For three decades, the aroma of bubbling mozzarella and wood-fired crust has drifted down 18th Street in Pilsen, drawing hungry neighbors to Nonna Lucia's Pizzeria. This week, the beloved institution marked its 30th anniversary with a celebration that gave back to the community that made it possible.
Owner Marco Delgado, whose grandmother Lucia emigrated from Oaxaca and learned to make pizza from Italian neighbors in the 1970s, handed out over 500 free slices on Saturday while a mariachi band played in the dining room. "My grandmother always said food is how you tell people you love them," Delgado said, visibly emotional as longtime regulars shared stories and hugs.
But the anniversary also brought a major announcement: Nonna Lucia's is converting its upstairs space into a community kitchen, available for local entrepreneurs and home cooks to develop their own food businesses. The kitchen will offer subsidized hourly rates and mentorship from Delgado and his team.
"Pilsen has always been a neighborhood of entrepreneurs," Delgado explained. "I want to give the next generation the same shot my abuela got." The community kitchen is expected to open in April, with applications already being accepted through the restaurant's website at nonnalucias.com.
The pizzeria, which survived a fire in 2011 and the pandemic thanks to a loyal customer base, has become a gathering place for everyone from after-school tutoring groups to weekend chess clubs. Regulars say the magic is in the masa-infused crust — a recipe that fuses Lucia's Mexican heritage with her adopted Italian techniques.
Nonna Lucia's is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 AM to 10 PM. Aspiring food entrepreneurs can find community kitchen application details on their website.