A sister’s love: Leo’s Marvelous Bites marks first year in business

DIXON – After a year of chasing her dreams, Celia Fernandez’s outlook on life is still as warm and inviting as the food she serves.

Leo’s Marvelous Bites celebrated its first anniversary last month. The restaurant serves traditional Puerto Rican food, including empanadas named after Marvel characters; steak, chicken or beef taco plates; fried plantains; tripleta sandwiches; Italian beef sandwiches; and more.

Fernandez said the store is named in honor of her late brother, Leoner “Leo” Melendez, who died from COVID-19 on Dec. 28, 2020, at his home.

“Sometimes people don’t understand why we have all the superhero stuff around the restaurant,” Fernandez said. “Leo was a huge fan and a Marvel collector since he was 16. Before he passed away, me and him always went to Sow Bellies together, and he loved going to Paper Escape. So, it’s ironic we opened up on this strip.”

Fernandez co-owns the restaurant with her brother, David Solis, and his wife, Violet Solis. The siblings learned to cook from their mother at an early age. Although the two have different approaches to the business, Fernandez said they make it work.

“Me and my little brother have always been close, but we really got to know each other here,” Fernandez said. “I’m a control freak, and he’s a neat freak. I’m like a tornado because I do 10 things at once, whereas he likes to lock in and focus on things individually.”

Fernandez has held several positions in the restaurant industry and spent about two years working out of the Kitchen Incubator of Northwest Illinois in Sterling before opening the restaurant Nov. 11, 2023. Since then, the restaurant has added authentic Mexican dishes to its menu, and Solis took a step back from the business but still is involved.

“It’s kind of nice because he comes in at night, I do everything in the morning, and on the weekends we work together,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez said she initially was skeptical about opening the restaurant and originally had plans to open a food truck instead.

“Years before I started this, my husband was always asking me to make rice for the people at his job,” Fernandez said. “I thought no one was going to like it. But my brother Leo told me I was wasting my time doing other things. So, I decided to go for it. I saw a trend on Facebook where people were selling plates, and I decided to try selling some rice and pork. It took off, especially in Dixon. The community response has been amazing.”

Moving forward, Fernandez said she would like to get a liquor license for the restaurant and possibly open a second location.

Leo’s Marvelous Bites is located at 221 W. First St. in Dixon. It is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

For more information, call 815-677-9017.