Pacifico Plans Italian Offshoot

The team behind Pacifico is expanding their presence in New Haven just a mere two doors down: Owner Moe Gad and Chef Rafael Palomino plan this winter to open a new Italian restaurant called Villa Lulu on 230 College St.

The menu will focus on Italian old-school classics in a contemporary yet homey setting.

“This is a new adventure,” said Gad, sitting outside Pacifico this week. He gestured to the new restaurant, which will be less than 50 feet away. ​“Most of my restaurants focus on Latin food.”

Gad has been in the restaurant business for almost 40 years. He came from Egypt in 1980, working as a cook at a Greek restaurant in New York City. After a few years, he moved to the front of the house and over time, built up his own restaurants in several states.

Gad and Palomino decided to open up the restaurant when the previous store, Queen Zuri’s New Orleans Delicacies, closed in 2019. ​“There is a need for Italian restaurants downtown,” said Gad. While he acknowledged New Haven already has famous Italian eatries, he said that ​“downtown is downtown.” Families who wanted Italian food nearby have had few places to go.

“I liked the location so much, I thought it would be nice to have a second place,” added Chef Palomino over the phone. ​“We want to bring Italian food especially because it’s known for its Italian roots. There aren’t that many Italian places right now near the Shubert Theater and Music Hall.”

Gad and Palomino opened Pacifico in 2004, building a steady customer base. They’re now hoping to create a similar success with Villa Lulu.

Creating A Home

Villa Lulu’s location has the trappings for for a homey feel: the three-story, red brick building with an A‑line roof was actually a house once. Renovations began in March, then were delayed until a few months ago.

The inside of the house barely resembles the prior New Orleans restaurant, save for a few leftover Mardi Gras masks on the wall and cheetah-printed rug on the stairwell. They’ll be removed soon, Gad clarified.

The workers tore down walls in the downstairs area, opening up the space for a bar and an open kitchen. ​“Everyone will be able to see the chefs as they work,” said Gad. He pointed out the home’s seeming endless brick fireplaces, deciding which ones to keep. ​“These are all very old, from the 1800s,” he said.

{The second floor has a lofted ceiling and skylights, creating a wide open space. Another wall was torn down, where there will be a glass shelving unit with wine bottles instead. The wide rooms will become the main dining area, with a few stately fireplaces preserved. ​“We’re proceeding but it depends on what will happen,” said Gad. ​“The city may shut down again.”

Chef Palomino has also been hard at work on the menu, which hasn’t been finished yet. He was classically trained as a chef in southern France, working at Eugenie les Bains. He’s used his classical training and experiences to create the menu. ​“I’ve been to southern Italy and Palo Alto, where I’ve tried the home-made pastas,” he said. ​“We want to make comfort food that nonnas would make.”

Chef Palomino wants to focus on healthier food, since he’s noticed that his two kids, aged 21 and 26 years old, prefer those.

“Young people [are] eating a lot cleaner these days.” he said. ​“We want to create good, comfort food [that’s] cleaner and lighter.” He mentioned using less cream-based sauces, chickpea pasta and cauliflower pizza crusts, and vegan options.

One recipe he’s excited about? ​“We’re making our twist on a Hawaiian pizza,” he said. Inspired by winter vegetables, the pizza will have wild mushrooms, pancetta, brussel sprouts – and no pineapple. ​“It just came to me,” Chef Palomino said. He’s been working long enough that he can envision what flavor he wants, and knows what ingredients to combine.

Another recipe is a chicken roulade with goat cheese, roasted peppers and eggplant, and pancetta. ​“I wanted to do something with chicken, but something different beyond a puff,” he said. He tried a similar recipe with chorizo at another restaurant, where it was a hit.

To make the roulade, Chef Palomino hams down the side of a chicken breast with a mallet and then layers the peppers, eggplant, and pancetta. ​“You roll it like a cylinder – that’s what roulade means – wrap butcher twine, and put it in the oven for twelve minutes,” he said. ​“It’s magic.” He plans to serve it with an arugula risotto.

Both Gad and Chef Palomino are excited, but cautious about their new restaurant. ​“The challenge is getting people to come out, especially with reduction of 75 percent to 50 percent capacity,” said Gad. ​“Now, we have to close at 9:30. We only have three to four hours to make money.”