He\u2019s hosting a huge wine sale and party on Studio Aurora\u2019s last day. From 5 to 9 p.m., Berkeley\u2019s Analog Wine will pour small-batch offerings as Barbone fires pinsas, pleasantly chewy Roman-style pizza pies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wines will be 20% off the menu price and 30% off mixed cases of bottles. Everything must go, he said.<\/p>\n
The property\u2019s new owners, Emma Rahr and Trang Trinh, plan to open a wine bar and restaurant early next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI prefer to pass the torch to a couple of friends,\u201d Barbone says. \u201cThe block will stay alive. I just need to focus on something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Namely, getting married. Barbone proposed this month.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The audio equipment company Western Acoustics will rent the space for November for use as a temporary showroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/-S3840x5100-FPNG.png\"\/)
Studio Aurora hosted DJ sets in addition to serving food and wine. | Source: Courtesy Studio Aurora<\/p>\n
Studio Aurora brought Barbone\u2019s signature brand of hard-to-find snacks and drinks to 14th and Valencia streets. Sicilian sfincione-style focaccia sandwiches, wine and beer from all over the world, and DJ sets ruled the roost. The storefront quickly became a mainstay on a stretch of the thoroughfare devoid of stylish day-and-night third spaces.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The venue also hosted roaming pop-ups like Vietnamese cafe N\u00e2u Coffee (opens in new tab)<\/a> and yakitori hitmaker Bar Tanuki (opens in new tab)<\/a>. Fault Radio, meanwhile, exited in July.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the same time, Studio was becoming more popular, but Barbone threw himself into developing Alimentari, launching a Friday-night chef\u2019s tasting menu (opens in new tab)<\/a> that seats two guests at a time. He says he\u2019s excited to go deeper into his fascination with rare finds at Alimentari.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have 10 people a night,\u201d Barbone says. \u201cIt\u2019s like they come to my house. I took that feeling of hosting guests from Studio.\u201d<\/p>\n Barbone emigrated from Italy \u2014 he hails from Vercelli in Piedmont \u2014 in 2004 to work as a researcher at UC San Francisco, studying molecular medicine. After 15 years in the lab, Barbone pivoted to food, experimenting with a pasta company and launching Aurora in 2019 as a pop-up at 1415 18th St. He took the lease from previous occupant Provender and opened Alimentari, an homage to his nonna, in November 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u2019s developed a cult-like following of diners who look forward to his sermons of esoteric cheeses, meats, chips, sodas, and other delicious bits.<\/p>\n But with two businesses, it became taxing to visit family in Italy. The lunch rush at Studio Aurora was arduous in the sheer volume of sandwiches he had to sell to break even.\u00a0<\/p>\n Barbone is optimistic that the new owners \u2013 who plan to operate only in the evening \u2013 will make a splash. For now, Barbone is content with the already daunting challenge of running one restaurant.<\/p>\n \u201cI proved to myself I could do it,\u201d Barbone says. \u201cI\u2019m just fading like Homer Simpson into the bushes (opens in new tab)<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792769412_798_-S3840x5100-FPNG.png\"\/)
Studio Aurora became a lunch destination for its focaccia sandwiches. | Source: Courtesy Studio Aurora<\/p>\n