Il Vecchio Sells to Its Original Chef

May 21, 2024 – Stefen Shatto first walked into il vecchio in Pacific Grove before it opened for business, way back in 2011.

He took the job as opening chef at age 21, and helped the Italian eatery at 110 Central Ave. become a community treasure. 

Shatto would go on to celebrated kitchens at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento, the Inn at the Pier in Pismo Beach, and Solaire at Santa Cruz’s Hotel Paradox, but something more homespun beckoned him back. 

When il vecchio creator-owner-operator Carl Alasko floated the idea that Stefen and his mom Kelly take it over, they thought long and hard about the opportunity. 

“What he’s doing now at Paradox is amazing,” she says, “but to have your own place is really the goal.”

“It’s definitely my dream,” Stefen says. 

The business officially changes hands June 1, when the Alaskos will host a 6:30pm gathering for il vecchio loyalists with Italian finger foods, live music, wine and beer. 

“A goodbye and hello party,” he says.

Alasko maintains he rejected various offers for the restaurant because he didn’t want to turn it over to just anyone. 

“This is not an investment,” he says. “It’s not something you just buy, to have someone else run and make money off it.”

The il vecchio approach—reasonably priced Italian fare inspired by Rome’s neighborhood family restaurants, in a space set off by reclaimed wood decor and furniture designed by Alasko’s daughter Ariele—has resonated with locals and visitors alike.

“It’s a bit of a work of art,” Alasko says. 

The Shattos have a number of updates in mind, including a coffee-centered breakfast program, new lunch offerings, a relocated bar, and an intensified focus on private parties. 

But Stefen notes they’ll wait several months before making any changes.

“We’ll dive in and reorganize,” he says. “There’s a long list of things we want to build on.”

More at il vecchio’s Instagram page.