New Life for Historic Peirano's

Ventura’s Peirano’s Market and Delicatessen, situated on the historic Figueroa Street Plaza across from the San Buenaventura Mission, offers beautiful views and outdoor seating, with an emphasis on local goods and homemade food.

The new venture, which officially opened Oct. 15, 2019, is proving a popular gathering place with its winning formula, according to owners Linda Jordan and Jim Rice, partners both professionally and personally.

According to Rice’s daughter Shanon Rice-Johnson, who serves as director of operations and events, the food offered differs from the many craft beer establishments that dot the downtown Ventura area, with its focus on unique tastes and specialty dishes.

“We are going to introduce you to products you can’t get just anywhere, both in our market and on our menu. Our Calabrian chili butter is our signature spread on our Italian sandwich and makes it unique from all others,” Rice-Johnson says. “All of our dressings and sauces are made right here, by our staff.”

Rice explains that the market offers imported Italian, domestic Italian and local goods in keeping with the origins of the historic building. Peirano’s opened in 1877 in the first commercial brick building in Ventura as a grocery and general store operated by Alex Gandolfo. In 1890, Gandolfo’s nephew Nick Peirano took over the store, which was operated by the family until the late 1980s. It then became a restaurant. But by 2016, the building adjacent to Mission Park was empty.

Jordan and Rice, who have been a couple for more than six years, decided then to take on the challenge of creating a market and restaurant in one of their favorite spots.

While early reports about the project were greeted enthusiastically by the community, the Thomas Fire put a damper on things. Between personal losses, which took time to process, and the business loss of local chef Tim Kilcoyne—who had originally signed on to oversee the menu until the fire, when he joined Jose Andrés’ World Central Kitchen—the project took longer than originally anticipated.

Now, though, “Peirano’s is a place to congregate and enjoy our beautiful city,” Jordan says.

The deli, situated behind the market, features a variety of sandwiches, salads, specialty crostini and charcuterie boards to start. There is regular music on the patio, daily pasta dinner menu items with vegetarian and gluten free options and family dinner specials on Fridays. Rice and Jordan say they also offer a full catering menu and local delivery and plan to add more musical events.

The market greets visitors coming in from Main Street with an array of baked goods, imported and local olive oils, local Blue Ridge honey, specialty pasta, imported canned tomatoes and other goods, dairy and local produce as available.

Peirano’s Market and Delicatessen
204 E. Main St., Ventura
805-628-9028; DeliVentura.com