A restaurant, a vision, a passion, that keeps on growing and evolving. We (Gianni and Gaitano) are the younger brothers of Joseph and Peter Cinelli and the proud sons of Amelia and Armando Cinelli - two Italian immigrants who brought their three young sons (Giuseppe, Pietro and Gianni) to America from a mountainside town called Monte San Giovanni, just outside of Rome. We also have a sister AnnaMaria who resides for now in Florida, but that’s another story.

Monte San Giovanni is known as the "Cittia di Oliva", the City of Olives. We just found out this year that the Castle that sits on top of the mountain was owned by the St. Thomas Aquinas family. There, St. Thomas Aquinas was actually imprisoned by his own mother so he wouldn’t take up a life as a holy man and instead marry a countess so the family fortunes would grow. Ironically, through the opportunities and wealth gained here in the United States, my mother’s family, the Mastrantoni’s, now own that Castle.

The castle and church where we were baptized dates back to the 12th century. This is the time that dates the beginning of a whole town and the people who have lived there. The Cinelli family traces back to Florence and has a history of military importance. It is said that at one time the Cinelli family ancestors were the “Captain of the Guard” in the Florentine army. Today, we are trying to gather proof to tie in many families of Northern ancestry to Monte San Giovanni and the castle that is called Castello Rocco, the “Castle of Rock.” The castle itself literally comes out of the mountain and sits so high it was used for military purposes. Hence the town was created for military defensives during the 11th & 12th century and families were gathered to protect and serve. This connects our family and many others that have wondered how they wound up in this little mountain town. Who knows, hundreds of years from now, they may ask how the Cinelli family wound up in the Triangle. Actually they’re asking that now!

After coming to the United States in December 23rd, 1965, on the ship the Rafaello, my family settled in Jamaica Queens, NY. Soon after, AnnaMaria and Gaitano were born. With their larger family and a desire to raise children in a better environment, Armando and Amelia moved to the suburbs of Elmont in Nassau County, NY. Here we lived and worked in our family restaurants till I, Gianni Cinelli left Nassau County and came to Raleigh in search of my identity and destiny.

Since then I talked my brothers Peter and Gaitano to come down and we opened the Cinelli’s Pizzeria in Cary and Durham. Soon after, I opened Ristorante Cinelli, a restaurant that better fit my passion for pushing the proverbial envelope. I no longer own Ristorante Cinelli, but many of you who are reading this know of the great times that were had at that restaurant which I built with my own hands.

We have a menu of your favorites while I still insist on pushing the envelope with creative and delectable dishes that are sure to please the most discriminating palates. We have consistently received a 3-Star rating from Greg Cox and are grateful for the recognition. But more importantly, it’s your acceptance and loyalty that has made us successful.

Gianni a& Gaitano's has dropped the word fine dining from our menu and we now give you the choice of family casual or adult casual. We believe that families should have a place to take their children and feel extremely comfortable while exposing them to quality food that is not found in the "corporate chain restaurants". On the adult side, we believe that with all the hard work and stress us adults put up with, we should have a place to go and enjoy an unbelievable meal at a price that is reasonable for everyday dining. We have also added some of our own personal touches, such as a Bocce Court, courtyards and outdoor dining.