VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — At Rigoletto Italian Bakery and Café, every dish tells a story of family, tradition, and resilience.
The longtime Virginia Beach staple, located on Upton Drive, has grown from a small Italian pastry shop into a beloved neighborhood café, nearing its 20th anniversary. But its roots stretch much farther, across the Atlantic to Italy.
“I mean, I wasn’t even born,” recalled founder and matriarch Gilda Di Domenico, describing memories of her grandparents’ food shops in Italy. “I just remember that when I was little, I was in the store with them.”…