New Menu Features Authenticity

There’s more than one way to peel a garlic clove. That’s pretty much the philosophy of Edoardo Bucci, the new general manager of the Italian Cafe in Ventura.

“You have a Sicilian at a table and a Tuscan at a table, they see different ways of cooking,” Bucci said. “I’m from Tuscany. I see a different way.”

The veteran Southern California restaurateur has begun to implement his version of Italian cuisine at the downtown restaurant.

Until escrow closes on the restaurant’s sale, the place is in a transitional phase, but Bucci said diners will already notice an emphasis on traditional Italian fare, with a fine dining flair.

“If we say it is Parmesan [cheese], it is [authentic] Parmesan. There’s nothing wrong with serving domestic Parmesan, but the flavor just isn’t there,” Bucci said. “There are traditional foods prepared with traditional ingredients that if you sway away from that, you are not going to be serving the same thing. We hope to introduce that type of traditional food here.”

Bucci plans to rename the restaurant Cafe Banca d’Italia.

Fans of Italian cuisine in Southern California may be familiar with Bucci’s other work. He previously owned the California Fettucine Bar in Agoura Hills, which he closed last month, as well as the Westwood Fettucine Bar and La Bruschetta, another Westwood establishment.

Bucci said the Italian Cafe’s previous ownership did its best to serve authentic cuisine, but he will take it at least a step further.

“They were not Italian, so they did what they could,” he said. “The restaurant had an Italian name and they attempted to do a job of selling Italian food.”

Bucci has maintained the old staff, including chef Johnny Itliong. For the time being, Bucci won’t prepare dishes himself, but he is trying to pass on his knowledge to Itliong by demonstrating his kitchen techniques.

Those techniques, he said, come from years of experience. What Bucci didn’t learn from working at restaurants, he picked up from his mother, formerly a chef at the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles.

“I learned most things from my mother,” he said. “Mom was a great cook. I was always there hanging around, learning the techniques. Anything you want to do, there’s always a certain procedure.”

As Bucci overhauls the menu at the restaurant, he also is working on aesthetic changes.

Plans are in the works to turn the second floor into a fine dining area, while keeping the lower section more casual. Bucci also has talked with artists about exhibiting their work at the establishment.

* The Italian Cafe is at 394 E. Main St., Ventura.

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Slim Pickins: For those who overindulged a bit during the holidays, the Let’s Get Cookin’ culinary school will present a “Lighten Up!” class at noon Wednesday.

Instructor Joann Hecht will prepare a relatively low-fat menu of corn chowder, breast of turkey with chipotle and dried cherry sauce, and a lemon souffle. Cost is $20.

But enough of this weight consciousness.

At 6:30 p.m. Jan. 9, Norman Kolpas, author of a dozen cookbooks including “Pizza California Style” and “Pizza Presto,” will prepare a variety of crusts, sauces and toppings. Students will get some hands-on experience with doughs and the toppings.

The menu for the class--which costs $50--includes a calzone with Canadian bacon, egg and cheddar cheese; Indonesian chicken pizza with peanut sauce; smoked beef pizza with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and Pecorino cheese; a white veal-sausage calzone; smoked salmon pizza; and an asparagus pizza with alfredo sauce.

* Let’s Get Cookin’ is at 4643 Lakeview Canyon Road, Westlake Village. Call (818) 991-3940.