A ‘market of goodness’: New Bellingham restaurant brings flavors of Italy, Greece and NYC
A new restaurant is planned to open in Bellingham’s Granary Building, offering a unique blend of cuisines from Italy, Greece and New York City.
Mercato delle Bonta restaurant was started by a husband and wife duo — Francesco Di Vito who is from Milan and Julia Tzortzatos, a first-generation Greek American from New York City.
“Opening Mercato delle Bonta has been a vision my husband Francesco and I have had for a few years. This is not our first business but it is our first time working together and our first brick-and-mortar. My husband was in the food industry in Italy, he managed an Italian restaurant when he moved to NY and most recently we had a food truck in NYC,” Tzortzatos wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
Tzortzatos and Di Vito were also on an episode of Food Network’s “Cut Throat Kitchen” in 2017 to show off their cooking expertise.
The couple named the restaurant Mercato delle Bonta as it means “market of goodness,” and tells visitors what they can expect from this untraditional restaurant.
“We will have coffee, breakfast choices sweet and savory, a deli serving sandwiches on focaccia made in-house. We will also offer other bread choices from a local bakery. There will be a small market section that includes imported and local products. We will also have a selection of ready-to-bake or ready-to-heat-up dinner options,” Tzortzatos wrote.
As the restaurant offers more options than other sit-down traditional eateries, Mercato delle Bonta will feature unique menu items inspired by the owners’ Italian, Greek and New York City backgrounds.
“Our hope for Bellingham is to join an already vibrant community and add an establishment the residents would love to patronize for its food and overall atmosphere. We want everyone to feel great when they walk in and feel great about our products,” Tzortzatos wrote.
Mercato delle Bonta does not have an official opening date but is expected to open some time in April. The restaurant and market will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays at 1211 Granary Ave. in Bellingham.
