Our Story & Family
Heritage, Heart, and Handmade Italian
At John’s Place, every meal is made with care, tradition, and heart. My lifelong love of cooking comes from family, rooted in Genovese and Sicilian traditions. This is my third restaurant concept, following successful ventures in San Francisco and Costa Rica. Located in the historic Rogers Hotel in downtown Waxahachie, John’s Place is an Italian family’s home come to life—warm, inviting and full of conversation.
Meet John
Chef John's love of cooking started long before he ever opened a restaurant. Rooted in Genovese and Sicilian tradition, his earliest lessons came from family tables in San Francisco, California, with Mamalee, his father John and from summers spent in Italy learning to make pasta by hand alongside his great aunt, Lala Mariachia and cousins — the same way his family has for generations. That heritage carried him through one previous restaurant in Costa Rica, before bringing him home to Texas.
While building his culinary journey, Chef John also dedicated more than 20 years to the the San Francisco Police Department, retiring as a Sergeant after a distinguished career. He spent the majority of those years working in plainclothes and undercover assignments, including serving as a Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Throughout his years in law enforcement, his passion for cooking never faded-it simply waited for the right time to become his full time calling.
Today, inside the historic Rogers Hotel in downtown Waxahachie, John's Place is Chef John's second concept and his most personal expression of everything he loves about food, family and hospitality. Family photos line the walls, and an open kitchen behind the bar offers guests a front-row seat to the teamwork and craftsmanship that bring each dish to life. Whether he's working the line or stopping by tables to great guests, Chef John’s genuine passion is unmistakable. Every plate tells a story, every meal honors his family’s legacy and every guest is welcome as if they were part of it.
That same spirit shapes every dish at John’s Place. Heritage, memory, and care guide our food, our service, and every seat at our table.
.jpg)
A Family Legacy
Cooking has been part of my life from the very beginning. From family tables in Little Italy, New York, to gatherings in Italy, I learned that the best lessons aren’t taught, they are shared.