Fans of Mario’s Ristorante at Oxnard’s Harbor...

Fans of Mario’s Ristorante at Oxnard’s Harbor Landing might be glad to know that Mario Comandatore plans to open another eating establishment June 15 at the Shopping at the Rose center in Oxnard.

It will be a case of same owner, entirely different cuisine. Comandatore’s Ristorante offers more upscale fare, but his new Mario’s Bistro will specialize in moderately priced, wood-fired pizza. It will also offer about a half-dozen pasta dishes--a couple of which will change daily--some fish, chicken and veal dishes, and lots of salads.

“This will be the new generation Italian bistro. I went to Italy to see what was happening,” said Comandatore. “I brought back new ideas.”

Comandatore has been in the Ventura County restaurant business since 1984. The question is, how did a native of Sicily end up in these parts?

“I came for the Olympic Games. I helped with Italian radio and television because I had a lot of friends in Los Angeles,” said Comandatore. “When I was here I fell in love with a woman, went back to Italy, came back to America and got married.”

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Comings and goings: With the opening of Mario’s Bistro, there will be a local coming and going all packaged into one. The executive chef at the new place will be Neal Rosenthal, currently the restaurant manager at Wheeler Hot Springs Spa and Restaurant in Ojai, and formerly the managing partner and executive chef at Eatz in Westlake.

Rosenthal says to expect the menu to be conservative and creative at the same time. “I think lunch will play big in this location,” he said. “I like what Mario is doing because everyone else in the neighborhood, food-wise, is a chain.”

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Here’s something to consider next time you eat out.

The California Restaurant Assn. is accepting nominations for 1994 CRA Foodservice Employee of the Year. There will be two winners selected--one from the “front of the house”--servers, bus people, counter people--and another from the back--line cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers. To be eligible, employees must work a minimum of 20 hours a week at a CRA-member restaurant.

Nominations may be submitted only by restaurant owners or managers, but that doesn’t mean customers can’t make suggestions.