Photograph by Dai Sugano

Vincenzo d'Amico is an artist, both in the kitchen and with charcoal and oil, as evidenced by the drawing on the wall.

Quality remains at La Strada with the arrival of a new chef

Cozy restaurant will operate while hotel is built

By Suzanne Cristallo

Aldo moved to his own restaurant in Vasona Station. So what else is new? La Strada, the Italian restaurant across from Los Gatos High School where Aldo Maresca was chef, is still operating. Now there is Vincenzo. An Italian by way of New Jersey with impeccable credentials as a chef, Vincenzo d'Amico has brought his expertise with him from Santa Cruz, where he served as chef for four years at Carniglia's Restaurant.

Diane Ogilvie, who owns La Strada, is thrilled with d'Amico, who is her means of keeping the restaurant operating until such time as the cottage-like building is torn down to make way for the 72-room hotel with underground parking, a banquet hall, three meeting rooms, a pool, gift shop and restaurant that she has been planning for 10 years. Word on a beginning construction date for the project is due soon.

Meanwhile, the cozy restaurant still offers warm evenings of outdoor dining under a huge tree, because "people like the location, the food is excellent, there is good parking and a friendly atmosphere," according to Ogilvie. While some of the staff is new, many of the original group have stayed on to assist the new chef.

"I'm not Italian, but I'm the manager," jokes Ogilvie, 80, who also owns and oversees two other Los Gatos restaurants--Pigalle downtown and The Cats in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She says she's grateful for d'Amico and hopes he can be enticed to run the kitchen when the new La Strada opens as part of the completed hotel.

"I may have three restaurants, but I always have a terrible time making coffee," she laughs. "I haven't cooked in 17 years."

D'Amico, "about 39," is an artist. While this designation could apply to him as a chef, evidence of his skill in the fine arts now adorns the walls of La Strada, which display some of his charcoal drawings and oil paintings done in a classical style.

In the kitchen, his specialties include portobello napoletano. The innately unglamorous large mushroom has been made dramatic. It is used whole and layered with smoked salmon, roasted bell peppers and goat-cheese mashed potatoes.

D'Amico also serves calamari fritti, which is pan-seared squid with bell peppers and marinara sauce. Among the pastas, there is salsiccia--Italian sausage with organic tomatoes and fresh basil baked with rigatoni, and for salad, a branzino i cozzi, or salt-cured sea bass and marinated mussels with Italian olives and fresh herbs. Each day a pasta, a rice dish or a soup is also featured, like brodo di pollo--homemade chicken broth with chicken tortellini.

A la carte entrees are $12 to $18, and a prix fixe dinner of soup or salad, three choices of entree and a dessert is offered every night for $21.50. A selection of wines and beers is also available. Ogilvie playfully wishes it made clear that she will not be making the coffee.

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La Strada, 210 E. Main St., Los Gatos. Open Wed-Sun. 5:30-10 p.m. Closed Mon. and Tue. 399-6000.

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