BY KATHY VAN MULLEKOM
RED MILL — Jessie Guzman is enjoying a much-needed rhythm in her life again after 11 months of rebuilding and restaffing her family restaurant, Rigoletto Italian Bakery & Café in Red Mill Commons, which was destroyed in a fire early last year.
Though there were no injuries in the January 2022 fire, Rigoletto suffered extensive damage after an electrical fire started in a display case.
Two neighboring businesses suffered smoke damage, according to the Virginia Beach Fire Department. Messman Law relocated, though that was not only due to the fire, and Blue Seafood & Spirits closed for about two months before reopening at Red Mill Commons.
Now Rigoletto is back at its Red Mill home, too.
“It’s getting easier and easier,” said Guzman, whose family reopened Rigoletto in December just before the holidays.
“We were walking zombies the first couple of weeks because we were working such long hours,” she said. “Now we are organized, and everything is a lot better.”
For the most part, Rigoletto is very much the same, especially when it comes to the menu.
The restaurant’s décor is a bit brighter with a golden yellow on the walls and sparkling chandeliers over large family-style tables. Booths around the outer perimeter of the dining room give couples and foursomes cozy spaces to dine and chat.
Corbin Felker of FelkerWoodworks, a veteran owned and family run woodshop in Virginia Beach, made all the tabletops and the bar. The pine wood boards are stained a dark walnut color.
“I was looking for a rustic Tuscan décor, and a feeling like you are walking into someone’s home, a family feeling,” Guzman said. “I’m very happy with how it turned out.”
The community has long supported Rigoletto and, in return, Guzman wanted to give back. She’s incorporated gift and small home décor items for sale by as many local artisans as display space allows. Melissa Hutchins’ art created from pieces of driftwood, shells, cork and sea glass hang on the walls. Frank Klaczik’s handmade cutting boards are featured on top of the cookie case.
Local musicians such as Justin Stanley on the electric violin are once again stars of weekend dining, including a new Sunday brunch.
Guzman said she couldn’t have done it all without help from her mother and husband, as well as her 15-year-old daughter, Samantha. After a long absence, Kyle Grimes returned as her chef. Bridget Bachand is her manager, and Alyssa Bellamy is head server.
After the fire, Gilda DiDomenico retired and turned the restaurant management reins over to her daughter, Guzman, who is also the pastry chef.
DiDomenico still helps at the café, making the sundried tomato herb focaccia and other Italian breads that the eatery has been known for during its 18 years.
“Now, she’s the big boss,” DiDomenico said with a loving look at her daughter.
Jessie Guzman’s husband, Victor, who has been in the Navy for 24 years and is now a lieutenant commander, does whatever he can to help around the restaurant, everything from making payroll to delivering food and picking up supplies.
He loves to cook, too, having learned his way around the kitchen while growing up in Puerto Rico. He and Jessie Guzman married about two years ago, and it’s been a whirlwind time with building a new house and redoing the restaurant, all during the pandemic.
“I never thought I would be standing in this kitchen again,” said Jessie Guzman, smiling and looking at her husband. “I cried for a whole month after the fire. …
“It’s been an emotional roller coaster, but it all worked out, and everything is good again. I love cooking for people. This is my home.”
Rigoletto Italian Bakery & Cafe is located at 2181 Upton Drive, Suite 414, in Red Mill Commons Shopping Center. Call (757) 301-2465 or find it online via rigolettoitalianbakeryvb.com or on Facebook.
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