Fall 2008
Kristin A. Smith
Some people come to Carmel for the sun; others the sea. The Momo family came for the altitude, or lack thereof.
Anthony Junior, also known as Little Anthony, has a serious congenital heart disease. At six years old, he has already had four operations and will eventually need a transplant. With only one ventricle instead of the normal two, his heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through his body. At Denver’s high altitude, even fully functioning hearts struggle to oxygenate the body. Little Anthony’s single ventricle was pushed to its limit.
Upon doctor’s orders, the Momo family packed up their established Colorado life, where they owned and operated multiple restaurants, and headed west, to lower ground. Their journey began in Southern California, where Anthony Senior continued to commute to and from Denver from 2003 until 2007. But when they learned that Bahama Billy’s, a local Carmel restaurant at the Barnyard, was up for sale, they jumped at the opportunity to buy it.
With its low altitude, proximity to Stanford’s renowned Children’s Hospital, and booming restaurant scene, Carmel was an ideal place for the Momos to plant their roots.
“Moving here has been a really good experience for our family,” says April Momo, Little Anthony’s mother. “The schools are terrific, Stanford is less than an hour away, and the community is great. People really look out for each other here.”
April and Anthony bought Bahama Billy’s as a turnkey operation, keeping the name and menu but adding their own twist to the food. Everyone in the family has a role at Bahama Billy’s. Anthony Senior, a first generation Italian American, is the head chef. He uses his Italian background to liven up the menu. April and their two sons act as concierge for the restaurant and April handles private parties. Little Anthony and his younger brother, Gian Carlo are, of course, also official tasters.
“When we work events, the boys help by serving food to the attendees. The crowd loves it because the boys always give extra helpings,” April chuckles. “But really, they are a huge help. They come to the restaurant with me and help by greeting customers at the door. They are our little maître ds and are always more than willing to taste new dishes.”
But Little Anthony wasn’t always cut out for a job as a taster. For the first few years of his life, he was too weak to eat and required feeding tubes to get the nourishment he needed. Slowly, and with the help of a feeding clinic, he learned to eat by himself. Today he is an active six year old, who loves to play golf and dreams of one day being a tennis star.
Running the restaurant as a family unit has allowed the Momos to adjust more easily to the Carmel lifestyle. And although being restaurateurs is a large responsibility, it’s nothing the Momos’ aren’t used to and the pros outweigh any cons.
While Anthony will eventually need a transplant, life for the Momos is pretty normal right now. The restaurant is a success, the boys are happy, and Little Anthony only needs to go to Stanford every six months for regular checkups—an easy routine compared to the consecutive months he spent in hospitals as a baby.
While the Momos initially came to Carmel for the altitude and business, they are staying for the community.
“I’ve made the best friends of my life here,” says April. “And the boys love their preschool.” All in all, she says, “life here is really good.” °