About

In 1922, Giovanni and Virginia Biale left the town of Savona in Genoa, Italy with their three young sons, Giacomo, Mario and Rudolfo to make a new life in America. With help from a cousin, they made their way to San Francisco and settled in the Italian section of Potrero Hill. Less than a year later, my grandfather, Giovanni, opened "Biale's Meat Market" on Connecticut Street. To this day "Biale" is still tiled in the entryway of the building.

Giacomo "Jack", my uncle, stayed in the butcher business while Mario, my father, and Rudy went into the bar and restaurant business in San Francisco, Phoenix and Honolulu. Rudy owned and operated two "Rudy's Italian Restaurants" in Waikiki for 25 years.

I worked at Rudy's for 3 years with my brother Anthony. It was there I learned the importance of being a hands-on owner. People came from all over the world to visit "Rudy's", enjoying the food, the wine, and the gracious host.

In the fall of 1999, I opened Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria.  I have tried to maintain that same warm and inviting feeling my father and uncle provided for so many years.  My family hopes you enjoy your visit and will come see us again!

Wine and spirits have been part of my family's history since the turn of the last century. After leaving Italy in 1922 Giovanni continued to make his own wine as he did in Italy. At many, if not all family meals, the home made wine was served along with wonderful Italian dishes.

When Prohibition set in, my grandfather would re-locate the family's wine down the coast to Rockaway Beach and hide it along the rocky, ocean seafront. We owned a vacation house nearby and The Biale family and friends enjoyed homemade wine during prohibition along with other neighboring families.

My father Mario bought his first nightclub in San Francisco in the early 1940's. The Carnival Club on Eddy Street. The Carnival Club was very popular with servicemen during WWII as they passed through the Port of San Francisco. My father then bought The ShadowBox in Laurel Heights and enjoyed more success. In the 1950's my father and his brother Rudy opened The Between the Acts on Geary St. in the heart of San Francisco's popular theatre district.

Augustino "Bimbo" Giancola was a lifelong friend of my father's. In 1960 Bimbo asked my father to run the bar at the World Famous Bimbo's 365 Club on Columbus in North Beach. He worked there until he retired in the early 1970's. Rudy moved to Hawaii in the mid 60's and owned many successful businesses in Waikiki. In addition to owning Rudy's Italian Restaurants, he owned Davy Jones Locker, Rudy's Hideaway, Jilly's Disco and many more establishments.

After working for Rudy in the late 80's I came back to California and worked at several restaurants, bars and nightclubs in Contra Costa County before opening Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria in the autumn of 1999. Our current full bar expansion was completed in January 2006.

My staff and family as well as myself want to say thank you for your patronage and hope you enjoy yourselves here at Rocco's.

Rocco Biale, your host

For almost a century the Biale Family has been in the food, spirit and hospitality business in the San Francisco Bay Area.

After arriving from Italy, my grandparents, Giovanni and Virginia Biale opened Biale's Meat Market in 1920 on Connecticut Street in the Italian neighborhood of San Francisco's Potrero Hill District. In fact, to this day, BIALE is still the entry way in front of the old butcher shop.

Their three sons, Giacomo (Jack), Mario (my father) and Rudy all worked at the family butcher shop. Jack stayed in the butcher business his entire life. Mario and Rudy went on to open many restaurants, bars and clubs in San Francisco as well as Hawaii.

Not to be forgotten in our family's food history is my wife Jacque Biale (nee Comelo) and niece Connie Biale who owned and operated the very popular Maria Elena's Mexican Restaurant in Concord for almost twenty years.

Our family opened Rocco's Ristorante & Pizzeria here in Walnut Creek in 1999, and in keeping with family tradition, all three of our grown children now work here at Rocco's. Dante, our oldest, is usually behind the bar or at the front desk. Dominic can be found in the kitchen, working the pasta station with great pride and Nina, our youngest, is busy in the dining room serving your favorite dishes.

We here at Rocco's take great pride in being a true, family owned and operated restaurant. A tradition that is sadly leaving our cultural landscape.

Our entire family & staff hope you enjoy your visit to Rocco's as we try to keep a 95-year tradition going...

ARRIVEDERCI A PRESTO DA ROCCO!

"Fredo, you're my older brother and I love you, but don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever." –Michael Corleone, THE GODFATHER