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Bay Area native Tucker Ricchio won the heart of Gordon Ramsay under his mentorship on “Next Level Chef.” Soon, she may win the hearts of many more with her debut restaurant, Lira.
Anticipated to open Dec. 18 in Campbell, Lira is a modern fine dining establishment serving new American cuisine and craft cocktails. Diners can expect small and large plates, recommended for sharing, featuring global flavors and seasonal and local ingredients. For drinks, find cocktails featuring gastronomic techniques, over 20 taps of craft beer, wine and a zero-proof program.
“Lira is not just, ‘Hey, I’m going to go out to dinner tonight,’” Ricchio said. “Lira is an experience. So from the moment you walk into this door, you’re just gonna feel like it’s a celebration, like you are here to be served, like that everything’s gonna be taken care of.”
The inspiration behind Lira stems from Ricchio’s travels, and the first menu (menus will change every three to four months to reflect seasonality) will have Japanese and Italian influence, among others, Ricchio said. The name Lira is a nod to Ricchio’s first time travelling abroad – when her grandmother gave her a bag of lira to spend in Italy.
“Lira, for me, encompasses a love of exploring, a love of travel, a love of food and bringing that all back to where I love, my home, the Bay Area,” Ricchio said.
Ricchio grew up in San Jose, pursuing a career in medicine before watching San Francisco’s Dominique Crenn on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” and deciding to switch careers to culinary. After graduating culinary school, she worked at San Francisco restaurants such as Michelin-starred Sons & Daughters, two Michelin-starred Acquerello, and Michael Mina’s Pabu. Post-pandemic she focused on teaching virtual classes through Truffle Shuffle, an Oakland-based brand that won an investment on “Shark Tank.”
Then in 2021, a recruiter from “Next Level Chef” encouraged Ricchio to apply, and she began filming the following year, joining Gordon Ramsay’s team and ultimately winning the show, taking home a cash prize of $250,000 and a one-year mentorship with Ramsay, Richard Blais and Nyesha Arrington.
“Chef Ramsay is a very tough critic, but he is an amazing, talented person, and he was very inspirational in forming some of my newly acquired skills,” Ricchio said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Chef Ramsay is that consistency and excellence are very important.”
One home viewer of “Next Level Chef,” Faisal Gowani, was particularly impressed with Ricchio. A San Jose native as well, he was struck by her kindness and impressive culinary skills – so much so that he decided that she would be the perfect executive chef for his debut restaurant.
“If you watch the whole season, she’s helpful to other people,” Gowani said. “She’s a good-natured person. She just all together makes me feel warm and gooey. And I’m like, ‘Dude, I want to work with that person.’”
With a background in the retail liquor store business, Gowani had a strong urge to enter the restaurant hospitality scene. He and his friend Zak Smith had secured a lease pre-pandemic for a rooftop restaurant space in San Francisco, but they ultimately walked out of the deal.
“I just hadn’t gotten over the fact that I really wanted to open a restaurant,” Gowani said. “I wanted to be in the hospitality space. I wanted to create some magic and some experiences for people.”
After her winning victory on “Next Level Chef,” Ricchio didn’t have an interest in returning to the restaurant industry, instead focusing on bolstering her private chef business and hosting pop-ups. But ultimately, Gowani and Smith’s offer was too good to pass up, she said.
“Everybody goes into life with a plan, and sometimes, life has other plans for you,” Ricchio said. “So when an opportunity like this comes along, just don’t say no.”
So the trio searched for the perfect spot for Lira, ultimately settling on the location which formerly held Flights Campbell. The space is already transformed with new paint, floors, art and bar and a reorganized kitchen. Lira will offer lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, as well as happy hour from 2-6 p.m. on weekdays with exclusive cocktails.
“I cannot wait to feed them,” Ricchio said. “If they’ve seen me on TV, they know that I love sharing food. I love building community, and I think that food is love. So come on in, feel the love, and you’re gonna leave, hopefully, super happy, and I can’t wait to show you what we’ve created here. It’s gonna be awesome.”
Lira Restaurant, 368 E Campbell Ave., Campbell; Instagram: @lira_restaurant_.
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