Restaurateur Plans to Pour On the Hospitality

In the public invitation for his inaugural wine-tasting dinner Oct. 27, restaurateur Tony Fiumerodo promises the moon. Specifically a full, romantic one.

In reality, of course, Fiumerodo has no control over things celestial, but the promise seems more than a possibility, given that Fiumerodo is owner of Bella Luna (Italian for beautiful moon).

Fiumerodo opened the Newbury Park lunch-and-dinner establishment over the summer. The wine-tasting dinner will launch what he anticipates will be a series of at least quarterly special events. The deadline for reservations for the first wine dinner is Monday.

“It’s an easy way to introduce the public to the wines and the menu we have and to my chef’s abilities,” said Fiumerodo, a retired Air Force captain and now a first officer for American Airlines. “This is not a fast-food Italian restaurant. This is fine dining. But we are not after the Beverly Hills crowd. I cater to the market around me.”

Fiumerodo, a native of Palermo, Sicily, moved with his family to Southern California when he was a child and has been involved in the food service business since then.

At one time or another his family owned, among others, the Monte Carlo Italian Bakery in Burbank and the San Remo Italian Restaurant in Van Nuys.

In 1991, Fiumerodo and his brother, Sal, opened the Allegro Italian restaurant on Ventu Park Road in Newbury Park. Fiumerodo broke away from the partnership two years later, and earlier this year bought the restaurant from his brother and turned it into Bella Luna.

“I renamed the place, remodeled it. I am the sole owner now with a whole new concept,” he said. “I made it more of a modern, upscale Italian restaurant. It’s a lot lighter in colors, cleaner looking. It’s more like an Italian restaurant would look like in Italy.”

The changes are more than cosmetic. And much of that has to do with the skills of Bella Luna chef Giuseppe Dimola. Born in Bari, Italy, Dimola formerly was executive chef at Tuscany Il Ristorante in Westlake.

“Our menu is representative primarily of central and southern Italian cuisines, with a Mediterranean flair,” Fiumerodo said. “The menu tries to keep with the present trend in healthy food. Our sauces are a little bit lighter.”

Dimola’s specialties include Penne Bella Luna--penne pasta with sausage, bell peppers, black olives and tomatoes ($9.95 for dinner); Filetto al Porcini D’alba--grilled beef tenderloin topped with imported porcini mushrooms ($15.95, dinner); and fettuccine scampi ($12.95, dinner). Pasta dinners range from $7.95 to $13.95.

As for the wine dinner, the menu will open with hors d’oeuvres, followed by a mixed green salad topped with shrimp and served in a vinaigrette. Next will be a risotto with porcini mushrooms and asparagus tips, followed by the entree, a medallion of filet mignon served in a roasted garlic and rosemary sauce. An espresso-flavored semifreddo will be served for dessert.

A different wine will be served with each course.

Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $37. Call 499-6767 for reservations. Bella Luna is at 579-A Ventu Park Road.

*

In July, 1994, Ventura’s Gail Hobbs published “Cookin’ in Ventura,” a collection of top recipes from Ventura County restaurant chefs. Since then the cookbook has sold about 2,500 copies.

For those who don’t already have “Cookin’ in Ventura,” now might be a good time to get one.

Hobbs and her husband, Don, are preparing to move to North Carolina in early November, and she is looking to lighten her traveling load. Originally the 129-page cookbooks retailed for $9.95 plus shipping and handling, but the last 2,000 books, which she has stored at home, are priced at $2, plus shipping and handling.

Among the recipes in the book are the fresh mushroom soup from L’Auberge Restaurant, the Strawberry Napoleon from Capistrano’s, creme brulee from Ojai Valley Inn, bread pudding from Tottenham Court, ceviche from the Whale’s Tail and New York-style pizza from Filomena’s.

Hobbs said the books will be available at the discounted price even after she moves east. Send a check or money order for $3.50 to Gold Coast Press, 4360 E. Main St., Suite 129, Ventura 93003.