Many folks have been curious about the new restaurant coming to Main Street in Escalon and plans are in place to have Marco’s Ristorante Italiano opening its doors to the community very soon. Hosting a special event for select customers that patronize Pencie & Ginger, a boutique that offers unique gifts from luxurious lotions to cute, cozy items for the little ones, Marco Baldieri, owner of Marco’s, opened his doors on Sunday, Nov. 1 for a sneak peek at the new ‘ristorante’ while sampling some of his delicious delights.

Baldieri, a former resident of the Central Valley, is looking forward to moving back and opening his new venture in Escalon. He began cultivating his love for fine food at age six, while still living in Italy, and has owned and operated many restaurants throughout the years within the Valley including spots in Oakdale and Ripon and now owns a restaurant on the East Coast. Noting the cold weather and long winters there, Baldieri and his wife Kathy are looking forward to returning to the Central Valley and the milder weather.

Building owners Johnny and Megan Silva knew that the space needed someone with a lot of vision and creativity to breathe new life into it. Formerly a meat market, the space was a blank canvas and Baldieri brought some great ideas along with some practical notions including the idea of having a storefront filled with items imported from Italy along with a deli filled with items that folks could take with them to work, home or on picnics in the park when they just wanted to enjoy some fresh Italian food. He also recognized that many residents would greatly enjoy having a new local restaurant filled with delicious Italian dishes so in addition to the deli and storefront, he created a warm and inviting restaurant for everyone to enjoy.

Though an official grand opening date has not yet been announced, Baldieri and his team will continue putting the finishing touches on Marco’s Ristorante Italiano and will be opening their doors to the community soon.