750° Cucina Rustica in Cary set to reopen after September fire

The owners of 750° Cucina Rustica will reopen the popular Cary restaurant Monday, months after a September fire forced it to close.

The 3,300-square-foot eatery at 7 Jandus Road suffered serious smoke and water damage after a Sept. 20 fire sparked in the walls between the restaurant and Cary Travel Express next door.

The fire investigation came back inconclusive, co-owner Sallie LoBue said, but the subsequent cleanup turned out to be more time-consuming than expected.

“It was quite a tedious process,” LoBue said

She runs the restaurant with her husband, Massimo – who was born in Sicily, Italy, and came to the U.S. with his family when he was 4 years old – and his father, Filippo.

“It was weeks of cleaning up from smoke and water,” Sallie LoBue said.

The restaurant now is ready to open to the public, and Sallie LoBue plans to welcome back residents for dinner Monday.

The rustic Italian eatery opened in February 2017. With some help from the village's revolving loan fund program and facade grant program, the space underwent an estimated $300,000 renovation.

“Basically,” LoBue said, “we gutted out the space and redid everything.”

Just before the fire, the owners received approval to open a screened-in patio.

750° Cucina features a 750-degree brick oven that is used to cook dishes, including a variety of pizzas, pastas and meats.

Many of the recipes featured on 750° Cucina Rustica’s menu are inspired by Massimo LoBue’s mother, Antonia LoBue.

Pasta served at the restaurant is made fresh in house or imported from Antonia LoBue's cousin in southern Italy. Some dishes are served right in the cast-iron bakeware they were cooked in.

The family members also are part owners of Incontro A Tavola in South Barrington and ZaZa's Tavola Italiana in Lake Barrington.

750° Cucina Rustica is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For information, call 847-829-4933 or visit 750cucinarustica.com.