right,” he said.
Roma’s favorite dish here is the RCBA.
“Rigatoni, chicken, bacon, alfredo sauce,” she said.
“We offer some different Italian dishes, but we do have all the traditional stuff as well: ravioli, lasagna, tortellini,” DiNuzzo said.
The spicy carbonara hits different.
“This is chicken, bacon and peas,” DiNuzzo said. “It’s not your traditional carbonara. I know people will say, ‘Hey, there’s no egg and no cream.’ You’re absolutely right. This is our twist on it.”
Plates are often paired with red wine and beer.
“You can’t go wrong with the Italian beer,” DiNuzzo said. “When you’re here, treat it like you’re in Italy.”
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