By Carolyn Schuk
I've been heartbroken ever since Brigitte's bistro on Saratoga Ave. closed almost two years ago. And not just because it was right down the street from me.
Brigitte's was a Santa Clara restaurant that I could confidently suggest to friends from more restaurant-endowed towns like Palo Alto and San Francisco. And with its fresh and varied menu, and exceptional wine list – including many excellent wines by the glass – the recommendation was always a hit.
But since Brigitte's closed, there hasn't been any place close by I'd recommend with the same enthusiasm. Sure Santana Row has good restaurants and atmosphere, but they're mostly corporate productions. And, personally, I don't think Left Bank is in the same league as Brigitte's graceful and distinctive cuisine.
So I was delighted to "discover" Antonella's Ristorante in San Jose's Rose Garden neighborhood. I put "discover" in quotes because I've driven past it many times, but never actually stepped inside.
That is, until one evening a few weeks ago when it became manifestly evident that no dinner was on the horizon chez Schuk -- the cook being comfortably indisposed with chardonnay and Keith Obermann's daily evisceration of the political news.
None of the usual dining suspects being sufficiently compelling to persuade me off the couch, I suggested Antonella's. Consulting the restaurant's menu from my laptop, I rallied sufficiently to put on shoes and lipstick and find the car keys.
It was well worth the effort.
While I can't speak for weekends, on a weekday we got a table right away in the restaurant's well-heated patio and were quickly enjoying drinks, freshly baked focaccia bread, and a varied menu with extremely reasonable prices.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Colorado native Lyle Koch, who attributes his love of cooking to his mother. "My mother was a great cook and I liked cooking," he explains. "I had to take a home economics class in school and the teacher said I had a knack for cooking."
From that beginning, Koch was invited to work with a chef at Berlin's Grand Hotel in the mid-80s. In Europe, he was introduced to chefs from Brindisi, Italy who wanted to learn about western American cooking. They taught Koch the classic Italian cooking – including his matchless fried calamari – that inspires the restaurant's menu.
"Keep it simple, keep it fresh," explains Koch. "You make everything from scratch. You don't use bases. You make your own sauces."
Upon returning to the U.S., Koch went on to earn degrees in culinary arts and restaurant and business management from Cal Poly, Pomona. A job with Scott's Seafood in Palo Alto brought him to the Bay Area. He was working for Pasta Pomodoro in San Jose when he learned that then-vacant Antonella's pizzeria was sale and decided to take the plunge.
Koch chose Sept. 11, 2001 as opening day for his new restaurant – something that caused the aspiring restaurateur not a little worry as that historic day unfolded.
"My Dad called me and the next thing I saw was the plane hitting the World Trade Center," he recalls. "I went ahead with the opening and people showed up because they wanted to get away from the TV. We had free food and wine that night."
Today, more than six years later, Koch is still in business and still hewing to his original vision.
Nothing in the restaurant is too trivial for his personal attention. He makes the tomato sauce with fresh herbs and premium Italian canned tomatoes from New York City's century-old Rao's Restaurant, made famous in the 1970s by food critic Mimi Sheraton.
"We have fresh produce and seafood six days a week," Koch says proudly. "Our lasagna has no ricotta cheese – just whole milk mozzarella. You will not find one convenience food in this restaurant. My philosophy is: keep it simple, keep it fresh, with honest prices and decent portions."
So the next time you're in the mood for Italian food, give Brinker International's – oops, I meant Maggiano's® -- a miss and treat yourself to an Italian holiday that won't break the bank.
Antonella's at 1701 Park Ave., San Jose is open seven days a week for dinner and weekdays for lunch. For information and reservations call (408) 279-4922. You can check out the menu online at www.antonellasristorante.com.
Carolyn Schuk can be reached at cschuk@earthlink.net.
