After being in the restaurant industry for more than 25 years, owner and chef Bruno Girardi thought he was ready to retire, but it turns out that the more time he spent away from the kitchen, the more he missed it. In turn, the downtown area between Stone and Church Avenue has been missing the scent and tastes of authentic Italian food.
The wait will soon be over because Perché No Italian Bistro is opening soon in the former Caffé Milano spot at 46 W. Congress St. by the end of September 2021.
“We have had to wait a lot longer for equipment and supplies since many things are on backorder,” said Bruno and his wife Krissy Girardi. “We are hoping to open by the end of this month, but we’re still waiting on our liquor license and some smaller, but very important, items like silverware. Once we get our license we’ll hire and train our staff and open as soon as possible.”
Last year, the Girardis moved to Tucson from the state of Washington and are quickly turning the Perche’ No — meaning why not? — into a family-run restaurant. Once they moved to the Old Pueblo, other members of the family soon followed.
“Not only will we both be working there, but a lot of our family will be as well,” said Bruno Girardi. “Eight members of our extended family have joined us in Tucson since we moved here last year and started bragging about how much we love it. So, when you come to dine at Perche’ No, you’ll probably be greeted by ‘Nonna’ or one of our other many family members.”
As far as dishes go, they’ve got a lot to be proud of and they’re excited to share all of them.
“We have a good blend of both traditional and contemporary Italian dishes and we’re always updating our specials with new and exciting choices,” said Krissy Girardi. “The yumminess doesn’t stop at dinner either. Bruno makes our tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and creme caramel in-house and we will also have Italian sorbet served in the fruit itself.”
Menu favorites include:
- Penne al’Alce – Penne pasta tossed in a creamy tomato sauce with sliced elk sausage
- Penne Mango – Penne pasta tossed with grilled chicken breast, onions, garlic, spinach, and diced mangos in a sweet and sour cream sauce topped with feta cheese
- Ravioli di Zucca – Roasted butternut squash filled ravioli served with baby spinach and goat cheese in a browned butter and sage sauce
- Vitello Saltimbocca – Veal Scaloppini sauteed with prosciutto and sage in white wine sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese, served with polenta and vegetables
- Asiago Crusted Ling Cod – Asiago cheese crusted ling cod lightly fried and served on asparagus with a drizzle of sweet chili sauce and tomatoes, over a bed of linguine alfredo
When it comes to the name of the bistro, Perche’ No, it came about in a non-traditional way. After selling their restaurant a few years, they started to long for the joy and happiness that feeding others brings, but they were sort of fed an opportunity they couldn’t pass up.
“When we found the old Caffe Milano space, we fell in love with it right away,” said Krissy Girardi. “You might not know this, but we speak Italian to each other most of the time. It was during one of these conversations that we said to each other ‘why not’ — or ‘perche’ no’ — about opening another restaurant.”
Stay tuned for an opening date but expect it to be before the end of September 2021.
Perche’ No Italian Bistro is located at 46 W. Congress St. For more information, visit perchenobistro.com or by following them on Facebook.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
