After 18 years in an assuming little building on South Carrollton Avenue, chef “Nino” Bongiorno plans to close his doors there for the final time at the end of next month.

“Everyone knows me, and everyone cries,” Bongiorno said of word about his plans to close getting out. But fans of Nino’s chicken marsala and red wine still have reason to dry their eyes — Bongiorno said that after a short break, he plans to currently seek a new location in the Warehouse District or possibly Freret Street.

A number of factors led to Bongiorno’s decision to close his doors. For one, the 70-year-old said he needs to return home to Messina on the Italian island of Sicily, where his parents are still living. For another, he said, the condition of the building he has leased for nearly two decades is now making it more difficult to attract new customers. With a newer location — his first choice is the Warehouse District, though he also loves Freret Street — and his ardent following, “they will be lining up out the door,” he said with gusto.

Bongiorno made his way from Italy to America in 1970, landing in New York with his first wife. In 1986, he moved to New Orleans, and bought into the Scotto franchise of Italian eateries with a location in the Riverwalk. After nine years there, the rent was poised to double, and Bongiorno left for Uptown to the building that has borne his name since then.

It is hard to say whether Bongiorno’s reputation based more on his food or his hospitality, though he is certainly beloved for both. The faded menu offers a heavy plate featuring both an entree of veal, fish or chicken and a side pasta for a stubborn $9.45, and when Bongiorno is present, he often invites diners to enjoy a glass of wine on the house.

Bongiorno said he has been living in the Warehouse District for 30 years, and often thought of moving his business closer to his home — he even had a location picked out in 2005, but Hurricane Katrina scuttled that plan. After a lifetime of moving, he said, departing from Carrollton on May 31 may be sad, but it won’t be the end.

“I’m an old man, but I still get new energy,” Bongiorno said. “A sip of wine will do that.”

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Among Cafe Nino’s most ardent champions is the Rev. Ray Cannata, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church — even filming part of part of a 2010 documentary about eating in New Orleans at Cafe Nino. As news began to spread that Nino was closing, Cannata was among those most loudly sounding his laments. Cannata shares his ode to the restaurant below: