"The flavors merge with the alcohol for just the right balance," says his wife, Barbara Maresca, adding, "I got my voice back when I tried it for a cold."

The Marescas have been offering their Italian drink since they moved from E. Main Street in downtown Los Gatos to the Winchester location in the summer of 1999. The present locale offers lots of Italian singing on Saturday nights, a full-service bar, and indoor and outdoor dining from a menu loaded with seafood, steaks, pastas and specials galore.

The lunch and dinner menus are huge, Barbara says. "I tell him, 'Boy, Aldo, you're working too hard,' but he doesn't want to cut anything out."

It's the customers' gain. The choices are many, but the down-home meat lasagna has been the surprise. "People love it!" Barbara notes, saying she and her husband never thought such a simple dish would be so popular. "It's loaded with meat and we sell it like crazy."

The same goes for the homemade pork sausage. It's grilled and served with lemon and broccoli rabe creating a bitter taste that is a balance for the meat. The sausage also comes in a sandwich for lunch, or with farfalle (butterfly) pasta in white wine sauce with fresh tomatoes and spinach for $13.50. A big bowl of carrot soup with parmesan cheese might be a good accompaniment.

Dinner entrees, including sides of vegetables and potatoes, start at $13.50, up to $18 for the more exotic gnocchi with truffle paste and a touch of cream. Luncheon entrees of meat with a pasta side range from $12 to $15.50, with salads for $6 to $7 and appetizers, like fried calamari, bruschetta and antipasti, around $5.75. "We serve big portions," adds Barbara.

Lately, Aldo has taken over the duties at the front of the house, relieving Barbara, who gave birth to Jovanna Isabella 1¹/2 years ago and is now a stay-at-home mom. Aldo greets guests and seats them, checks on the kitchen and keeps an eye on diners' needs. "He has eyes like a hawk, and in the back of his head," Barbara says, laughing. "He knows when a customer is glancing around, needing something, and he's there." He also gives a hand to chef Cesar Romano while spending up to 14 hours a day, six days a week, overseeing the restaurant.

"He spends his life here," says Barbara, who visits daily so she and Jovanna can have time with him. "My social life is the restaurant," she laughs, referring to Sundays off in their Blossom Valley home as a time for naps, resting up from the late Saturday night hours and ordering in pizza.

On Saturday nights, it's a more musical atmosphere at Aldo's, with Pasqual, a native of Naples, Italy, singing songs ranging from Sinatra to Rigoletto. Some diners are prompted to get up and dance in front of the fireplace.

Aldo's Ristorante and Bar, located at 14109 Winchester Blvd. in Los Gatos, is open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.­2:30 p.m., and for dinner Monday through Thursday, 5­9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 5­10 p.m. The restaurant is closed Sundays. For more information, call 408.374.1808 or visit www.aldos-ristorante.com.