|
NEWS AND
NOTES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Lisa Martinez, Director of Marketing & Outreach
Work: 916 442.8575
| Cell: 916.612.9801
20 Sacramento Restaurants Featured In 2009 Zagat Survey
Local leaders and restaurants
to celebrate the City first Zagat rankings
Sacramento, CA (November 4, 2008)For the first time ever, Sacramentos
dining
scene received recognition from the internationally recognized Zagat Survey.
Sacramentos top 20 restaurants,
ranked by local consumers, are featured in Zagats
2009 Americas Top Restaurants Survey.
The Downtown Sacramento
Partnership (DSP), Sacramento Convention & Visitors
Bureau (SCVB), Sactown Magazine and California Restaurant Association
(CRA) will
honor the top 20 restaurants at a reception at The Firehouse Restaurant on
November 6 at 3 pm.
The
restaurants that appear in the 2009 survey include Biba Restaurant, Bidwell
Street Bistro, Boulevard Bistro, Ella Dining
Room & Bar, The Firehouse Restaurant,
Frank Fat's, Hawks, The Ktichen, Kru, La Bonne Soupe Caf. Lemon Grass
Restaurant,
Mason's, Mikuni Sushi, Mulvaney's Building & Loan, Osteria Fasulo,
Paragary's Bar & Oven, Tower Caf, Tuli Bistro, Waterboy
Restaurant, and Zocalo
Local officials expect the inclusion of Sacramento to be boost for local tourism. "One
of
the key marketing messages that we use to sell Sacramento to the rest of the
world is the great quality and diversity
of our restaurant scene," said Steve
Hammond, president & CEO of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau. "A
third-party
endorsement from a well-respected source like Zagat presents a great
opportunity for this City and our organization will
leverage that endorsement in our
sales materials on a year-round basis."
Until recently, Sacramento was off Zagats
radar despite the regions diversity and
growth. Getting the attention New-York based company was no easy task. Several
years ago, a coalition represented by the DSP, SCVB, Metro Chamber, The Firehouse
Restaurant and CRA approached Zagat
to create a Sacramento guide to no avail.
Sactown Magazine successfully picked up the conversation with Zagat. The magazine
ran an article calling for action in their March/April 2009 issue, which ultimately lead
to the local survey in May.
Weve finally received the recognition Sacramento deserves thanks to the collective
efforts of Sactown Magazine,
the CVB and local restaurants, said Michael Ault, DSP
executive director. Inclusion in the Americas Top Restaurant Survey
is an
accomplishment that our city should be proud of and were looking forward to the
release of the Sacramento Pocket
Guide in January.
About Zagat
Known as the wildly popular burgundy bible, Zagat Survey is the worlds most
trusted
source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the
globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality.
Unlike other guides that rely
upon the opinions of a few critics, Zagat Survey content is based on the collective
opinions
of more than 300,000 savvy surveyors worldwide. The guides are built on
the belief that consumers are best served when
they have access to a variety of
information resources from other avid consumers. The survey results are compiled
into
comprehensive, fun-to-read guidebooks that help consumers make quick,
informed decisions.
The Downtown Sacramento
Partnerships mission is to establish downtown
Sacramento as the vibrant business, cultural and entertainment destination
in
the Sacramento region through effective private-public collaboration to benefit
residents, visitors and investors.
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Make It: Roasted Tomato Soup
From December 2008
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This recipe, provided by Adam Walsworth, executive chef at Osteria Fasulo in Davis, took
first prize at the 2008 Souper Bowl, a soup cook-off sponsored by the Davis Food Co-op.
3 pounds Roma tomatoes,
cut in quarters
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 yellow
onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart vegetable stock or broth
2
bunches fresh basil, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place tomatoes
in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, sugar and salt. Spread out on a large baking sheet and roast in oven for 1 hour.
Chop coarsely and set aside.
