“She owns the restaurant.” 

 
That’s what Laura Macaluso's husband, Jeff, tells people. In fact, Laura and Jeff are co-owners of the award-winning Macaluso’s Italian Restaurant on Pearl Street in Tacoma. The restaurant was Jeff’s idea, yet it’s true—Laura runs the restaurant. 

 

Macaluso’s describes itself as family-owned (check), authentic Italian (check), with quality ingredients, a handpicked wine list, and craft cocktails (check, check, check). All of the menu items and drink items are carefully curated by Laura. She has spent a lot of time in the kitchen, where she and her team "take traditional Italian recipes and elevate them,” she told us. Ingredients must be of superior quality. Only the best olive oil, the best tomato sauce. The community agrees that Macaluso’s is a success: Macaluso's has been voted The News Tribune's Best Italian Restaurant in Pierce County in 2024 and 2025. They are a repeat Gold winner and one of the only businesses that has won in three categories. 

 

How did this all come about? In a very Italian way. “My husband Jeff was in all these Italian clubs and they’d play cards,” Laura recounted. Talking over cards, and one guy in particular mentions that he wants to open a restaurant. “We were friends and he was a good cook,” Laura continued. At first, reasonably, Laura said no. “You don’t have a clue,” she told her husband. But Laura was conscientious, she was loyal, and she was supportive for the long haul. “The farther we got into it, the more I said, ‘You’re not doing this without me.’” 

 

Restaurants are a long haul. “It turned into a nightmare.” The business was crashing in flames after barely three months. Laura decided to take the reins. She renamed the restaurant to Macaluso’s and replaced the original chef. Then, Laura went into research phase, testing recipes and preparing Macaluso’s to be the best in the county. She had been in the restaurant business before, and she brought on as a manager a friend she had known back in 1980: John. At that time, it was Laura who had given John his first job when she was the manager of the steakhouse on Boeing Field. John has been with Macaluso’s ever since. “We’re on the same page,” Laura said of John. They agree on how to treat customers. “It’s a great relationship and he’s a great manager; someone I can trust with everything.” Laura also brought on Molly, a counselor and teacher, who works brunches at the restaurant. The chef, who goes by “Rose” (real name, Joseph Greene) is highly talented and knowledgeable.  

 

“We have a tiny kitchen and a lot of dishes, but that kitchen is incredible,” Laura said.  

 

Laura has a special restaurant with her team. To a lot of her staff, she’s “Mama.” “It feels like a family,” Laura told us. Sometimes staff will leave, but they always want to come back. If they have something to do, such as school, or can only work for summers or holidays, Laura is accommodating. “I treat them all like my kids,” she said. “We get compliments on the service. Service is important to me. I want the guest to have a good experience and that they feel cared for.” 

 

At Macaluso’s what’s on the menu is authentic Italian food. “I get a lot of people saying this is like when I was in New York or Italy,” Laura told us. Although they do cater to guests who crave an Alfredo pasta, common in the US but not Italy. “It’s not a very Italian dish,” Laura informed. Everything at Macaluso’s is made in house with ingredients sourced straight from the motherland. “All of my pasta is dried and from Italy.” If Laura decides to put something on the menu, you can rest assured she will make it the best quality and the best taste possible. “I put a steak on the menu,” Laura recalled. “It took me a month and a half to find a steak that was good enough.” This is an Italian restaurant, ergo, “It has to be best steak you ever had.” 

 

Funnily enough, Laura is not Italian. That’s her husband, Jeff. She’s been to Italy twice since the restaurant opened. She was happy to announce to us that she’s just found a possible source for fresh truffles, which in Italy they shave onto the pasta. Macaluso’s hosts wine dinners a few times a year, where they pair wines with the menu; and they support the community with regular fundraisers, often teaming up with the owner of the Chevron across the street, Gary, and the nonprofit, Charlie’s Dinosaurs. There’s a backpack giveaway as well as a November turkey dinner giveaway for Thanksgiving. They also provide gift cards for charities and events. 

 

Laura grew up in Des Moines, while Jeff was born and raised in Tacoma. They live in the North End of Tacoma today, with "a very old cat.” Jeff, no longer directly involved in the restaurant, has his own portable storage container business. The couple have two sons: Max and Beau. Beau runs the container business with Dad while Max works with Mom. Both live within 10 blocks of Laura and Jeff, and have given their parents one granddaughter and one grandson. “That’s been really fun, that’s a whole new life,” said Laura. What does she do on her days off? Sleep. 

 

“Eat. Drink. Details.” Those are the webpage titles on the Macaluso’s website yet they also seem to define Macaluso’s – and Laura, too. Handle the details – the perfect ingredients, the perfect staff – and your guests are guaranteed a memorable experience. At a recent Stroll Night Out, our neighbors had the chance to sample Macaluso’s mouth-watering recipes, which you can be sure we are all still talking about (and dreaming about). Stop by and try for yourself!