Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/3815
october 2009 / the tasting panel / 77 Here to Stay: Café Fiore M y first stop was Café Fiore, where Maria Fiore and her partners, Anna Fiore (her sister) and Saverio Posarelli (owner of Padri restaurant in Agoura Hills, CA), have changed the face of Ventura's dining scene. "When we opened six years ago, Ventura was pretty mellow," Maria Fiore says. "There was no one on the street; the neighborhood was so quiet that I was wor- ried that we made the wrong decision in opening a restaurant here." Fiore did make the right choices: It so happened that Ventura was aching for a dining spot of Café Fiore's caliber. "We were a hit from the day we opened." From its warm and elegant Tuscan design, its welcom- ing bar and show kitchen to the consistently lauded fresh and creative Italian fare, Café Fiore became the pulse of a sleepy beach town's cuisine trend. While Fiore and her Chef, Ken Biffar, search for local artisan ingredients from farmers' markets and Santa Barbara County growers, she believes that her food trends tend toward the universal rather than localized. "Local farmers are awesome as personal shoppers," she says, referring to herbs and heirloom tomatoes grown and sold nearby, as well as a few seafood pur- veyors. "But in running a business—and a busy and growing one at that—we require purchasing in quantity. In order to keep our menu prices lower, I can still find top quality meats and produce through larger suppliers. And we must import many products to stay authentic, such as pastas and prosciutto." Expansion seems to come naturally for Café Fiore; its latest creation is the lively outdoor Tree House Lounge, an open-air club-like setting adjacent to the dining patio. Next up is The Bubble Bar, which boasts a food and drink menu that will sparkle with champagne and champagne cocktails. Main Stay: Tutti's Off Main T utti's held court for 20 years in Montecito until its lease ex- pired in 2003. It was a cloud with a silver lining for Winston and Susan Sullivan, who discovered an old brick-laden livery build- ing in Ventura and decided to transplant their success story. Once an Italian bistro and deli, the new Tutti's has been transformed into a Mediter- ranean-themed restaurant with a full bar, opening up to a generously sized 65- seat patio surrounded by trellis-covered lime trees. Small plates are trending at Tutti's: baked eggplant, potato torte in phyllo dough, steamed mussels Café Fiore has become a dining landmark in Ventura. Pic- tured here on the Tuscan patio are Anna Fiore, Chef Ken Biffar and Maria Fiore. Café Fiore's Insalata di Calamari e Granchio features romaine lettuce tossed with battered calamari, avocado and cucumbers in a jala- peño-lime dressing, topped with blue crab meat. We chose Sum- merland 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Barbara County (SRP $17) as its mate. Clean and fresh, this is a nervy bright white with that delicious note of fresh summer peaches. Capturing Summer with Summerland Central Coast