From Little Italy to Old Town.

Trattoria Don Pietro is the latest chapter in a long-running Busalacchi family tradition of building standout Italian restaurants in San Diego. After shaping the dining scene in Little Italy for years, the family turned its attention to Old Town—bringing a burst of tomato sauce, citrus, and Sicilian spirit to a neighborhood best known for its classic Mexican icons.

Set along San Diego Avenue, Don Pietro sits at the crossroads of Old Town and Mission Hills. Steps away from historic adobe homes and destinations like Café Coyote, Miguel's, and Old Town Tequila Company, Don Pietro arrived as something completely new—an upbeat, open–air trattoria with fire pits, wisteria, and a distinctly Sicilian point of view.

Pietro brings experience from West Hollywood's TomTom—Lisa Vanderpump's celebrated bar—as well as past sidewalk-buzzing concepts like Spaghetteria and Crudo in Little Italy. That background shows up every night in the energy of the room: music humming, glasses clinking, and plates of handmade pasta, pizza, and coastal-inspired specials moving through the dining room.

At Don Pietro, the goal is simple: to make Old Town feel a little more like a Sicilian summer night—warm, unhurried, and always worth staying for one more drink.