12/21/2023
15 seasons
2 successful restaurants
A small but mighty staff
Countless happy customers
(A few jerks: IYKYK)
Loads of love from locals (what an honor 🤍)
Tears of joy, frustration, elation
Freakin’ awesome food
Such pride
We are so thankful for the love and support over the years—way back at Mache and all the way though CIAO. We recall with gratitude those friends and fans who bought gift cards during Covid when they didn’t need to and we could not open, or came in once or twice a week our first season of CIAO to support us when we found ourselves worried to be the new kids on the block, again. “Don’t worry you two” you told us… “We’re not gonna be able to get a seat in this place soon enough. “
They were right.
Kinda.
(We always hid a few secret chairs in back to pull out;)
We made it to exactly where we wanted to be—your favorite local place to eat—and we did it our way: a menu we changed when we wanted, no pesky reservations, and substitutions “politely declined.”
When we first opened these doors as Mache our children were babies. They would wander through the dining room each night in their jammies, into the kitchen to say goodnight to Kyle before bed. We had their birthday parties in the dining room, took their “first day of school” pictures out front, and celebrated with family and friends in the parking spaces out front for the 4th of July.
When we re-opened as CIAO, our “babies” went to work with us. At CIAO, they showed us that during all those years watching Kyle behind the line, and Marie out front, they were really seeing, learning, and understanding what hard work really is, what high standards mean, and…to never let them see you sweat;-)
Today, they are teenagers, on the cusp of adulthood, and the edge of new and exciting adventures.
And we need to be as much a part of that as we can.
In the words of a good friend: “Go big or go home!”
For us, going big IS going home ❤️
We sold 135 Cottage today but are taking CIAO with us.
Although we are turning off our light at the quiet end of Cottage, we can’t help but keep that light shining bright in our hearts and minds.
We hope you will too.
— CIAO
