Wish them “congratulazioni”: This year, in fact this month, the family-owned Riccardo’s Restaurant in Betton Place is celebrating 25 years of operation in Tallahassee.
To celebrate, the owners decorated the location in decadent silver balloons, hosted merch giveaways and were visited by old staff and friends for the week-long festivities of dinners, beer releases and trivia contests.
Saucy meatballs, handmade pizzas, and a secret dough recipe, each relished for quality and consistent taste, are all factors that make Riccardo’s an Italian casual dining destination in the city.
The restaurant’s family style operation, however, is what leaves a lasting impression.
“We have a really good clientele. They’ve been coming for a long time, and they certainly do take care of us,” co-owner John Acevedo said, adding Riccardo’s wouldn’t be here “if it wasn’t for Tallahassee.”
Operating since 1999, the restaurant was originally owned by Acevedo’s mother-in-law, Tina Lipford, who bought Riccardo’s and made it into a family affair on Capital Circle.