Antimo Dimeo

The Path

The pizzeria is where the foundation was laid for Antimo Dimeo, with the daily demands of family-run service shaping both technique and instinct. That experience carried into Arde Osteria in Wayne, Pennsylvania (2012), where a cook role gave structure to an approach already grounded in hands-on Italian cooking. The line from one kitchen to the next is clear: familiarity with the tradition, respect for the work, and a steady eye on the details that hold a dish together. At Bardea Food & Drink (since 2018), that inherited language became a broader kitchen identity. The move to co-owner of Bardea Garden (since 2023) marked a larger stake in the group, followed in 2025 by co-ownership of Casa Nonna (since 2025) and Roost Pub & Kitchen (since 2025), along with oversight of culinary operations at DE.CO Food Hall (since 2025). The progression is less a break from the early pizzerias than an extension of them: the same foundation, carried into more rooms and more service points.

The Work Today

At Bardea Food & Drink, the cooking is centered on modern interpretations of traditional Italian and Mediterranean dishes using local ingredients. The work sits between familiarity and recalibration, with Italian flavors set into a contemporary frame and adjusted to the seasonality nearby. The restaurant is also described as an innovative Modern American restaurant rooted in Italian tradition, reimagined with global flavors and playful nostalgia, which matches the way the menu moves: grounded in memory, but not limited by it. The scale of that approach is reflected in the restaurant group itself. In his own words, Antimo Dimeo says, “My name's Antimo Dimeo, I'm chef and co-owner of the Bardea Restaurant Group.” That role ties the individual kitchen work to a larger operating picture across Wilmington, where Bardea Garden, Casa Nonna, Roost Pub & Kitchen, and DE.CO Food Hall all sit within the same expanding structure.

In Their Words “My name's Antimo Dimeo, I'm chef and co-owner of the Bardea Restaurant Group.”

Acclaim

Antimo's honors include James Beard Foundation Best Chef Mid-Atlantic semifinalist (2022), James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant semifinalist (2019), and Restaurant Industry Rising Star (2019).