Alysa Liu drops by Italian restaurant in the Bay Area, reveals cake secret

John Metcalfe, The Mercury News on Feb 25, 2026

Published in Olympics

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Going for Olympics gold takes a lot of carb-loading.

That dietary imperative might still be active in Alysa Liu, the 2026 Olympics star who just won two U.S. figure-skating gold medals in the women's singles and team event. On Tuesday evening, she dropped by Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails in Alameda, Calif., where she enjoyed some pasta Bolognese and a very special dessert.

“We were just so impressed by what an absolute gem she was — incredibly sweet and gracious and warm and friendly,” said Christine Naish Naccarelli, who co-owns the restaurant with husband and chef Giuseppe Naccarelli.

“Of course people noticed she was here, and several guests approached to say hi. She greeted everyone with her incredibly warm smile and was happy to take photos – just lovely and an absolute sweetheart.”

Liu returned from Italy to her native Bay Area on Monday via San Francisco International Airport, where she got a ride from not one but two friends, as both their cars were “needed to fit all the Olympic champion’s new gear,” according to SFGATE.

On Tuesday, the staff at Trabocco got a call from a patron asking if they could add a person to their reservation. “The person who made the reservation asked if they could add a fifth to the party of four. She was the surprise fifth,” Christine Naccarelli said.

The group ordered appetizers and entrees at the restaurant, which recently celebrated its 12th anniversary. The food must’ve seemed familiar to Liu, as the kitchen not only cooks Italian food but the chef himself also hails from Italy — the mountain village of Palombaro, in the Abruzzo region.

The meal ended with a table full of desserts, including a flourless chocolate cake the chef whipped up with “Congratulations” spelled in chocolate.

“We made that because we’d seen the rumor online that she’d started her Olympics day with a chocolate lava cake,” Christine Naccarelli said. “When we brought it out and told her, she laughed and said, ‘I read about that, too. But it’s not true!’ ”

Liu and her party eventually departed, but the star left a compliment on the meal behind: “She said our tiramisu was the best she’d ever had.”

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