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until onions
are soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add stock or broth and roasted tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cream and cook for 5 more minutes. (For a smoother soup, add an additional 1/4 cup of
stock and puree in a food processor.) Remove from heat and add chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cozy Restaurants, Comforting Food
By Kira O'Donnell
| From October 2008
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As
the long, hot days of summer give way to crisp autumn, thoughts turn toward comfort food. Its time to move from summers light,
refreshing dishes to more substantial, nourishing meals that will keep you warm through the winter. Here are some of the regions
coziest restaurants, experts at dishing out food that will make you feel all toasty insideeven when its cold outside.Osteria
Fasulo
Davis Osteria Fasulo is one of the most romantic restaurants in the region. Situated on the edge of a fecund community
vegetable garden, it has a stunning outdoor courtyard bordered by trellised grapevines and punctuated by leafy trees strung
with tiny lights. Indoors, the charming dining room features scarlet walls hung with striking artwork painted by owner Leonardo
Fasulo and old black-and-white photographs of the Fasulo family. The menu is Italian, and you cant go wrong with pasta, especially
the handmade raviolis, with their silky exteriors and flavorful stuffings. Its clear Leonardo Fasulo loves seafood, which
pops up in his rich lasagna di mare (housemade pasta layered with seafood and bechamel sauce) and his hearty cioppino. The
pesce del giorno (fish of the day) is also a good bet. On a recent visit, I tried the pan-roasted sea bass served on fabulous
white beans. The restaurant also offers a nice selection of Italian wines. Guys, if you're going to propose, this is the place
to do it.
2657 Portage Bay East, Davis; (530) 758-1324; osteriafasulo.com
The Dining Divas of Sacramento Magazine's
October 2005 Edition rave about Osteria Fasulo. If you haven't read the story, here it is:
-----------------------------------------------------------
SACRAMENTO
MAGAZINE
Osteria Fasulo
You don't need a passport to dine at this Italian restaurant in Davis
By Gloria Glyer
At Osteria Fasulo, the insalata della casa is more than just a house salad. It arrives in a presentation basket called
a frico made of Parmesan. With that kind of flourish, the Dining Diva lunchers had a clue as to what to anticipate at this
establishment, located a bit west of downtown Davis.
An osteria is a family-run restaurant. Here, owners Leonardo
and Mina Fasulo seek to present the foods, flavors and feel of Italia. And according to the members of our group who recently
have traveled in Italy, they succeed.
We sat outdoors beneath shade trees, a casual spot to enjoy Osteria Fasulos elegant
food. Server Ali Lera, a UC Davis graduate, took our wine order. Diva Bernice Hagen decided on an Italian sparkler, Prosecco
Ruggen Valdobbiave NV, followed by a Pinot Grigio/Sauvignon blend by Bartani. Hagen called the Prosecco a fun wine very light,
sparkling. It was very good for a light lunch.
From the menu, we ordered animelle al formaggio tratufato e miele (sweetbreads
with truffled cheese and honey); carpaccio alla Leonardo (thinly sliced filet mignon stuffed with Maine lobster); panino di
verdure grigliate (grilled-vegetable sandwich); cannelloni alla pescatora (housemade pasta filled with seafood); scaloppine
di pollo (sauteed chicken with tomato sauce), plus the daily specials: potato gnocchi with truffled butter sauce; ahi, served
on a bed of braised fennel; heirloom-tomato salad with mozzarella and basil; and white-bean soup with truffle oil.
Not
being a devotee of sweetbreads, I always take a bite and listen to other comments to find out if I should be thrilled or not.
I needed no help with Osteria Fasulos version. The generous serving of sweetbreads, which had been deep-fried and topped with
a sprinkling of fried leeks, was innovative and satisfying.
It was a warm day, but the white-bean soup was flavorful
and attractive, with swirls of truffle oil giving the soup dimension and color contrast.
Gnocchi, which is as much
fun to say as to devour, has as many interpretations as there are Italian cooks. Don't miss the ones at Fasulo. The potato
dumplings had been handled with care and, I suspect, with little kneading, and were delicately fried and dressed with browned
truffle butter. Light as air? Just about, which is a challenge given the dishes heavy ingredients. Cannelloni, filled with
seafood and topped with bechamel sauce, arrived in a gratin dish and sported a slightly crusty topping. This would be good
with the house salad.
The chicken scaloppini was tender but was served with slightly more tomato sauce than necessary.
