Benvenuto Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Story Rooted in Livorno

Benvenuto's origin is genuinely unlike most restaurants. In 1955, a young couple from Milford, Delaware — Raymond and Anne — spent eleven months in Livorno, Italy, where Raymond was stationed with the U.S. Army. The third-story apartment they rented placed them above a Tuscan family, the Bencinis, and beside another, the Cortesis — professor Vasco, his wife Lily, and their nine-year-old son Pierluigi. What began as neighborly proximity became a bond that outlasted decades, ocean crossings, and four generations of both families.

It was a 2016 reunion trip to Livorno — taken by Anne, her daughter Lisa, Lisa's husband Poncho Johnson, and their son Colby — that finally sparked the restaurant. Fifteen days of touring, eating, and drinking through Tuscany proved impossible to leave behind. Back home in Milford, the Johnsons had long hosted weddings, fundraisers, and private events at their property, Sunset Cove, cooking everything from scratch. Guests kept asking: why not open a restaurant? In January 2019, a space at 249 N.E. Front Street became available, and Benvenuto — the Italian word for "welcome" — was born.

The Space and the Kitchen

The interior was rebuilt with a clear purpose: guests should feel as though they are moving through Tuscany itself. The décor is organized around four destinations — Bolgheri, Lucca, Livorno, and Firenze — each given its own character within the dining room. The goal, in the Johnsons' own words, was "a place where everyone wanted to come, experience the foods and atmosphere and can't wait to return."

Chef Jesus, who relocated with his wife Renee from the Philadelphia area specifically to join this project, leads the kitchen. Every dish is made from scratch using fresh ingredients — the foundational principle of Tuscan cooking. The Italian cuisine here is not a loose interpretation; it is the result of relationships, travel, and decades of cooking for people the Johnsons genuinely cared about.

The Menus and the Wine

The restaurant offers several distinct menus. The Bolgheri Village bar menu features dishes like Arancini — crispy breaded risotto balls filled with three cheeses, served with a zesty marinara — alongside Parmesan truffled fries and Orange Ginger Shrimp Kabobs. A Dinner Menu and a Finer Dining Menu extend the Italian cuisine into more formal territory, while Taste of Tuscany Coffees rounds out the evening.

The wine program is the other pillar of Benvenuto's identity, and it earned the restaurant Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence in 2025 — a recognition that reflects both the depth of the list and the seriousness with which it is curated. Bottles come from the finest wineries in Tuscany and across Italy, as well as selections from around the world. For guests who want to go deeper, Benvenuto hosts the Wine Century Club on the second Saturday of every month: tasting events built around exploring 100 different grape varieties, with a traditional tastevin cup awaiting those who complete the journey. A Wine Club and a Bourbon and Spirit Club round out the options for regulars.

What to Expect

Benvenuto is open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner, with reservations strongly recommended. Private parties, events, and catering are all part of what the restaurant offers — a natural extension of the Johnsons' years hosting before the restaurant existed. The atmosphere is warm and deliberate, shaped by a family that built this place not as a business concept, but as an expression of something they loved and couldn't stop thinking about.