The new restaurant is the result of a real-life love story between restaurateur Mohamed Farouq, who immigrated to Italy as a teen from Morocco, and Peninsula resident Sarika Batra, who found her way to Farouq’s pizzeria while traveling near Milan in 2018.

The then-16-year-old Farouq was headed for Switzerland by train when he disembarked near Lake Como and didn’t have enough money to get back on. Stuck in a new city, he began working in a restaurant whose chef trained him as his assistant and eventually, his successor.

Eager to start his own place, he began making and selling pizza, first from a window he rented by the day and eventually at his own restaurant, Pizzeria Cardamomo — a reference to his nickname, “Momo.”

Some 25 years later, he’d become a renowned pizzaiolo, known for his clean cooking style and unique recipes, like pistachio pizza, built on a distinctive sourdough pizza crust.

That initial meeting in 2018 soon had Batra and Farouq traveling between Farouq’s home in Italy and Batra’s in Burlingame. They decided to marry during lockdown.

Last month, Farouq opened his new Pizzeria Cardamomo on Broadway, Redwood City’s restaurant hub. He’s excited to adapt the menu for a new audience of American customers, Batra says, but already he’s finding fans with his lineup of classic and signature pizzas, including the Momo ($25) with fior di latte, montaggio cheese and yellow potatoes, and a pizza riff on Carbonara ($27). As for that famous pistachio pizza, it’s here too: The Bronte ($26) is topped with fior di latte, ricotta, pistachio pesto and chopped pistachios.

Details >> Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday at 2053A Broadway in Redwood City; pizzeriacardamomo.com.

Irish bar Gibson’s opens in the old Crogan’s space

Jeff Dudum wanted to know what the people of Walnut Creek were looking for.

The veteran restaurateur, who also operates Bourbon Highway and The Cooperage WC, took over the building that used to be Crogan’s and then sought the advice of the locals.

Said Dudum: “We went on social media and said, ‘hey, listen, for 40 years Crogan’s had been here. We have ideas of what we’d like to do but we want to hear from you; what would you’ like to see?’ We had 7,000 responses on what people wanted.”

What people wanted, Dudum said, was a place to watch sports and listen to live music.

“I started researching music and sports, and went to different places in Europe, and I just felt an Irish pub feels right,” he said.

Gibson’s opened on New Year’s Eve with dueling pianos. More than 300 people showed up, and Dudum said the feedback was fantastic.

“It feels like you’re walking into a 1950s-1960s pub in Ireland,” he said.

On the menu is Irish fare, pub-style. There are bangers and mash, Guinness-glazed ribs, an Irish whiskey steak and fisherman’s stew.

For entertainment, solo pianists will perform Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, while there will be dueling pianos on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s $10 to get in after 9 p.m.

Details >> Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to close, at 1387 Locust St. in Walnut Creek; gibsonswc.com.

Hayward Restaurant Month offers deals, new dishes

For the second year, restaurants in Hayward are enticing food lovers with the opportunity to save money while discovering new places and revisiting old favorites.

Hayward Restaurant Month promotions will be offered through January, according to the city’s Economic Development Department. The restaurants participating include Aama’s Kitchen, Acqua e Farina, Alicia’s Tamales, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, A. Romo’s Cafe, Blend It, Cold Stone Creamery, Country Waffles, El Taquito, Falafel Flare, Golden Safari, Gurkha Kitchen, Illegal Burgers, Los Dos Hermanos, Max’s Cakes, Mujiri, Rockit Char Grill, Snappy’s Cafe, South Smokin’ BBQ, Straw Hat Pizza, Susie Q’s Pizza.

To read about the discounts and special dishes, go to www.hayward-ca.gov/business/hayward-restaurant-month.

Send restaurant news tips to Linda Zavoral at lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com, Kate Bradshaw at kbradshaw@bayareanewsgroup.com or John Metcalfe at jmetcalfe@bayareanewsgroup.com.