I would have swirled a crust of bread in the sauce, but there was none. Did we miss it? Or is bread not served at lunch?
Fennel,
which makes its way into many of the dishes here, almost became the star when served with the ahi. Small chunks of sauted
fennel added crunch and flavor that enhanced the mild fish. The perfectly prepared ahi was finished with lemon juice and olive
oil a simple dish, really, when you look at the ingredients.
That is how all of the food appeared to us: nothing overpowering,
just the right amount of an unexpected ingredient to make a mild dish sing.
And this was even before the desserts,
which are made in-house. The chocolate creme brulee topped with caramelized bananas was perfecttoo good, in fact, to share.
We also ordered the housemade crepes filled with berries and lemon cream another winner. The tiramisu was just all right,
but the fresh strawberries were refreshing.
Adam Walsworth reigns as executive chef, with Mike Redfearn as assistant
chef. Both are self-trained; you get the feeling they are always learning and are appreciative of comments. Owner Leonardo
Fasulo helped bus our table when our server was busy. The place is informal, so it seemed all right to fill our own water
and wine glasses, but it would have been better to have someone else on hand.
The Divas Speak
The Divas gave
enthusiastic reviews to the gnocchi, sweetbreads, tomato salad, cannelloni and chocolate creme brulee. Paulette Bruce-Miller
especially enjoyed the setting, commenting: This is how outdoor dining should be: peaceful and shared with good people. No
one wanted to leave. About the food, nothing was too heavy, allowing the true flavor of the food to come through.
FOR
THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, PICK UP A COPY OF SACRAMENTO MAGAZINE'S OCTOBER ISSUE.
____________________________
Osteria
Fasulo was also prominently featured in the Premiere Fall 2005 Issue of Luxury Living Magazine.
We will be publishing
a copy of that outstanding review by food writer and critic, Jim Pelley, as soon as possible.
_____________________________
October
2005 For Immediate Release
IL POSTO CASTING CALL BY FASULO, INC.,
May 2005 For Immediate Release
SACRAMENTO
Osteria Fasulo made a guest appearance on KCRA, Channel 3 (local NBC affiliate) where Chef Adam Walsworth and owner Leonardo
Fasulo prepared one of the restaurant's popular signature dishes. Guests at the live taping enjoyed a taste of Osteria Fasulo.
April
10, 2005 For Immediate Release
SACRAMENTO Today Osteria Fasulo served as 'host' to UPN 31's popular Sunday Brunch show.
Executive chef, Adam Walsworth and assistant chef, Mike Redfearn joined Channel 31's morning news crew to 'cook brunch for
a Davis family' who could identify the show's password. The lucky family who said "Prosciutto di Parma" won a special home
cooked brunch, prepared right in the comfort of their own home by Osteria Fasulo's chef's Walsworth and Redfearn.
The
newsroom raved that it was one of their best shows yet. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian brunch was prepared for the two Davis
families which included lobster and prawns omelettes, crepes and their famous house salad.
February 8, 2005
For Immediate Release
SACRAMENTO Osteria Fasulo owner, Leonardo Fasulo and his executive chef, Adam Walsworth were
invited today to join the KXTV-10, ABC affiliate station for a "San Valentino" cooking demonstration in preparation for the
romance of February 14th.
Chef Walsworth conducted a LIVE cooking demonstration during Channel 10's popular 12 noon
lunch segment while Fasulo shared the highlights of the San Valentino menu with anchor, Dan Elliot. Walsworth prepared the
restaurant's traditional scampi dish for the hosts.
Fasulo shared the scampi recipe with viewers and took the opportunity
to announce that the restaurant was now open for lunch!
_____________________________________
November 16,
2004 For Immediate Release
SACRAMENTO Our celebrity Executive Chef, Adam Walsworth appeared today on "Good Morning
Sacramento's" UPN-31 TV cooking segment to demonstrate for viewers how to prepare Cioppino della Casa a popular dish served
at Osteria Fasulo in Davis.
"I always prepare this dish, like all the dishes we serve at Osteria Fasulo, using only
the best and finest ingredients I can find this dish is no different. Everyone loves Cioppino, it's a traditional Italian
seafood stew that I make using only the freshest lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp and fish of the day," said Chef Walsworth.
