Marco Ristorante Italiano filed for a new liquor license at 1730 Main St in Escalon, CA, on August 24, according to California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control records, with Marco Baldieri listed as the sole managing member. The restaurant was also named one of nine recipients in the city’s first year of a small business incentive grant program, alongside businesses like Oak & Ember Sourdough, Tacos de Nieve and The Barn.
City officials said the Economic Development Committee reviewed every application and based awards on project readiness, documented investment, community benefit and alignment with council priorities. Councilman Jeff Kay said the grants helped businesses bridge funding gaps and move forward with confidence, while Councilman Shawn Strohman pointed to the private investment businesses were already making, saying the city’s contribution helped speed up projects that strengthen Main Street specifically.
Baldieri has built an unusually well traveled career, with a 2022 report on his most recent restaurant, Baldieri Café in Greece, New York, describing decades spent opening restaurants across Rome, England, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakdale, Scottsdale, Seattle, Las Vegas and Salem. Escalon would mark a return to the Central Valley for a chef whose family background traces back to Rome.
The restaurant sits in the heart of Escalon’s historic downtown, a small San Joaquin County city of roughly 7,500 people known for its walnut processing industry and a Main Street lined with antique shops, coffee shops and boutiques.
