Lisa Chan Carnazzo June 3, 2025
Located on Grand Avenue in Oakland-Almond and Oak is more than just a neighborhood favorite. It’s a reflection of its owner, Rico whose passion for food, culture and community runs deep. Let’s learn more about the journey that brought him here.
“I learned to cook by myself, being at home watching a lot of cooking programs, Julia Child, Yan Kan Cook, those came on weekends. that’s what I’d watch instead of cartoons and try all that at home.
Rico: “My parents weren’t good cooks at all so by the time I was 12 or 13 I was always trying to have dinner on the table for them when they got home.“
Over the years Rivera has been an executive chef at top Bay Area restaurants and traveled the country to learn from the best chefs he could.
Rico: “I was at Flora for 8 years as exec chef, before that Pizzaiolo for about 5 years. Years prior I was at Lark Creek which was in Larkspur.”
Rico: "I draw from all my experiences, in all the restaurants I worked in and all the chefs I worked for and all the cooks that i worked with and all their experiences that they brought to the table that I liked that i do in my own way."
Rico: “I’m from here I’ve always cooked here I’ve travelled the country cooking and I’ve always wanted to come back home and do something here. I like to be here, in my city feeding my community.”
Rico: “Everything. I like when people are happy. This is the hospitality industry and I think that gets lost on a lot of people. When people come here we need to do the food, drinks and good service for them to have a good time. If one of those things don’t work it’s not worth the money they paid and it’s important they leave here feeling they got their moneys worth and they enjoyed everything we did.”
Rico: "I’ve been making it for years and years and years and it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to learn. It took a good year to get it down and hundreds of times to really get it down. So I’m very proud of that.
People love it so it makes me happy."
Rico: "It’s a beautiful restaurant and we do really high end quality food but I really like to think of myself as a neighborhood spot where you can come 2-3 days a week which so many of our guests come that often and it’s like a big family. It’s pretty cool."
Who should I interview next for Local with Lisa? If you have a suggestion I’d like to hear it! Or if you’d like to talk about real estate and want to know your home’s current market value, I’m happy to provide you with a complimentary assessment. Get in touch!
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Responsive, resourceful, patient, organized, and an excellent communicator, Lisa is committed to providing her clients with the highest level of service and support. Selling your home is not just a transaction; it's a significant milestone. With her unwavering commitment and personalized approach, she promises to make the home buying or selling process seamless, transparent, and rewarding.