Walsworth was right, after his on-air demonstration the TV news anchors and crew enjoyed the "best Cioppino they'd
ever tasted."
The UPN-Channel 31 TV program aired as part of Leonardo Fasulo and Osteria Fasulo's support of the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation.
______________________
Osteria Fasulo has just introduced it's new Lunch and Dinner Menu.
The menu is delightful and delicious. Our guests are raving about the delicious new dishes we've put on the menu to welcome
in the new season.
And don't forget, reservations are strongly encouraged so that you get to join us when you're
in the mood for a visit to Italy and a true dining experience.
______________________________
(Sacramento) Winter,
2003 Osteria Fasulo gets its' first great restaurant review (after only being opened three months) by Sacramento Bee's restaurant
critic, Mike Dunne.
___________________
Leonardo's Masterpiece
At Osteria Fasulo, a small space in Davis comes
alive
By Mike Dunne
Bee Restaurant Critic
DINING
A decade ago, Leonardo Fasulo was managing the
suave Italian restaurant Donatello in San Francisco. Then his wife, Mina, became communications director for the California
School Board Association in West Sacramento.
As she commuted from their home in the Bay Area, Fasulo became a stay-at-home
dad, at first rearing their four sons in the Bay Area, and since 1998 in Elk Grove.
Then last summer, Fasulo got the
itch to return to restaurateuring. In looking at potential sites for his own place, he fell in love with the odd suburban
cottage that for years housed the highly regarded Plumshire Inn on the western outskirts of Davis.
The smallness of
the building, the adjoining patio and the isolation all appealed to his memories of the homey, remote, family-run osterias
of his native Piedmont in northern Italy.
He recruited as his executive chef Adam Walsworth, formerly of Headquarter
House in Auburn and Cascades in Roseville, and in mid-October they opened Osteria Fasulo.
Fasulo's passion for family
and his heritage is evident as soon as guests walk in. One entire wall is given over to his family tree, dating to 1655. It's
surrounded by a gallery of classic family photos, each framed and displayed affectionately. The message: Tradition is being
rekindled here, with the hope that Osteria Fasulo will encourage the sort of spontaneous and convivial mood typical of the
rural osterias and trattorias of Italy. It's working, to judge by the easy rapport between servers and their customers, the
one or two large parties generally in the place, and Fasulo's hovering solicitousness.
The bold red color scheme of
the place, right down to the plaid carpeting, also does exactly what red is supposed to do in a restaurant - stimulate conversation
and raise passions. (The refreshing red-tinted complimentary drink that greets guests, a rosy blend of the sparkling Italian
wine prosecco and strawberry puree, also works to that effect.)
The red is dramatic on the walls and more subtle and
sensuous in the collections of Italian glass here and there, but it's most vivid in Fasulo's own version of that other Leonardo's
masterpiece, "The Last Supper." Fasulo's interpretation runs to a stark white, Picasso-inspired cubist outline against a red
background of brush strokes that look like individual pieces of tile intricately pieced together.
The extensive and
varied Osteria Fasulo menu is rigidly Italian, and while the tone is modern and inventive, the impact hues to the country's
tradition of rich, lively, warmly saturating dishes. They're presented simply, without pretense, but their detailing invites
lingering study.
The menu is divided into appetizers, salads, soups, "i primi" (first courses), "i secondi" (second
courses) and "dolci" (desserts). Other than the entree-style second courses, portions tend to be small and could surprise
diners who expect helpings to be fairly substantial when they are paying $7 to $16 for starters. Servers, however,
were careful to alert guests of this departure from the usual.
By and large, Walsworth's cooking is assured and invigorating,
with flavors direct and combinations smart. Virtually every dish highlighted one prime ingredient, but backup players were
treated respectfully, their support clearly crucial to the overall success of each course.
