Popular SLO County Italian restaurant has a new name — and a new owner
For 17 years, restaurateur James “Jimmy” Delmore served up casual Italian fare at his beloved Los Osos restaurant, Jimmy Bump’s Pasta House.
Now a new chef and owner, Sarah Mavety, is putting her own spin on the eatery at 1019 Santa Ynez Ave. — serving up her house-made versions of pastas, pizzas, salads, appetizers and desserts.
She’s renamed the restaurant Hazards, after Hazard Peak at the nearby Montana de Oro State Park and a much-loved local surf spot.
Savory pies were the foundation of Mavety’s early restaurant experience, starting at age 13 at Pizza Port in Morro Bay.
At her new family-owned and -run café, “We make everything here from scratch,” Mavety said by phone, including Italian sausage, pesto and sauces.
“It’s a tremendous amount of work,” she said, “but it’s worth it.”
The only prepared ingredients there that come out of a jar or can, Mavety added, are marinated artichoke hearts.
That’s because getting a reliable, year-round supply of fresh artichokes is nearly impossible and high-quality versions are available commercially, she said.
Hazards’ menu selections include lots of fresh vegetables and lasagna, butternut squash ravioli, manicotti and other pasta dishes. There are two parmigiana dishes — chicken and eggplant — on the menu.
Other offerings include a spaghetti dish that Mavety said she craves, featuring a spicy, briny, salty Puttanesca tomato sauce with capers, Kalamata olives and Calabrian chiles.
Among other specialties are an appetizer of fresh roasted baby bell peppers served with pistachio dressing, Mavety’s own minestrone soup and various house-made desserts including cannoli, Italian tiramisu chocolate mousse and crème brulee.
Her 10- and 14-inch pizzas come with an assortment of toppings.
Mavety’s from-scratch dough has a two-day cold rise, which allows it to develop that slightly fermented flavor that can make a big difference in how a pizza tastes. She described her pliable dough as having “a little bit of sweetness to it. It’s such a different style.”
Restaurant owner has Central Coast ties
Mavety lived in Cayucos for 17 years, becoming a star athlete, graduating from Coast Union High School and receiving a biology degree from Cal Poly.
She got married and went through two difficult pregnancies that each required bed rest for five months.
Daughter Sydney, 13, is an eighth grader and a successful competitive dancer. Daughter Kaleiah, 7, is a developmentally disabled, nonverbal child who is “absolutely amazing,” her mom said, calling the youngster “the purest soul on the planet, just pure love.”
Sarah Mavety spent two years as a surgeon’s intern, then was an occasional private chef and co-owner as the Seven Sisters catering company. She also owned and operated the successful All Clean cleaning business in San Luis Obispo.
Along the way, Mavety also worked intermittently in restaurants. She longed to eventually retire and have her own “little Italian bistro.”
In 2005, she spent five months on a culinary tour of the entire boot of Italy.
“I wanted to compare all the different cuisines,” she said in a voice rich with wistful memories.
From Rome and Venice to the Italian Alps and Florence, “I immersed myself in it,” she explained, adding to her years-worth of personally curated recipes.
Then a new opportunity came in the form of the former Jimmy Bump’s.
Jimmy Bump’s gives way to new Italian eatery
Delmore previously owned Angelo’s in San Luis Obispo, which closed in 2000. He was also one of the co-founders of Del’s Famous Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant, now owned by his son Ryan Delmore.
After selling Jimmy Bump’s Italian House to new owners, he’s been focusing on a new venture — Jimmy D’s Spaghetti Joint, 1301 West Grand Ave. in Grover Beach.
Ben and Jessica Brown, 14-year residents of Los Osos and parents of three, bought Jimmy Bump’s from Delmore and his partner, Diana Zaffina, in December 2020.
The Browns soon discovered that replacing a legend isn’t easy, even though Delmore was still helping them and working in the kitchen.
While dining around the corner at local ramen house Kuma earlier this year, Mavety connected with a friend who was working at Jimmy Bump’s.
That gal pal “told me to come on over to meet the new people there,” she said, “because they needed some help in the kitchen.”
After a brief conversation with the Browns, Mavety was on board “just to work, to prep, to help.”
Two weeks later, “Ben offered me a partnership,” Mavety said. “I thought, oh my God! This is what I was meant to do.”
Deldago’s final day at the restaurant and “my first day there was July 31,” Mavety recalled, “and that’s when we closed down to renovate.”
A couple of weeks later, things took another unexpected turn: The Browns wanted to sell the restaurant to Mavety.
“Ben told me he’d finished what he wanted to do at the restaurant, which was renovate it,” Mavety said. Now the man she calls an “incredible woodworker” is pursuing that passion.
That means Mavety is following her lifelong dream, too, a little sooner than expected.
Fortunately, she said, she’s surrounded by “some really great people” and others who “want to be part of this.”
Among her staffers are childhood friends and school chums, plus daughter Sydney, who works at the café on weekends while her grandmother takes care of Kaleiah.
“It really feels like family here,” Sarah Mavety said.
Hazards is open from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and is closed on Mondays. For details or to order online, call 805-528-4898 or go to www.eatathazards.com.
