Del Dio Bistro, Casselberry - Closed

Yesterday I had a simple lunch at this more than simple Italian/Thai restaurant on 17-92 off of 436. They used to be in the Aldi's strip mall up the street. I came here because I saw they won a Foodie award but didn't recognize the address as a place I had visited. When I Googled them, I found they were the original Del Dio's and they had added Thai food and closed their old store front. Time to re-investigate. I had their 2 slice and a soda (refills) special for $5. They are known for their pizza. And I added a Thai style shrimp soup to go. Had to try the new. The pizza was excellent (I've had some really bad pizza at this price point). No surprises there. Possibly a tad too much crust on that particular pie. Superior mozzarella and sauce. The soup, which I ate for dinner, was flavorful. It came with two medium size shrimp, mushrooms and scallions. It cost $4. However, the story isn't my meal. It is the owners. I had a nice discussion with one of the owners and learned that though he was born in Bangladesh and started as an engineer, he worked/ran/owned a panoply of kitchens in the Five Burroughs (and not just the outer burroughs) before he relocated here. The popularity of the old location should speak to the lessons he learned in Italian cooking while doing so. All the Italian dishes have been well regarded for a while. The Thai part of the equation is provided by his wife. She is Thai. Time will tell if she develops her own following. They are now in a stand alone building that used to be a Maryland Fried Chicken as well as many other things. It's not the most impressive edifice. The inside is passable. It's hard to cover up old. It has an Italian theme. It seats about 40. There were 4 people there at 12pm. The service (1) was polite and attentive. I would suggest a more eye catching sign (it is on a road where people drive 55 mph) and a name change. Del Dio doesn't sound Italian enough. It even suggests Spanish/Latin cuisine (I know Dio is Italian. I took Italian in college). And a Bistro is usually/historically associated with French food. Plus it totally leaves the Thai part out in the cold. I know it's hard to part with good will, but, it may be time to re-brand. You can always put "formerly known as" in parenthesis underneath your marketing materials. In any case, I (and The Foodie Awards) suggest you find time for this one of a kind Italo-Thai restaurant when you are in the neighborhood. Share a slice and then move on from there.