Huntington Quarterly Summer 2022

When Rocco first thought about open ing his own place in the Huntington area, he imagined selling pizzas and hoagies.While that idea never took flight, he said it’s a distinct possibility in the future. “I still have this inner urge for my original concept, pizzas and a few sandwiches,” Rocco said. “We have the space to do it, but I don’t know if I have the juice to do it.” However, Rocco Jr. is eager to step up and lend his father a helping hand. “Our family owns a few adjacent proper ties on Main Street, and we envision turning the block into our version of NewYork City’s historic Mulberry Street,” said Rocco Jr. “We have big plans, including introducing takeout, expanding our catering and building a banquet space. We’re going to grow this area.” That said, Rocco Jr. said he wants to keep Rocco’s Ristorante as authentic as possible. “If I change anything, it might be the car pet,” he said with a laugh. “I’m not changing as far as the menu goes.”

Rocco ventured into a frozen food line 15 years ago with high-quality ingredients at an affordale price.

The Huntington Quarterly named Rocco's “Fruit of the Sea” menu item one of the Top 10 Dishes in Huntington.

a health scare, his son took over, bringing to the table a knowledge of social media and a knack for being in tune with food and drink trends. Now, Rocco can sit up front on busy nights, playing the saxophone or piano and chewing the fat with diners, something he never had time for before. Meanwhile, Rocco Jr. is turning into the one who doesn’t come out from the kitchen. “I’ve always wanted to see my family involved in the restaurant, but I was never pushy,” Rocco said. “Just because I like it doesn’t mean that my kids, my wife or anybody has to like this. If you don’t like this business, you can’t work in it, period.” Rocco Jr. said telling his father he was ready to make the move was the best thing he ever did, and it was a dream come true for his father. “I’m very grateful,” Rocco Jr., now a part owner, said. “It’s amazing that I get to carry on my father’s legacy. My wife will eventually get involved, and hopefully my son will have an interest.”

The community has supported Rocco’s Ristorante in its 45 years of business, and the Muriales have always given back as much as they can. “I can’t say enough about how supportive the Huntington, Ashland and Ceredo-Kenova areas have been over the last four and a half decades,” said Rocco. “I wouldn’t leave this area for anything. It’s been a wonderful ride.”

AMANDA LARCH is a freelance writer living in Hurricane, West Virginia.

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