Noona's Delicioso

     Opening its doors in the beginning of October, Nonna's Delisioso will be an addition to the resurgence of Midtown Harrisburg. Owner Raymond 'Ray' Diaz is excited to fulfill his dream of owning and operating the first Italian delicatessen in south central Pennsylvania.

     Diaz and his wife Grace were inspired to move to Midtown while leasing space at the Broad Street Market from June 2005?May 2007. "We got a really great following from the Midtown community to such an extent that we wanted to move to Midtown," Diaz said. He and his wife were excited to find a place that would work as both their residence and restaurant directly across from Midtown Cinema. With support from the city they were able to change the zoning of the building, which was at one time a chicken slaughterhouse, to a restaurant.

     As if being the first Italian delicatessen was not enough, Diaz also is happy to boast that his business will be entirely run on solar power, already getting their hot water from 100% solar energy. When asked the reason behind the decision, Diaz responded, "We want to invest in the building and the community because we really think that the city is going to change for the better."

     Diaz has added to the menu since leaving Broad Street Market and makes his own mozzarella cheese, buys only Boars Head meats or imports directly from Italy. A New Jersey native, he has developed his own menu from family recipes and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.