I blanched at an appetizer
of grilled polenta with gorgonzola and asparagus, fearing the midwinter spear would be bland and woody, but it brought a surprising
ray of bright spring sunshine to the warm and creamy polenta ($7). Roasted tomatoes and fresh basil similarly perked up
crepes oozing with warm mozzarella ($8); the earthiness of wonderfully fat and buttery mushrooms drizzled with aioli contrasted
fittingly with their crisp bed of grated and fried potato ($8); and lobster, scallops and cream sauce all brought varying
degrees of sweetness to a first-course lasagna ($16).
Two salads yielded mixed results. Red and yellow sliced beefsteak
tomatoes were bland but for the fresh, flavorful anchovies draped across them ($8), while lightly dressed, carefully handled
greens arrived in a wonderfully robust cup of molded frico, or fried Parmigiano cheese ($7).
Aside from sauteed
chicken cutlets whose side of asparagus suffered from too much salt ($17), main courses were first-rate. A monumental
grilled veal chop topped with thin slices of buttery foie gras and a dice of black truffles - a dish more representative of
a ristorante than an osteria - was especially memorable, with the meat juicy and flavorful, its side of arugula adding welcome
spice to the composition ($33).
A deftly roasted filet of sea bass was dramatically thick, freshly flavored and
sweet, its white-bean ragout enlivened with a distinct herbal flavor I suspect was basil ($21). The hearty and moist red
meat of a roasted lamb shank was another forthright winner, draped with a red-wine sauce and accompanied with roasted garlic
potatoes ($21).
Compared with the rest of the meal, desserts were relatively low-key, lacking the overall impact
of their forerunners. The panna cotta - a baked Italian white custard - was pleasant, delicate and smooth, and the serving
was so small no one need fret about consuming many calories ($6). A small serving of thin-sliced strawberries would have
been more impressive had the "30-year-old" balsamic vinegar with which they were splashed been more intense ($8). The
two hits were sturdy cannoli filled with a satiny chocolate cream ($6), and soft, eggy crepes layered with an almond-flavored
cream and sprinkled with crumbled amaretti cookies ($7).
They make a fine espresso at Osteria Fasulo, and the vin
santo from the brief but careful selection of dessert wines also would make a fitting companion for any of the desserts.
The
largely Italian wine list is attractively priced and fitting in variety, power and weight for the strength of the food, and
some intriguing California, Oregon and French selections also are available.
Servers were intelligent, diligent and
friendly, but occasionally slipped up in the pacing of the meals.
Osteria Fasulo isn't far from the Mondavi Center,
but getting there requires an unusual route: Take I-80 west to Davis, then proceed north on Highway 113 toward Woodland. Take
the Russell Boulevard exit and turn left over the freeway. Stay in the left lane, remaining on Russell Boulevard to the left
as the road splits. Proceed down a tree-bordered lane to Portage Bay East. Turn right and watch for signs of the restaurant
on the right.
* * *
The Bee's Mike Dunne can be reached at (916) 321-1143 or mdunne@sacbee.com.
Osteria
Fasulo
2657 Portage Bay East, Davis
(530) 758-1324
Three Stars / $$$-$$$$
FOOD:
While Osteria Fasulo's style of Italian cooking is modern and inventive, it doesn't sacrifice the genre's traditionally warm
and comforting embrace.
AMBIENCE: Leonardo Fasulo's art, Florentine mirrors and Italian glass transform small, isolated
quarters into an osteria of unusual class and charm.
HITS: The refreshing complimentary glasses of fizzy prosecco and
strawberry puree that greet guests. The natural rapport between clientele and staff. The proud, cohesive design.
MISSES:
Though the largely Italian wine selection is interesting and in perfect pitch with the food, unflattering stemware, the stiff
$20 corkage fee and numerous misspellings on the list needlessly undermine professional wine service. Occasionally erratic
pacing of the service.
HOURS: Dinner only, 5:30-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
____________________________
UP
FRONT COLUMN by Mina Fasulo
Winter issue published in California Schools Magazine
"La Vita e Bella (Life is beautiful)
A story about a mom, a dad, four boys ... and a girl?!!"
Leonardo and I welcomed a new baby to our family this
year. A baby girl.
After fifteen years of marriage and four boys, we finally have a girl, Leonardo joked with me
recently, as we stood in the kitchen of our new Italian restaurant. We named her Osteria Fasulo. Osteria isnt actually a
girls name but it is Italian for upscale and intimate as in restaurant).
