You might already know Vecchia Pizzeria & Mercato, a staple in Hoover since opening in 2014 — the kind of place that smells like warm dough and simmering sauce as you open the door. Inside, the energy is lived-in and unpolished in the best way: flour-dusted counters, and the steady hum of conversation between friends and family. It is not about the plates the pizza is served on, but about full tables and familiar faces.
Just a little farther down the strip sits Vecchia Gelato & Café, the newest extension of that same philosophy — softer, slower, filled with espresso steam, glowing gelato cases, and the quiet invitation to sit, stay, and savor.
Together, the two spaces reflect something their owners believe deeply: food is meant to be enjoyed, not rushed. In contrast to the fast-paced, highly commercialized restaurant culture in the U.S., Vecchia borrows from the rhythm of the Mediterranean — where meals are rituals, not transactions, and time at the table matters just as much as what’s being served. That philosophy is not accidental. It is the result of years of intention, travel, and shared values, shaped by the husband-and-wife duo behind Vecchia, Chef Benard Tamburello and Brianna Tamburello , whose story — and partnership — is the heart of everything that follows.
(Vecchia/Contributed)
Two Cultures, One Table
Long before he was shaping menus or opening restaurants, Chef Benard Tamburello learned what food meant at home — surrounded by family, ingredients, and the quiet understanding that cooking was a way to show love. “Everything we do goes back to family,” he says. “I grew up around food — my father was a private food label buyer for the Bruno’s grocery family and I would spend hours taking ingredients and playing around with recipes. It started with frozen pizzas and toppings at eight years old.”…