SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new restaurant inspired by the late Biba Caggiano is holding its grand opening on May 18.
Mattone Ristorante is a new Italian fine-dining restaurant in East Sacramento, located where Español used to be off Folsom Blvd. Owner June Chang wanted to honor the former East Sacramento staple, which closed after more than 50 years due to the pandemic.
While the location honors one iconic restaurant, the theme honors another.
Chang was a long-time bartender at the Sacramento staple Biba Restaurant. He and the restaurant’s namesake, Biba Caggiano, had a special relationship during his eight years working for her.
“Biba was untouchable. She’s a legend. She had a passion for not only food but also she tried to give to everyone more than she asked [from them],” Chang said.
Biba passed away in August 2019 at the age of 82. Her restaurant, which had a 33-year run in Sacramento, closed in May 2020 – another casualty of the pandemic.
“Since the pandemic closed [Biba], we were all looking for a job, and the staff are still looking for a job. I said, ‘You know, I will find a place, we will all put it together. Someday I will reach out to them,” Chang said, and the seed of what would become Mattone was planted.
Chang fell in love with Italian cooking while working at Biba, but he wants to make one thing clear: Mattone is not Biba. Mattone is Mattone.
"People try to put Biba tags on Mattone and I am concerned people down the road will compare Biba’s food to Mattone’s food," Chang said. "We are trying to serve high-quality food, but that doesn’t mean it’s like Biba’s food."
Mattone Ristorante will be open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays.
Hours:
- Tuesday-Thursday: 5-9 p.m.
- Friday-Saturday: 5-10 p.m.
- Sunday: 4-8 p.m.
The soft opening for the restaurant will be on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16, with the grand opening being held on Tuesday, May 18.
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