One of Santa Fe’s better-known restaurateurs has expanded his empire and set out in a different direction, as Leonardo Razatos recently opened his third venture, Piazza Caffé, in the former Rustica Fresh Italian Kitchen location on the city’s south side.
Razatos, who also owns Plaza Café’s downtown and south-side locations, said he purchased the Rustica property from owner Josh Baum last month, closing the deal Feb. 19. By March 12, he had his new enterprise ready to open after repainting the restaurant, retiling some of the floors and changing the upholstery on some of the furniture.
“We’re not quite done yet,” he said, noting he has some other changes in mind before Piazza Caffé holds a grand-opening celebration in May.
“It was an attractive space,” Razatos said. “They had done everything right. It was very well put together, and everything is still new. We just had different ideas about the color to make it warmer, more romantic.”
The Piazza Caffé menu focuses on authentic Italian cuisine, with a nod toward the flavors of Tuscany. Razatos said he knew very little about Italian food until he spent seven years living in Italy after marrying his husband, Giuliano Marcheschi. It was there he developed an affinity for the cuisine he would come to feature in his third restaurant.
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A mural featuring an Italian circus scene is among the new touches at Piazza Caffé. Leonardo Razatos described the work as an homage to Giuliano Marcheschi’s grandmother, who once had a fling with a carnival worker.
“I fell in love with it,” he said.
Marcheschi’s background plays a significant role in the food that is being served at Piazza Caffé, Razatos said.
“A lot of the foods reflect the area where he grew up,” Razatos said.
All the Piazza Caffé pastas are made in house, he said, with many of them featuring a classic Bolognese sauce, the recipe for which Razatos said is registered with the town hall in Bologna, Italy.
“It’s a really simple, very delicious tomato sauce,” he said.
The menu also features the ensalada verde, a salad featuring watercress, endive, butter lettuce and shallots paired with a vinaigrette dressing.
Piazza Caffé also serves a classic prosciutto and peas dish — an Italian staple featuring butter lettuce, blanched peas and ham — along with a selection of pizzas. The lunchtime menu offers a selection of sandwiches, while the dinnertime offerings include a pan-fried cod with capers and garlic sauce, and a fried pork schnitzel.
One of the eatery’s signature offerings is grissini, pencil-thin breadsticks that Razatos said already have become very popular. The Piazza Caffé is serving them at Marcheschi’s urging, Razatos said, noting he cautions diners not to refer to them as breadsticks within earshot of his husband.
“He says, ‘They’re not breadsticks, they’re grissini!’ ” Razatos said, laughing.
The quick reopening of the space for a new venture was aided by the fact the staff of approximately three dozen employees includes many holdovers from the Rustica era, Razatos said, including most of the kitchen staff.
Even though a complete makeover of the space did not take place, Razatos pointed with pride to a handful of new elements diners are likely to enjoy. One wall of the bar now features mirror tiles, and the dining room is home to two black Moran chandeliers.
Most notably, he said, there is also a large mural painted on one wall depicting a circus scene. Razatos described the work as an homage to Marcheschi’s grandmother, who once had a fling with a carnival worker.
“It’s a different kind of restaurant,” Razatos said. “But we’re still learning, as well.”
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Chef Pablo Sanchez adds toppings Wednesday to one of Piazza Caffé’s signature pizzas, the carbonara pizza Romana served with guanciale, egg yolk, pecorino and pepper.
He said he chose the Rustica site because he wanted a restaurant that would be easily accessible for diners on a side of town that often is overlooked.
“It’s a good present for the south side to have a really nice restaurant,” Razatos said. “It’s very different from everything else.”
When asked if this would be the final addition to his roster of eateries, Razatos said he loves the business but added he is not as young as he once was.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “This is a test to see how people respond. You never know, there could be a Piazza Caffé Downtown, although I’m not planning that in the near future — only after I’ve forgotten how hard it is to open a restaurant.”
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Piazza Caffé’s carbonara pizza pulled fresh from the oven Wednesday by chef Pablo Sanchez.
Dining and Cooking