Nardò, a Bay Area restaurant that gives Southern Italian dishes a modern twist, will open in Pacific City in the first week of June.

Owner Gianni Chiloiro is the founder of  popular Bay Area restaurant group Doppio Zero, which was recently ranked 19th best pizzeria in the country by 50TopPizza, highlighted in the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the best pizzas in the Bay Area, and listed in the Michelin Guide as a recommended restaurant with a plate symbol.

“We are so excited to open our doors in Huntington Beach, and bring our authentic Southern Italian cuisine to locals and visitors alike,” Chiloiro said in an announcement released to the media.

Chiloiro’s family is lending a hand. His nephew Alessandro Ciaccia, the corporate Chef at the Doppio Zero location in Concord, will help manage the restaurant. The murals will be hand-painted by his daughter Daniela, and his youngest daughter, Francesca Grace, has designed the interior. Its look will include  banana leaf painted murals, rattan pendant lighting, hanging floral arrangements and greenery.

The menu will include pasta made fresh daily topped with wild boar, oxtail, clams, scallops, truffle cream and other ingredients. Italian tapas-style dishes, showcasing such items as burrata, prosciutto and Neapolitan meatballs can be ordered as appetizers. Pizzaiolo Antonio Greco, of Naples, will supervise the preparation of pizzas in a wood fired oven handcrafted in Italy. Greco is known for hand delivering a yellow cherry tomato and buffalo mozzarella pizza to Pope Francis in 2015 during his visit to Naples.

The restaurant’s name honors Chiloiro’s family’s roots, they hail from Taranto, Italy. He hopes to welcome diners as if they’re family too.

“Whether you are looking to celebrate a special occasion, enjoy happy hour, or just grab a pizza with friends, Nardò will be your go-to place for memorable Italian food in the area,” he said. “We can’t wait to welcome you and have you experience Nardò’s delicious offerings from our time-honored family recipes.”

Find it: 21022 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, nardoitalian.com.

Opens: First week of June: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday; 11 .am.-6 p.m. Sunday.

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