Youre right! We finally have our baby girl!
And, we didn't even have to wait nine months for her to arrive and best of all, no changing diapers and no late night feedings,
I joked back.
Nope, none of that. But like a baby, we have to care, feed and love her so that she grows up to be
beautiful inside and out, Leonardo said.
And just like a baby, we soon discovered, she doesn't come with a step-by-step
manual on how to deal with the big stuff, the small stuff and all the stuff in between of opening a restaurant.
I
learned right away that opening a restaurant can be a very intimidating experience, especially for someone like me who's never
been in the business before. My background has always been in politics, education and public relations not restaurants.
Lucky for us though, the restaurant business runs through Leonardo's veins. It's in his blood and his soul. He knows
what true success at a restaurant looks like because unlike me, he spent more than 25 years in the business, traveling the
world from Switzerland and England, to Egypt, Singapore, Morocco and Tahiti, to Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.
Restaurants
were just a part of his life that is until he made a brave life-altering career shift ten years ago. Leonardo became a
stay at home dad. He gave up his dog-eat-dog, high-profile life in the San Francisco restaurant scene to be home with our
boys full-time.
Something that, ten years ago, was still relatively uncommon and unheard of. In fact, stay at home
dads were, dare I say, a concept not yet completely understood or embraced by society.
He did it anyway.
He
put us first, tucked his pride away, held his head up high and stayed home to take care of our family. My career was on a
fast track like his, but he stepped aside and pushed me up that ladder. And we never looked back.
Sure, we had our
share of bumps, bruises and minor collisions along the way. And there were even times when our roads were heading in separate
directions, but we always seemed to find our way again right back to each other. Especially when it came to the things that
mattered most to us our kids, our happiness and one another.
But I also knew there was something still missing in
his life. He had, after all, put his entire professional career on hold for us. Looking back, that was a lot to ask of him
because it's really no secret our career plays a significant role in who we become, how we are shaped, the relationships
we make and how we make a difference in the world. But most of all, our career allows us to grow and flourish and find meaning
and have pride in ourselves and our work. It completes us.
But Leonardo gave up that part of himself when he became
a stay at home dad. And although Leonardo was an amazing stay at home dad he needed more than just that in his life he
needed to feel complete because professionally, he had stopped growing and flourishing.
So when he told me about
the restaurant he had found, there was something in his voice that told me this was it. After all of those years of us dreaming
about opening our own restaurant, I knew this was going to be his year. His time. His turn.
Mommy," (he always calls
me mommy because it's what our boys call me), "I think I've finally found the perfect place for us. You're going to love
it, Leonardo told me last May.
Really?
Yes, it is the perfect place for us. It was formerly a French-American
restaurant. The setting is very European with an outside patio, a garden and vineyards. It's what we've always dreamed of
owning. It's just perfect.
It sounds too good to be true.
Honest, it' true. You will fall in love with this
place. I promise.
He was right.
By the end of summer, we were in escrow and making plans. Grand plans. After
all of the interviews, paperwork, business licenses, meetings and more paperwork we closed escrow in September and became
the proud parents (owners) of a restaurant.
We had officially joined the more than 12 million other people in the
United States working in the restaurant industry.
And we had two months to pull it off. According to Leonardo's grand
plan, we had 60 days to get our baby girl ready.
Between juggling my responsibilities at CSBA and the fact that
we were right in the middle of the worst State Budget crisis California had ever seen, the Recall election and gearing up
for the upcoming $13 billion School Facilities Bond campaignLeonardo and I were now sharing carpool duty of our boys and
dealing with the weight of opening a restaurant together.
We were sharing in many other duties as well. I quickly
adapted and learned to do things I never had to worry about before. I learned how to cook, clean and carpool in a matter
of weeks okay it was more like months. But I learned.
And every free moment I had away from the office, I'd spend
with the kids at the restaurant because we had so much to get done in less than 60 days. Leonardo was in charge of everything
except the interior decorating and design, he left that role to me. Which I happily accepted.
