California’s recent restaurant losses have erased decades of local dining history, and Vallejo is about to lose one of its few upscale gathering places. Zio Fraedo’s will close its waterfront location after final service on Sunday, October 25, ending a 20-year chapter.
Tony and Sherry LoForte opened the Vallejo restaurant in 2005, expanding a family business that began in Pleasant Hill in 1975 under Tony’s father. The Vallejo location brought that Italian and continental menu to a much larger setting, with marina views, a casual tavern and private rooms that could hold everything from business meetings to wedding receptions.
A waterfront home for milestones
Zio Fraedo’s became distinctive partly because it could be several restaurants at once. Couples could settle in for a quiet dinner overlooking the water, friends could gather in the tavern, and large families could reserve space for birthdays, anniversaries, reunions and weddings. The sprawling property—assembled from two house-like structures and a carriage garage—gave the restaurant an unusual sense of place and made it a natural backdrop for milestones.
The food kept those occasions grounded in familiar comfort. The menu included fettuccine Alfredo, chicken piccata, fried calamari, bruschetta, steaks, seafood and other Italian-American favorites. Customers praised the generous portions, welcoming service and views across the Carquinez Strait, describing the restaurant as the kind of hidden gem worth sharing with visiting relatives.
A rent increase ended the Vallejo chapter
The LoFortes said the City of Vallejo, which owns the waterfront property, proposed a new monthly rent far beyond what the restaurant could sustain. Rising food costs, tariffs and staffing problems had already narrowed its options. Lunch traffic never fully returned after the pandemic, prompting the owners to eliminate midday service, reduce operating days and lean more heavily on banquets.
Personal realities added to the strain. After Tony LoForte Sr. died, Tony and Sherry took on responsibility for both the Vallejo restaurant and the original Pleasant Hill location. Managing two properties in different cities—including the roughly 18,000-square-foot Vallejo operation—became increasingly difficult for the husband-and-wife team.
The farewell has brought customers and former employees back in force. The restaurant became unusually busy after announcing the closure, as people returned to share memories and order one last dinner. Around 20 Vallejo employees have been offered jobs at the Pleasant Hill location, which will remain open.
That continuation softens the goodbye without replacing what Vallejo is losing. After October 25, the family name and menu will survive in Pleasant Hill, but the waterfront rooms that hosted two decades of celebrations will become part of the city’s restaurant history.
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