Pronto Italian Deli Enhances Cozy Family Feel, Celebrates 3 Years

Chef Adriano Piazza fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2021 when he opened Pronto Cucina Italiana and Pronto Italian Market in Downtown San Clemente, far from his originally intended destination of Los Angeles.

Piazza now laughs about missing out on that part of the goal.

“I’m so glad I didn’t (open one there), because I love it here,” he told San Clemente Times. “It’s an amazing spot.”

Using his knowledge of gastronomic science and cooking from his formal postsecondary education and a long Italian family history with food, Piazza built his businesses into a mainstay on Avenida Del Mar. The latest advancement involved celebrating Pronto’s third birthday with a special event on April 21.

There’s always room to improve a business, however, and after Piazza’s family uncovered various heirlooms from Italy roughly five months ago, he decided to start sprucing up the restaurant’s interior by adding sentimental pieces.

“What differentiates us is the fact that this place has a lot of character,” said Piazza. “We are not a corporation; we’re like a family-owned restaurant.”

The people who come in become friends, he added, and having them know his family’s history helps foster that close relationship between business and customer. 

Piazza’s mother had shipped in belongings from her own residence, as well as from Piazza’s aunt’s, grandmother’s and grandfather’s residences in Italy long ago. The pieces, which include pottery, historical documents and his mother’s photos taken during her photography days, stayed stored away until Piazza realized his restaurant had an empty wall that could use decor.

His favorite part of the process has been seeing photos he last saw 15 to 20 years ago, he said, and some he’d never seen before.

“Some of these pictures are from the mid-1700s to the early 1800s,” added Piazza. 

The mementos include a label from the Sicilian family’s old business of selling blood oranges, diplomas from 1926 and 1939 in which the government subsidized Piazza’s family to produce wheat during days of famine, and documentation of Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe. 

The latter relic includes photos and drawings of the volcano’s eruption in 1883 that destroyed the city of Catania, Piazza’s hometown.

His mother’s photos captured everyday Italian life, he continued, much of which revolved around handmade items and craftsmanship. A man finishing a boat is depicted in one picture, and another of seated women knitting what appear to be curtains is his mother’s favorite, according to Piazza.

Elsewhere on the wall are pictures of where his grandmother studied in Florence, a previous tasting event at Pronto, and his inspirations, Anthony Bourdain and Marco Pierre White. 

Bourdain’s death in 2018 was “devastating,” Piazza said, as he looked up to the famed culinary icon for Bourdain’s appreciation of bringing people together around food, which is Piazza’s own goal at Pronto.

“In the world, everybody’s so separate, everybody’s always fighting about something,” he said. “I think that there’s one thing we can all agree (on), that we all like to eat.”

Finding common ground through food, especially in a country as diverse as the United States, is fun and a significant part of why he enjoys his profession, Piazza added.

Italians have a “very symbiotic relationship” with food, he continued, speaking to how his own heritage intersects with his career. From the second people are born there, they’re taught to cook and be around food.

The country is also intensely regionalized with regard to different accents, languages and cuisines, which has helped to expose Piazza to an abundance of variety along the way.

“I am lucky, because (through) going to school in Italy and living in Italy, you understand the quality of ingredients and how it’s supposed to be done,” he said. “(You learn about) seasonality, quality, and how the food industry works.”

On top of all that, his family has remained in close proximity to help pass down methods and traditions that have been in the family for decades, if not generations.

Another enjoyable part of operating Pronto is that Piazza solely focuses on what he used to eat in Italy and what he likes to eat, an aspect he doesn’t overlook, as he said others didn’t believe his business model could be successful.

“We’re not here only to make food that we know works or that people are going to like,” Piazza said. “We are making the food that I love, that my family loves, and that we believe people need to be exposed to.”

Pronto could start integrating brussel sprouts and other new items into their dishes, Piazza joked, but they don’t, as the goal is to show people “true Italian cuisine.”

His methodology has found success, and the new decor has only improved his restaurant’s favor with guests, save for a small wrinkle.

“When we’re very busy, we have people that come in, and they want to know about the wall, what (a piece) is and why we put it up, because it’s very unique,” said Piazza. “...It’s been a very good problem to have.”

Pronto Cucina Italiana and the Pronto Italian Market are located at 221 Avenida Del Mar.