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Thursday,
April 5, 2001
News from South Bay in the Times Community Newspapers
THE EVERYDAY
GOURMET
Only the best, freshest and finest will do at Aliotta's
Via Firenze.
By GREG BLACK
Mike
Aliotta takes his fine dining seriously. He considers it a personal affront
when restaurants take shortcuts, believing that only the best imported
prosciutto and marscapone, the freshest meats and vegetables, the finest
array of wines and the most polite, attentive service are good enough
for his customers.
For Aliotta, a lifelong dream was realized about 16 months ago when he
bought Via Firenze, an aging Italian restaurant in a modest section
of Torrance. He re-christened it Aliotta's Via Firenze and began a piecemeal
renovation that has since blossomed into a South Bay gem.
Under the meticulous direction of his wife, interior designer Theresa
Aliotta, the decor is now stunning. A trickling fountain centers the spacious
yet intimate dining room, 
which
I found remarkably free of clatter and chatter. Walls breathe with hand-painted
detail, ceilings soar above flowing chandeliers, and faux balconies and
shutters lend a touch of bucolic Italy. The foyer is walled off from the
dining room, so guests are properly staggered when this palatial enclave
emerges from such humble surroundings.
Aliotta makes virtually everything from scratch--breads, soups, sauces,
pastas and desserts (oh, those amazing desserts) are all handcrafted from
this kitchen. He is a stickler for detail, hand-selecting fresh fish and
produce daily, growing his own herbs and insisting that everything be
done his way--fresh, friendly and unhurried.
Aliotta prides himself on creating sumptuous dishes without relying on
fat, sodium or starch for flavor. Evidence of this leaning came early
and often, beginning with a snappy tapenade of marinated garlic, herbs
and spicy serrano chiles with not a trace of oil, served with flat bread
sticks affectionately known as "mother-in-law tongues" (for their shape
and mild bite).
No canned kidney beans in the delicious minestrone soup ($4.95), a giant
serving of light broth stocked with fresh-cut vegetables and topped with
a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Likewise, a special soup of house-ground
filet mignon meatballs--boiled, not fried--and broken al dente pasta possessed
a homespun goodness.
Homemade pastas ($7.95 to $15.95) come with a basket of fresh-baked bread
and a small house salad of baby greens and sliced tomato misted with olive
oil and vinegar.
Entrees come with salad, vegetable and fresh bread. The salmon special
($20.95) was a thick, generous salmon filet lightly grilled with shallots
and capers. Presented over fine al dente pasta and finished with a sauce
of brandy, grey mustard, cream and clam juice, the whole affair was a
tangy delight.
Pollo ai carciofi ($15.95) featured sauteed chicken breast and artichoke
hearts in a nice homemade chicken broth and port wine demi-glaze, finished
with fresh herbs. This seemed to cry out for a pasta complement, and a
better choice might have been the penne pollo ai carciofi ($12.95), with
similar ingredients in light marinara sauce.
The staff at Aliotta's Via Firenze enjoys a challenge, so
if you don't see what you want among the extensive list of entrees, pastas
and specials, just ask.
Mike Aliotta is in this for the long haul and he's more than willing to
go the extra mile.
* GREG BLACK is the restaurant reviewer for the South Bay Weekly.
He can be reached by e-mail at sbweekly@latimes.com.
ALIOTTA'S VIA FIRENZE
* WHERE:
4485 Torrance Blvd., Torrance
* HOURS: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; Dinner,
5 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays,
and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.
* PHONE: (310) 371-9555
Copyright © 2001 Los Angeles Times
