Just mention the name Renato’s Italian Ristorante & Grille, and your mind can expect to be flooded with visions of mouthwatering, fresh and authentic dishes, covered in dark red sauce or a delicate lemon white wine sauce and dripping with sumptuous cheese.
For 17 years, Renato’s has been the place to go in Sewall’s Point, Stuart, to enjoy true Italian comfort food served in a charming, old-world atmosphere.
The restaurant is owned by Renato and Josephine Maira, whose family comes from Sicily. The couple also lived in Long Island, where each worked for well-known Italian restaurants in different cities – Renato in Baldwin and Josephine in Elmont – and now make their home here in South Florida.
“We were on vacation here with our kids, taking them to Disney World,” said Josephine. “We started riding around the state, just looking at different locations, and loved it here in Stuart very much. We opened another Italian restaurant with a partner couple but then decided we wanted to try owning a place on our own.”
The Mairas are proud of Renato’s well-earned reputation for serving only the freshest, most delectable Italian cuisine the way their parents and grandparents taught them from the “old country.”
“We want everyone to feel like they are at home when they enter our restaurant,” said Josephine, married to head chef/owner Renato for 27 years. “It is very cozy and warm with a touch of a European style in the décor and an atmosphere that goes with our wonderful food.”
Renato’s is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9:30 p.m.
“Our food is primarily Sicilian, meaning more fresh fish dishes, served with plenty of rich red sauce, but we also serve Northern and Southern-style Italian food,” she said.
The Maira family welcomed several relatives over the Thanksgiving holiday – from Italy, Texas, Long Island, New Jersey and “all over” – as they celebrated the wedding of the Mairas’ oldest son Alberto and his wife Kristina (“who he met here in the restaurant,” Josephine noted). Alberto, 26, is also a chef at Renato’s, while his 23-year-old brother Vincenzo is a computer game designer.”
Pingback: January 2012 | PBG Lifestyle Magazine