New Eatery

WINNIPEG – After 22 years operating a suburban pizzeria
and a couple of years doing some home catering, Luciano Viselli is back
in the restaurant business with a new upscale Italian restaurant right
in the heart of Winnipeg’s downtown.

WINNIPEG – After 22 years operating a suburban pizzeria and a couple of years doing some home catering, Luciano Viselli is back in the restaurant business with a new upscale Italian restaurant right in the heart of Winnipeg’s downtown.

Viselli has spent his working career in the pizza business in Winnipeg. He worked for eight years at Colosseo Pizza in Winnipeg’s Corydon area before opening Ciociara Pizza Restaurant in a new suburb in north Winnipeg.

Winnipeg restaurateur Luciano Viselli is back in business with his upscale Italian eatery.

“There was nothing in the neighbourhood when I opened Ciociara,” he recalled. “But I built up a good business.  I had a lot of repeat customers. That’s the best way to prosper in the restaurant business.”

He sold Ciociara because he caught an outstanding offer, he says. The new owners lasted just a few months before being forced to close.

Viselli is counting on many of those former customers to follow him to his new Papaluci’s Ristorante Italiano. The restaurateur opened his new place in the city’s former Tony Roma location. He saw it as a great location for a new restaurant because of all the new developments going on in the downtown.

The new restaurant, which Viselli opened in early August, has seating for 114 in the restaurant and 52 more in the lounge. While the menu has a large number of pasta, seafood, steak, veal and chicken entrees and salads, Viselli is still carrying a good selection of pizzas.

“Our pizzas are all 9-inch,” Viselli said. In addition to the traditional toppings, Papaluci’s has a number of special combinations including: La Capricciosa (artichoke, prosciutto, black olives and mushrooms); Napoletana (capers, black olives, anchovies, oregano and cheese); Mediterranean (tuna, onions, cheese); Vegetable (mushrooms, tomato, onions, green peppers, olives, cheese); Combination (mushrooms, pepperoni and green peppers); Special (pepperoni, mushrooms, back bacon, sausage, green peppers); and the Papaluci’s Special (mushrooms, beef, bacon, green peppers and onions).

Viselli says that so far the response to his new venture has been very good. “A lot of people are happy to see me back in business,” he said.•