One of the most anticipated restaurants in metro St. Louis opens next week for breakfast and lunch. Cibo Italia (7489 Delmar) in University City debuts May 4 at the corner of Hanley and Delmar, in the former Jordan’s Auto Service Space. The new restaurant features a modern all-day Italian concept. Dinner service, including happy hour, is tentatively slated to launch on May 11. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Concept
Cibo (pronounced CHEE-boh, Italian for “food”) is the sixth Italian restaurant from restaurateur Mike Del Pietro, who purchased the building and property a year and a half ago.
Photography by Mabel SuenPhotography by Mabel Suen
Now open in University City
“It’s totally a neighborhood eatery. I used to bring my car up to this place when it was Jordan’s Auto. It’s a great old building we completely renovated,” says Del Pietro, who has lived in the University City area for 35 years. “We’re trying to do three different concepts from morning to afternoon to evening.”
In the morning, Cibo will offer coffee, pastries, and savory breakfast items. In the afternoon, the menu will feature pizza by the slice–both New York-style and Roman-style pizzas–Italian sandwiches, and salads with grilled proteins. In the evening, the room will transform into a full-service restaurant with small plates, pastas, several entrée choices, and classico-style pizzas.
The Atmosphere
An approximately 2,500-square-foot dining area will feature an additional 1,500-square-foot four-season patio, which is currently under construction. The four bays from the shell of the former auto shop have new bi-folding doors that will open up to connect the two seating areas to create an indoor-outdoor space.
Photography by Mabel SuenPhotography by Mabel Suen
The interior design features organic neutral tones such as tans, grays, and walnut wood to create a clean, airy feel where Del Pietro hopes that guests will feel comfortable. “I’ve opened a lot of restaurants and wanted something timeless,” he says. “I didn’t want someone to feel like they had to get dressed up to come here or have to worry about being too casual or not casual enough.”
Pistachio green-painted dining chairs, leafy potted ferns, and an emerald-green tiled bar facade lend colorful accents to the earthy environs, along with framed tomato can pop art at the entrance. The room is bathed in natural light, highlighted by spindly black chandeliers and the glow of the fiery deck oven behind the marble, glass-topped pastry counter.
The Menu
Del Pietro designed the menu based on his experiences “eating my way through the country and Italy over the last 55 years.”
For breakfast, choose from items such as savory egg sandwiches filled with guanciale (Italian salt-cured pork jowl) and stracciatella; eggs in purgatory; and mini breakfast pizzas topped with eggs, mozzarella, and luganega (a traditional Italian pork sausage). Brunch will be available on Sundays.
Lunch offerings include sandwiches on house-made seeded baguettes and focaccia. “My favorite will be the fried mortadella with banana peppers, stracciatella cheese, mustard, and Calabrian chili oil,” Del Pietro says. Roman-style square pizzas on offer during the day include one topped with vodka sauce, burrata, and pancetta crumbles. New York-style pizza slices will also be available, cooked in a gas-fired, 900-degree Wood Stone deck oven.
Pastry chef Harold Fiebelman creates a variety of desserts on offer daily, including panna cotta, mini cannoli, tiramisu, almond or pistachio-filled croissants. The baked good selection also includes biscotti made by Del Pietro’s mother, Mary Rose.
Dinner items will include cold and hot small plates such as whipped ricotta cheese with hot honey and grilled zucchini carpaccio. Additional offerings will include a fish of the day, as well as house-made pastas in appetizer and entrée-size options.
During the day, the bar will serve drip coffee made with Dubuque Coffee beans and espresso made with Lavazza beans. Beverage offerings will include spritzes and a wine program with 10 whites and 10 reds available by the glass or bottle, including higher-end options.
The Backstory
Photography by Mabel SuenPhotography by Mabel Suen
Michael Del Pietro
The Del Pietro legacy began 50 years ago. Michael Del Pietro Sr. and his wife, Mary Rose opened Del Pietro’s on Hampton Avenue in 1976, where it operated there for 35 years. All four of their children ended up in the restaurant business.
Michael Del Pietro’s brother Marc, co-owns two local restaurants, The Block and Cleaver & Cocktail, and his sister, Lea, is married to chef Brian Doherty, Marc’s partner in the two restaurants. Another sister, Angela, lives in Los Angeles and works in the industry as well.
Michael Del Pietro Restaurant Group also operates two locations of Sugo’s Spaghetteria, in Edwardsville and Frontenac. “I’ve been in the restaurant industry since I was 19 or 20 years old. I still love it, believe it or not,” says Del Pietro.
“I love this concept, and I love this project,” he says of Cibo Italia. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun and a great addition to this community.”
Cibo Italia
📍 7489 Delmar, University City
⏰ Inaugural hours: 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Mon–Sat., 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Sun. Dinner service to follow May 11.
Follow Cibo Italia on Instagram to stay up to date with the latest hours and announcements.
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