L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano dishes. Second, the design had to respond to the loca- tion, which is on the water, n e x t t o m a j o r s t a d i u m s where the SF Giants and the Warriors play. Third, and critically, the space needed to r e f l e c t t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e ancient Roman road and the warmth of the Tuscan region. T h e l o c a t i o n w a s h u g e l y inspirational. Sitting right along McCovey Cove, over- looking the water and locat- ed between Oracle Park and Chase Center, the area felt dynamic, almost like a mod- ern Roman forum, a kind of "Coliseum," as Jon noted. This energy needed to be bal- anced by the classic, warm feeling of Florence and Tus- cany. Jon was tasked with translating this balance, the ancient grandeur of Rome and the rustic charm of the countryside, into a contem- porary San Francisco setting. The core design challenge w a s t o m a k e a h u g e , n e w space feel old, warm, and authentic without resorting to cliché. Jon achieved this b y f o c u s i n g o n c o l o r a n d material truth. He started by isolating the essential colors quil, sun-washed, and time- less." The muted colors and textures reinforce that serene M e d i t e r r a n e a n e a s e . T h e o w n e r s w a n t e d t o m o v e beyond their previous con- c e p t s t o f o c u s o n T u s c a n regional Italian cuisine, com- bining Italian tradition with a strong California sensibili- ty. The name itself, Via Aure- l i a , r e f e r s t o t h e a n c i e n t R o m a n r o a d t h a t r u n s between Rome and Pisa, pri- marily following the coast. For Jon, a lifelong lover of Italy who visits often and has traveled through Rome and Florence multiple times, the concept clicked immediately. "When I realized that the Via A u r e l i a w a s t h e r o a d b e t w e e n R o m e a n d P i s a along the water, I thought, 'That's perfect!'" he recalls. "It's a wonderful way to cap- ture the local food of that region." When Jon approaches a project, he relies on core fac- tors to shape the design. For V i a A u r e l i a , t h i s m e a n t weaving together three key influences. First, it was the f o o d i t s e l f : t h e f o c u s o n f r e s h , h a n d m a d e T u s c a n of Tuscany: olive green, saf- fron yellow, cypress green, and terracotta. "I took those colors and tried to translate those old things into some- thing modern and fresh," he explains. This meant using t r a d i t i o n a l c o l o r s b u t i n slightly newer, lighter ways that weren't overly heavy or typical. The materials chosen all had to feel intentional and h a n d m a d e , m a t c h i n g t h e love and effort poured into the food preparation. The floors are covered with clas- sic Italian Travertine; the impressive central bar fea- tures marble providing a gor- geous, tactile surface that asks for attention. To achieve that soft, aged texture found i n c e n t u r i e s - o l d I t a l i a n buildings, the walls were cov- ered not in paint, but in plas- ter that was carefully applied by hand. This choice gave the huge space a sense of history. C l a s s i c a r c h e s a r e u s e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e s p a c e t o frame views and break up t h e l a r g e r o o m , n o d d i n g directly to Roman and Flo- rentine architecture. The result is a space that feels casual but still elegant, offering a warm, friendly place to gather away from the high-speed, demanding e n v i r o n m e n t o f t h e s u r - rounding offices. W h e n t h e p r o j e c t w a s complete, Jon was satisfied that the vision had been real- ized. "The design turned out exactly as I pictured, a reflec- tion of his clear initial con- cept and the deep trust of the o w n e r s h i p t e a m . A s p a c e m u s t a l w a y s b e r e a d y t o evolve as people begin to use i t , b u t t h e f o u n d a t i o n w e built is strong." F o r a n y o n e p l a n n i n g a visit, Jon has a few personal recommendations from the menu: the bistecca fiorenti- na is delicious. "Unbeliev- able. The quality of the meat, i t ' s j u s t s i m p l e a n d i t reminds me of Tuscan meat. Then, you have to try the stuffed pastas; you cannot leave without having tried their agnolotti. The wine list is excellent, full of rare Ital- ian wines. Plus, the creative cocktail menu at the bar is a great way to start or end the meal." ing of Che Fico nine years ago, allowed for a rare level of trust, which was essential for tackling their largest and most ambitious project to d a t e . D a v i d N a y f e l d a n d Matt Brewer, creators of Che Fico, Che Fico Parco Menlo, Che Fico Pizzeria and Bub- belah, continue their shared commitment to craft and hospitality. They were deter- m i n e d t o c r e a t e a w o r l d - class destination and deeply committed to investing in San Francisco, a city they believe is the cultural heart of the United States. They're trying to give San Francisco a reason to dine out again and offer a style of cuisine that is refined but not pre- tentious, a place with enough e l e g a n c e f o r a s p e c i a l a n n i v e r s a r y b u t c a s u a l enough for a regular week- night dinner. Via Aurelia is located on the ground floor of the V i s a h e a d q u a r t e r s , w i t h views opening dramatically to the San Francisco Bay and the Giants' Ballpark. "It's fine dining but I wanted it to feel as if you've stepped into a casual coastal town, tran- I n S a n F r a n c i s c o ' s rapidly transforming Mission Rock neigh- borhood, a beautiful n e w r e s t a u r a n t n a m e d V i a A u r e l i a h a s opened its doors. The man r e s p o n s i b l e f o r i t s w a r m atmosphere and stunning interiors is Jon de la Cruz, founder of De la Cruz Inte- rior Design. Jon's unique approach to design is deeply rooted in his background. While he stud- ied interior architecture at the Academy of Art in San F r a n c i s c o , h e a l s o s p e n t years working in the restau- rant industry while he was in design school. This experi- ence taught him that design i s f u n d a m e n t a l l y a b o u t human connection and ser- v i c e . " D e s i g n i n g p e o p l e ' s houses and serving people in a restaurant is kind of the same," Jon explains in the first minutes of our conver- sation. "It's a relationship. You take their order or figure out what they need in their space, then you make the product." J o n d e l a C r u z b r i n g s decades of high-level experi- e n c e t o h i s f i r m . P r i o r t o launching his own successful company, the Filipino-Amer- ican designer and proud San Francisco native spent six years as the Design Direc- tor for renowned firm Ken Fulk. Jon's work has earned him significant recog- nition, including a James Beard Award nomination and the 2017 House Beauti- f u l ' K i t c h e n o f t h e Y e a r ' award. Building on the suc- cess of previous projects, de la Cruz and his firm current- ly have several new restau- rant projects underway in C a l i f o r n i a , N e w Y o r k , Hawaii, and Palm Springs. This philosophy, where design equals hosting, has b e e n t h e c o m p a s s f o r h i s thirty-year career. Jon has led DLC ID for ten years, and Via Aurelia marks his sev- enth collaboration with this particular restaurant group. This long, successful history, which began with the open- Jon De La Cruz has designed multiple restaurants for the same owner (Photo: September Days Photography) Via Aurelia: Jon de la Cruz's Tuscan vision on the San Francisco waterfront SERENA PERFETTO SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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