New lunch spot in Downtown Fresno has old ties to the neighborhood

A favorite downtown Fresno lunch spot has re-opened in the Galleria with a new name. Ragazzo’s is a quick service Italian restaurant co-owned by Executive Chef Gerald Chiarito and Marcel Bourdase.

Chef Gerald is the original owner of Goodfellas, which he opened in the Galleria in 2001 and sold in 2006. Located at 2405 Capitol Street, the Galleria is on the corner at Kern and Inyo, right next to the Convention Center Exhibitor Hall. The space has its own parking lot, and there is no fee to park.

“We are excited to be a part of the revitalization of downtown Fresno,” Bourdase says. “The Galleria has always been a great spot to come and enjoy lunch, but we are also very excited to see all the growth taking place downtown.”

What’s for lunch

Ragazzo’s is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. All of the menu items are under $10. A build-your-own pasta bowl will run you $6.50, and comes with fresh garlic bread. There’s spaghetti, penne, and bow-tie noodles which you can top with marinara, meat, alfredo or pesto sauce.

The menu also features sandwiches like meatball, Italian sausage, or grilled portobello, flatbread pepperoni and Margherita pizzas, and salads. “Our homemade lasagna is one of our favorites as well as our Scarface Pasta, which is a penne pasta mixed with chicken, mushrooms and topped with our homemade alfredo sauce,” Bourdase says. “Our Summer Salad, which consists of cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and our homemade red wine vinaigrette is also a favorite.”

Ragazzo’s plans to expand the menu to offer daily specials, such as Penne Salsiccia and Chicken Parmesan.

Family owned and operated

Ragazzo’s is a family business. Chef Gerald and Bourdase are brothers-in-law, and a lot of the staff are relatives.

“Chef Gerald and I work great together and I believe our customers will see that quality in the food and customer service,” Bourdase says. “In addition to the Ragazzo’s menu, our sister company, Top Shelf Catering, has a more expansive catering menu for any special event. Chef Gerald loves to cook and prides himself on designing custom menus for our clients.”

In addition to previously owning Goodfellas, Chef Gerald has worked in the restaurant industry in Newport Beach, Las Vegas, and the Central Coast.

To learn more about Ragazzo’s, check out their website here. They are working on adding online ordering in hopes of making it even easier for downtown workers who have a limited lunch break.