LIMA — With the updates on the building at the corner of Main and Spring Streets in downtown Lima, the vision for that intersection has slowly been coming together. On Monday, the Lima Rotary Club got a fuller picture of that vision, learning about the businesses set to occupy the former home of Blattner’s Department Store at 147 S. Main St., including a very familiar name in Lima.
According to springandmainlima.com, the new website for the Good Food Restaurants project, several new eateries will be occupying the building, including a revived Casa Lu Al, Lima’s longtime Italian restaurant that closed its North West Street location in 2021 after 61 years in operation. This downtown rendition will feature a street-level dining room and bar, according to the website, along with the addition of Nonno’s Cellar in the building’s lower level. The name is a tribute to Good Food Restaurants founder John Heaphy’s grandfather, Marco Sciortino, with “nonno” meaning “grandfather” in Italian.
“His cellar — filled with wine, mason jars full of summer harvest, and fresh tomato sauce was a place that showcased the fruits of labor and nourished his growing family,” the website reads. “Join us below Casa Lu Al to experience the smells, flavors, and warmth of Nonno’s Cellar.”
A new taco restaurant, Vista Taco, is another promised addition to the project. The taco and tequila eatery, set to open in the 113 E. Spring St. building behind the former department store, promises both an inside dining room as well as a rooftop patio, which will be available during the warmer summer months.
Additionally, Westminster-based Rudolph Foods will be moving its IT and research departments to the third floor of the 147 S. Main St. building, according to the website.
