Bravo’s Real Housewives of Potomac Films Scene at Limoncello in Locust Point
Last week, Limoncello in Locust Point became the set for Bravo show The Real Housewives of Potomac (RHOP). Limoncello General Manager Vincenzo Schiano called it a “super fun experience” for him and his staff.
Schiano said the production crew had been casing out locations in Baltimore in recent weeks and gave him a call back to let him know they wanted to collaborate. Schiano told them they were interested and set up a date and time for the filming.
Schiano and his team signed nondisclosure agreements and are limited in what they can say, but the episodes will air on the next season of RHOP. Schiano did say the restaurant became like a movie set with lighting, cameras, and a large crew of 16 or 17 people.
He said he isn’t very familiar with the show, but his staff knew all about it and were super excited.
“The best part is the production crew liked it so much that they are interested in doing it here again some time,” said Schiano.
While the show is based in Montgomery County, it does have Baltimore connections. Michael J. Darby, who is the husband of cast member Ashley Darby, is the principal and founder of Monument Realty which has real estate developments Downtown and in Little Italy. Cast member Robyn Dixon is also married to Baltimore-native and former Maryland Basketball star and current Coppin State Men’s Basketball coach Juan Dixon.
Schiano said it has been “a rollercoaster” for Limoncello in the past year as the restaurant has navigated through restrictions and importing issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limoncello had just opened in November 2019 and were just getting “rocking and rolling” before the pandemic hit. Schiano said they had to fully shutdown for a few months because they were importing almost everything on the menu from Italy.
Schiano and the ownership group of Limoncello are immigrants from Monte Di Procida, which is outside of Naples.
Limoncello reopened in the summer with outdoor seating and limited indoor seating.
They endured the dining shutdown in Baltimore City earlier this year, and are back open with limited seating and a heated patio on the deck. Limoncello also started offering a new catering menu with Tuscan-style pizzas, which are square and have a 36-hour process to get the dough just right.
Schiano said, “People love the pizza, we can’t make enough of it.”
The Limoncello ownership group owns many other Italian restaurants in Maryland that serve up pizza including Frank and Luke’s NY Pizza Kitchen in Crofton and Carmine’s NY Pizza Kitchen in Chester. Schiano said they decided to focus on Tuscan-style pizzas due to the space constraints and the oven at Limoncello.
The pizza concept at Limoncello has been such a success that the ownership group is now looking to open a pizza shop in South Baltimore and make several different styles of pizzas. “The idea started as a hunch, and now we are trying to make it happen,” said Schiano.
Overall at Limoncello Schiano said, “Things are good all things considered, but far from being good from a business point of view. We are hoping April will be the sweet spot with more vaccines and the lifting of restrictions. We are Neapolitans, we are optimists.”
He credited the neighborhood with getting Limoncello through this tough time. “They have been phenomenal. I personally thank everyone who walks through the door and tell them we would’ve closed without them.”
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About the Author: Kevin Lynch
Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.
