A new liquor license filing confirms that Cesarina owners Niccolò Angius, Cesarina Mezzoni, and Giuseppe Capasso are partnering with prolific restaurateurs Michael Feinman and David Cohn of Cohn Restaurant Group, marking the group’s latest quiet collaboration following Callie in East Village and the incoming Fleurette in La Jolla.
The arrival of Il Corallino also signals what appears to be the quiet abandonment of Cesarina’s long-planned “Angelo” bakery and pizza project. The trio is now transferring the coveted Type 47 full liquor license that had been reserved for Angelo into the new Scott Street restaurant, strongly suggesting that the original concept in the former Richard Hosker Whyte Antiques space will not move forward in its previously announced form.
Public filings describe Il Corallino as a full-service restaurant, and its name - translating to “The Coral” — hints at a seafood-driven Italian menu. The Scott Street location sits only blocks from the water in the heart of Point Loma’s Harbor district, making a coastal Roman menu an intuitive fit for the Cesarina team, whose cuisine has always leaned heavily into regional Italian traditions.
This newest endeavor is part of a remarkable expansion arc for Angius, Mezzoni, and Capasso, who launched Cesarina in 2019 after years spent selling fresh pasta at local farmers markets. The original Point Loma restaurant quickly became known for handmade pastas, warm hospitality, and a deeply personal approach rooted in the founders’ Roman upbringing.
Cesarina's success paved the way for Elvira, the modern Roman restaurant and pizza bar the group opened last year inside the former BO-beau building in Ocean Beach. The takeover of that property quietly marked the meeting ground for the trio's growing partnership with Cohn Restaurant Group, as Bo-Beau was a longtime CRG concept before its closure.
The Angelo project was first announced in 2021 as a compact bakery and pizza house meant to support Cesarina’s pasta production and serve as a neighborhood bakery. Over the years, the team repeatedly revised and delayed the concept plans while transforming other properties. Elvira took shape, then opened. Angelo continued to sit in limbo, as ownership hinted that the space’s size and infrastructure complexities had reshaped their vision. With the Angelo liquor license now reassigned to Il Corallino, it appears the once-promised bakery and pizza house may effectively be retired.
The involvement of Cohn Restaurant Group adds another notable layer. Though often operating behind the scenes in recent years, the Cohns have strategically partnered with a select group of emerging chef-driven concepts, most notably Chef Travis Swikard’s Callie in East Village, currently one of San Diego’s most celebrated restaurants. The upcoming Fleurette in La Jolla’s University City area - another Cohn-assisted project with Swikard - is expected to open in the coming months. Il Corallino now joins this family of high-profile, chef-forward restaurants backed by one of the region’s most powerful hospitality groups.
The Angelo project was first announced in 2021 as a compact bakery and pizza house meant to support Cesarina’s pasta production and serve as a neighborhood bakery. Over the years, the team repeatedly revised and delayed the concept plans while transforming other properties. Elvira took shape, then opened. Angelo continued to sit in limbo, as ownership hinted that the space’s size and infrastructure complexities had reshaped their vision. With the Angelo liquor license now reassigned to Il Corallino, it appears the once-promised bakery and pizza house may effectively be retired.
The involvement of Cohn Restaurant Group adds another notable layer. Though often operating behind the scenes in recent years, the Cohns have strategically partnered with a select group of emerging chef-driven concepts, most notably Chef Travis Swikard’s Callie in East Village, currently one of San Diego’s most celebrated restaurants. The upcoming Fleurette in La Jolla’s University City area - another Cohn-assisted project with Swikard - is expected to open in the coming months. Il Corallino now joins this family of high-profile, chef-forward restaurants backed by one of the region’s most powerful hospitality groups.
While no opening date has been announced, the takeover of the Scott Street property and transfer of the liquor license indicate that the project is already underway. Renovation plans have not been filed publicly, but the Cesarina team is known for developing highly detailed, design-driven spaces that merge modern Italian nostalgia with contemporary Southern California style.
Il Corallino is expected to open in 2026 at 1101 Scott Street in San Diego's Point Loma. Additional details, including menu previews and design features, are anticipated in the coming months as the project moves closer to launch.
Originally published on November 14, 2025.
