You could say that Dulcinea and Pio Rongavilla are the consummate Summerlin family. The couple, who married in 2013, moved into The Canyons village home Pio purchased in 2001. Dulcinea, who moved to Las Vegas from Phoenix in 2005 for a career opportunity, had already become a Summerlin fan, having purchased a Summerlin condo upon her arrival.
Today, the couple, along with three-year-old son, Cristiano, fully embrace the Summerlin lifestyle with weekend traditions that they’ve been practicing for years. Every Saturday and Sunday, the family walks from their home to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on W. Charleston Blvd., strolling through Cottonwood Canyon Park that feeds directly into their neighborhood.
“Diane at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has been working there for the 14 years I have been patronizing the store,” said Dulcinea. “She still has ‘puppicino’ treat ready for my dogs on every weekend visit. You could say Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is our version of a ‘Cheers’ bar where everyone knows our name and our dogs’ names, too. You gotta love Summerlin!”
After getting caffeinated, Pio usually heads over to Lifetime Athletic for a workout, while Dulcinea and Cristiano usually head to a Fit4Mom class with a group of other stroller-pushing Moms who are now fast friends. After their respective workouts, the family typically meets up at Lazy Dog for an afternoon brunch before heading over to the Farmers Market at Downtown Summerlin to buy fresh fruit and veggies.
“This itinerary has literally become our standard Summerlin weekend plan and we wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Dulcinea. “Other favorite family spots at Downtown Summerlin are City National Arena and Las Vegas Ballpark,” she said, noting that among Cristiano’s first words were “Las Vegas Ballpark!” “We drive or walk past the Ballpark so many times, it’s no wonder those words crossed his lips first,” said Dulcinea. “Cristiano is also a huge VGK fan, and we hope to start him in skating lessons this summer.”
On the rare occasion Dulcinea and Pio have a night out without Cristiano, their go-to spots are Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen and T-Bones at Red Rock. But most nights out are family nights, and Cristiano’s picks are usually Shake Shack, Maggiano’s, California Pizza Kitchen and Pancho’s, which Cristiano refers to as “baby shark’s restaurant” because of the shark hanging in the lounge.
Dulcinea and Pio, who met in 2010 and mastered the art of long-distance dating for years because of Pio’s travel and work schedule, considered Southwest Airlines their personal “uber.” In fact, Pio was such a frequent traveler, he was featured in Southwest’s in-flight magazine in 2012. “Those years of commuting during our relationship were obviously worth it,” said Dulcinea. “Our little life and our little family in Summerlin are perfect. We expect the community to be our forever home.”
