Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, but its story goes back to 1974, when Antonio “Tony” Fundora and his uncles, Raul Morales and Alfredo Fundora, opened Alfredo’s on Cheshire Bridge Road.
Tony Fundora died in October 2021, but his legacy lives on through his wife, Maria, and their three children, Alex, Cari and Pepe, all of whom work at the restaurant.
Tony and Maria both emigrated from Cuba with their families in the 1960s, and his first job was at Angelo’s (now Casa D’Angelo’s) in New York City.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
“Tony learned how to speak Italian before he learned how to speak English,” Maria said. “His first job in Atlanta was working at Salvatore’s, across from the Fox Theatre.”
Maria grew up in Chicago, where her father was a restaurateur. After graduating from the University of Illinois, she moved to Atlanta with her mother.
“I told my mother I was never going to marry anyone in the restaurant business,” she said, “and I’m definitely never going to marry a Cuban. They’re way too macho for me.”
But, Tony and Maria met on a blind date in 1987, and married a few months later. He told her that, in order to see each other, they would have to work together.
The couple’s first venture was Avanti’s Pescevino on Northside Drive, an early example of the open-kitchen style of restaurant.
“It cost us a lot of money,” Maria recalled. “We were there from 1989 to 1996, right before the Olympics. But, we had an opportunity to sell, and we took it.”
At the time, the couple planned to get out of the restaurant business.
“But you know, this business grabs you. It gets in your blood,” she said.
Credit: Gregory Campbell
Credit: Gregory Campbell
In 1998, the Fundoras opened Casa Nuova on Atlanta Highway in Alpharetta, not far from their home and family farm.
The restaurant’s menu is almost identical to what they had at Alfredo’s, with pasta, veal, chicken and fresh seafood, served in generous portions. Casa Nuova also features a full-service bar, plus an extensive international wine list.
“We wanted to re-create Alfredo’s,” Maria said. “We wanted to go back to our roots, where we would know everybody who came in. We’d know what they drank, and what they ate, and we’d have the opportunity to go to every table and talk with them.”
The Fundoras also treat their employees like family. A number of the kitchen staff and servers have worked at the restaurant for 20-plus years, including some who were there from the start.
“We don’t have a lot of turnover,” Maria said. “We’re very blessed that we’ve been able to keep our employees, even through COVID.”
Tony and Maria’s son, Jose “Pepe” Fundora, is the chef, sommelier and co-owner — plus he’s the owner of Cork & Glass wine shop, next door.
Every day, at 3:30 p.m., the staff sits down for a meal prepared by Jose or one of his sous chefs.
“There’s always food,” he said. “We’ve incorporated that to show that we really care about our staff.”
Many of the restaurant’s regulars have been dining there from the beginning, too.
“There’s a couple we call mama and papa that comes in every Monday,” Jose said. “They have a specific table they like to sit at.”
To Maria’s delight, Casa Nuova has reached the point when three generations of regulars are commonplace.
“The parents have become grandparents, and we’re seeing all the kids now,” she said. “It’s really phenomenal when a 6-year-old grandchild wants to come here for their birthday.”
What’s more, longtime fans drive to Casa Nuova from all over metro Atlanta and beyond.
“We’re a community restaurant, but the community is people that come from Peachtree City, from Buckhead, from Midtown, from Suwanee, or from Lilburn,” Maria said. “But, that’s because they were people who ate with us at Alfredo’s or Avanti’s, and that goes back decades.”
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
