Here's What Happened To Nonna Lucia After Hell's Kitchen

The Travel Channel is underrated when it comes to television programming. There are some unusual shows that are extremely entertaining and very different from watching people crack-wise while they hang out in an apartment (sorry "Friends" fans). It was the Travel Channel that cooked up the delightful "Bizarre Foods," which spent 22 seasons telling us all about different foods from various cultures. That was part "Fear Factor," part culinary documentary. Then there's the "My Ghost Story" series, which covers everything paranormal from graveyards to the most haunted restaurants.

Also in the realm of paranormal shows that are about travel – insofar as the people travel to the haunted location – is "The Dead Files." According to the Travel Channel's website, "The Dead Files" tracks the investigations of Amy Allan and Steve DiSchiavi. Amy is a physical medium and paranormal researcher. Her partner Steve is a former US Marine and homicide detective. The two have a bit of a Mulder and Scully vibe, with DiSchiavi tending toward skepticism and facts, while Allan looks for more intuitive, or perhaps supernatural answers.

In one episode of "The Dead Files," named "Hell's Kitchen," (via IMDb) Allan and DiSchiavi are sent to a small Italian restaurant named Nonna Lucia. There they find a distraught couple in dire straits.

Michelle and Julio Licona were average folks who had bought a quaint Italian restaurant in Bluffton, South Carolina near the Bluffton Parkway traffic circle. However, they found that their little dream restaurant seemed to be haunted. Naturally, this was a major problem for the restaurateurs, since otherworldly spirits are never hungry, and notoriously bad tippers.

The couple agreed to appear on "The Dead Files," mostly because, as Michelle told the Island Packet, "It was good for us mentally to know we weren't losing our minds." The couple reported that Michelle became very ill, having multiple circulatory issues, while Julio felt intense mood swings, far outside of his normal character.

In spite of these problems, the pair had done a fairly good job of maintaining the restaurant. Nonna Lucia's Facebook page shows multiple awards for the establishment, the food, and the chef. They might not be Michelin Stars, but they still prove that locals loved the place. However, severe water damage to the restaurant, troubles with the insurance claims, and plain misfortune has kept the restaurant closed for now (via the Island Packet). It seems even the combined skills of two supernatural investigators on television weren't enough to bring peace to the restless revenants that haunt the Nonna Lucia grounds.