TASTE OF THE TREASURE COAST
Siblings Nina and Mario Amelio are veterans when it comes to creating fine
Italian food at their bistro.
BEST WATERFRONT VIEW
49
my father, Joseph (Peppy) Amelio, who opened Pomodoro
in Vero Beach in 1995,” Nina said. “The restaurant and my
father are still going as strong as ever.”
IT’S A FAMILY BUSINESS
Their uncle and cousin also own Scampi Grill and their
aunt used to own Bella Napoli in Vero, which is closed. A
host of other restaurants were started by the Amelio family,
including Pizza Queen which was the first, Carlucci’s, the
Italian Grill and others in the Palm Bay-Melbourne area.
“We are such a close-knit family so we never felt any competition
with each other,” Mario said. “We have customers
that frequent all of the Amelio restaurants. It’s a testament
to how hard we all work and how amazing all of our restaurants
are doing.”
So how did Johnny D’s come to fruition?
“We wanted to venture off and do something different, so
Mario and my dad came up with the concept of combining a
restaurant and a market,” Nina said.
“My dad always wanted to run a market,” Mario said. “My
grandparents had a market and a small restaurant in Italy so
my dad grew up working alongside his parents and siblings
in that type of setting. I finally agreed to his ideas and five
years later, I couldn’t be happier and proud of what we have
accomplished with Johnny D’s.”
REBUILT AFTER STORMS
Named after their cousin, John DeChellis, the bright,
spacious contemporary building at 1409 South A1A in Vero
Beach was rebuilt after hurricanes Frances and Jeanne and
designed by Mario. Prior to the 2004 storms, the site was >>
JOHNNY D’S MARKET & BISTRO
Where: 1409 Highway A1A, Vero Beach
Specialities: Italian cuisine, subs, gourmet pizza
Bistro hours: Lunch - Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.;
dinner - Monday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Market hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Delivery: Available 5 p.m.-9 p.m. for orders $15 or more
For more information: Visit johnnydsvero.com
or call 234-4181
Enjoy fine Food and the Breathtaking View!
Come by Car or Boat
Serving Lunch & Dinner
Open at 11:30 am
Plan your special parties now, book early!
Bar Menu 2:30 pm to 5 pm • Live Music Everyday • Daily Drink Specials
By boat: Latitude 27.2, longitude 80.2583
M A G A Z I N E
BEST OF THE
TREASURE COAST
2017
772.872.7250 | 625 SW Anchorage Way, Stuart | View our menu online www.thesailorsreturn.com
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