The Butcher’s Wife, a planned American restaurant with a full bar, is getting ready to open in San Diego at 2335 Morena Boulevard.
The restaurant is planned for the former home of Old Trieste, which closed in May 2019 after about 56 years in business, according to SanDiegoVille. Joey Vaught acquired the property later that year, and plans for the site have since changed, with The Butcher’s Wife now moving forward as an independent Vaught project rather than a Verant Group concept. The current target for completion is Spring 2027.
Vaught and Antonio “Tony” D’Amato, the San Diego restaurateur who founded Baci Ristorante in 1979 and later opened Luce Bar & Kitchen in Bay Park in 2012, are behind The Butcher’s Wife. According to SanDiegoVille, D’Amato was born in Porticello, Sicily, immigrated to San Diego as a teenager, and began his restaurant career washing dishes at Mister A’s.
After D’Amato died June 30 at age 73 while traveling overseas with his wife, Maria, Vaught temporarily paused work on The Butcher’s Wife to help D’Amato’s family with the Luce project. Luce is currently undergoing a remodel and expansion that will include Tony’s, a new gelato and espresso shop expected to be operated by D’Amato’s children.
The redevelopment of the former Old Trieste property is expected to be larger than the original restaurant, with plans to expand the property outward and upward. The Butcher’s Wife is planned to include a full bar and operate under a Type 47 liquor license.
Old Trieste opened in May 1963 and was founded by Ramiro “Tommy” Tomicich, a native of Trieste, Italy. His son Larry and other family members later ran the restaurant, known for Italian fine dining, white tablecloths, tuxedo-clad servers, martinis, and, historically, a jacket requirement. The restaurant remained at 2335 Morena Boulevard until its closure in May 2019.
