When Cafe di Napoli opened in Minneapolis in 1938, Italian restaurants were still a new concept in the Twin Cities. Saint Paul had a higher population of Italian immigrants in its Little Italy neighborhood near the river just east of downtown. Because of that population, Saint Paul had Cosetta’s, which opened in 1911. So it was a treat for Minneapolis residents when Dave and Providenza Piazza opened Cafe di Napoli at 816 Hennepin in downtown Minneapolis with help from their son, Joe.
Under the guidance of chef Nick Labalestro, Cafe di Napoli became known for its spaghetti, meatballs, ravioli, lasagna, pizza, and cacciatora. Diners filled the two dining rooms with polished maple booths and hand-painted murals of Mount Vesuvius and the Neapolitan waterfront that wrapped around the room.
The restaurant became a popular stop for many famous athletes, politicians, and cultural icons, including Laurel and Hardy and the Andrews Sisters. After World War II ended, the restaurant gained a devoted following from soldiers who wanted to experience the flavors they sampled while serving in Italy with their families now that they were back home.
As the decades passed, little changed at Cafe di Napoli. Some food critics found the food boring and the atmosphere dated, but the restaurant’s devoted customers kept coming back for the same reasons. Nostalgia, good food, and reasonable prices kept the doors open until 2005.
In 2007, two of the original owners’ children opened a re-imagined version of Cafe di Napoli as a quick-service cafeteria in the skyway of 601 Marquette. Ten of the old maple booths moved to the new location, as did digital reproductions of the murals that graced the walls of the restaurant for more than 60 years. Sadly, the new atmosphere and menu weren’t a hit with downtown diners. It closed shortly after opening.
The murals
The murals in the dining rooms at Cafe di Napoli were hand-painted by artist Aniello Aprea.
Aniello was raised and educated in Naples, Italy, and moved to Minneapolis to work for the William A. French Company interior design firm. There, he painted murals, decorative interior elements, and furniture for the firm’s wealthy customers.
In addition to Cafe di Napoli, his work could be seen at Saint Mary’s Russian Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Northeast Minneapolis, the now-demolished Bijou Theater, local mortuaries, and more. He also reportedly re-painted murals and decorative elements for many years at the Pantages Theater while it was closed in the summer.
Aniello Aprea worked in the Twin Cities until his death in 1954
Recipes from Cafe di Napoli
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