Delta Explorer - Spring 2008 - (Page 22) In search of fine dining in a rural setting at reasonable prices? You need to discover Giusti’s Place by Shirtley Hobart Upon entering Giusti’s you won’t help but notice the estimated 1,200 hats hanging from the bar’s ceiling. In the early 80’s, local Delta businesses, agribusinesses and farmers started producing hats and giving them to customers, friends and suppliers. At closing time, more and more hats were left behind by their owners and on one slow night, bartender Mark II, got inspired to hang all the orphaned hats on the ceiling. After that, when customers came in they would add their own unique hat to the display. a true delta tradition Follow Route 160 north from the Rio Vista bridge, winding along the Sacramento River toward Walnut Grove. The drive, scenic in all seasons, takes you past boat launches, through Isleton (famous for its Crawdad Festival), and along farmland now blooming with new homes. Past the grain elevator keep straight on toward Walnut Grove; turn left on the bridge over Georgiana Slough and then turn right toward Thornton. The landmark restaurant called Giusti’s is about a half mile ahead on your left, huddled up against the levee bordering Snodgrass Slough. A true Delta tradition and dining destination for enthusiasts who come by boat, car, and – on occasion – helicopter, this establishment boasts continuous operation by one family for three generations, with a fourth already in line. Entering, you step back in time to the days when this first became a popular gathering place for farm families to share a meal or a drink with their neighbors, or to celebrate an event. A century ago, Walnut Grove had few such venues. Giusti’s has survived nearly unchanged since then; photos on the wall could have been taken yesterday, but for the clothing and hair styles. Improvements over the years have been subtle, in a deliberate effort to preserve the rustic nature of the building as a true bridge to the past. This is a story of family, and of the business that has been their livelihood for nearly 100 years. Early in the last century, four Giusti sons – Egisto, Paolo, Julio, and Pietro – came from Italy to California, settling in the Walnut Grove area. At first, they stayed downriver in Ryde, but before long Egisto discovered his future in the Millers Ferry Saloon, an unpretentious building housing a neighborhood bar just a few miles to the east. It didn’t take long for the new proprietor to establish a brisk trade in great food and spirits at prices that everyone could afford, and Giusti’s was up and running. Egisto and his wife Irene brought their favorite Italian customs and cookery to the Delta. One beloved tradition was the annual all-day celebration with family and friends on Easter Monday, which they called “Little Easter.” As years passed and the next generation grew to adulthood, daughter Dolores wed Manuelo (“Moe”) Morais and they took over the day-to-day running of the restaurant. Their son, Mark, came into the business with them, and he and his wife Linda became proprietors upon Moe’s death in the mid-1980s. Moe’s two grandsons, Scott and Matt, have yet to take an active interest in the busi- Cindy Elliott Owner Mark Morais’ daughter, Katie, is a college student who helps at her family’s restaurant when her busy schedule permits. delta explorer / 22 Contributed Photo Mike Griffin
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