Sicilian Caffe a forerunner to The Sicilian Ristorante in east valley

Peter Gumina admittedly knows little about how to cook.

But he knows quite a bit about the restaurant business, so he decided to make his passion his livelihood.

Gumina’s parents owned and operated an Italian restaurant, and he, in turn, helped open The Sicilian Ristorante with his father to serve the east valley.

“I care about the food,” the 48-year-old Gumina said. “I care about the way it looks on the dish, and the quality of food that we buy.”

Gumina, who moved with his family from Minnesota to Las Vegas in 1979, said he developed a passion for food, restaurants and people when his parents opened the Sicilian Caffe some 30 years ago.

It closed in 1994, and reopened and rebranded as The Sicilian Ristorante in 2006.

“Everybody wants a restaurant, it seems like,” Gumina said. “It kind of became a family business, so to speak.”

Gumina’s father died in 2015, and Gumina assumed sole ownership. His son works at the restaurant a couple of nights a week and his mother works during the day, helping to advise the chefs.

“She kind of plays the motherly role,” he said. “She teaches them little tricks and things.”

Fried calimari is the most popular appetizer and is served with marinara and lemon wedges for $14. Also popular is the rigatoni Amatriciana for $19.

“I just really enjoy the business,” Gumina said. “The people that come to restaurants are neat people … The customers really make it.”