It really needs a woman's
touch and warmth, he told me.
We spent weekends interviewing staff, in between hanging silk drapes, black and white
family photographs and his Picasso-like oil paintings. Picking out menu covers, linens and silverware. Meeting and talking
with our graphic designer late into the evenings to go over every detail of our business cards, announcements and dinner,
wine and dessert menus.
There was so much to be done.
We taste-tested menu selections nightly (for weeks)
with our chefs. And Leonardo took great care to personally manage, direct and guide everything (from each dish that would
be outstanding enough to make it on the menu)
to every last and final detail. He did it all and didn't need anyone to advise or guide him because this was HIS baby
it was his vision and he knew exactly what he wanted and the way Osteria Fasulo was going to run. This was his dream and
he knew what it was going to take.
But that wasn't all because he continued to juggle his stay at home dad responsibilities,
while getting things in order to ensure that everything would be perfect.
And when opening night finally arrived, that's
exactly what it was.
Perfect!
On October 15, 2003, we officially opened our doors for dinner. We were completely
booked, as we hosted a full house of guests. It was a very humbling and incredibly rewarding nighton so many levels.
At
one point in the evening, the entire restaurant was packed. I stood back and I watched my husband work his magic. He was
in his element. This was where he belonged. I was so proud of him.
He worked the room like a charm. He went from
table to table, spending time welcoming and getting to know each and every one of our guests. And as I watched him, I thought
about how happy he looked. I hadn't seen him that happy in a long time. It hit me suddenly, he really had given up so much
of himself and for so long, to be home with our boys. I'm not sure I could've made the same sacrifices and commitment that
he had made to us for 10 years.
It wasn't until that very moment that I finally understood what he meant all of the
times when he use to say, I miss the people, the feeling, the sense of meaning, I miss it. I never fully understood what
he meant by that until that night.
He turned to look for me in the crowded room and when he met my eyes, he smiled
and motioned for me to come over to the table.
Vieni qua, amore mio, he called to me in his sweet Italian accent.
(Come over here, my love.)
Yes darling? I asked.
I want you to meet my lovely wife. This is Mina, my amore,
he said to our guests. She deserves all the credit. She's behind all of this. She made this happen.
Leonardo and
I both knew that he was the reason it happened. He deserves all the credit. I never stopped believing in him thats what
I take credit for I always knew that he would make it happen. And when he did, he'd be spectacular!
Looking across
our restaurant that evening, listening to the buzz of lively conversation and laughter, the clinking of wine glasses and silverware
against the plates, and the generous compliments from guests praising the exciting dishes coming out from the kitchen I knew
he had made it. He did it!
But what does this all have to do with my work at the California School Boards Association?
Quite a bit. I know that I've been able to do my job effectively and do it with the passion, drive and commitment
that I bring every day into our offices because of Leonardo. Every day that I'd leave for work or board an airplane for business,
I never once had to worry about the kids, the carpooling, the cleaning, the cooking.
He did that.
He changed
the diapers, did the laundry and took care of the dry-cleaning, the pediatrician and dental visits, he managed the bills
and our propertiesand he would still find time to surprise me with silly little gifts, just so I'
d know he was thinking
of me. He gave me peace of mind and allowed me to concentrate exclusively on my demanding and often times, challenging job
of working with more than 1,000 school districts in California.
He never stopped believing in me, always pushing
me to succeed and supporting me to that next step, even if often times it meant another year of him staying home with our
babies. Another year of him being Mr. Mom. It was a rare price for him to pay but because of it, our babies grew up (over
those years) into loving, secure and incredible young gentlemen. I owe so much of that to Leonardo. Because of him, I was
able to spread my wings and soar at CSBA.
We're all adjusting nicely to our new life with our beautiful baby girl,
Osteria Fasulo. And Leonardo? Leonardo's living his dream. He's finally back in the game.
Only this time it's
my turn to push him up that ladder.
Written by Mina Fasulo, Editor in chief
Fasulo writes a quarterly
column entitled, Up Front, which appears in California Schools Magazine
Reprinted with permission: California Schools
Magazine Winter issue, 2003
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March 4, 2004
SACRAMENTO For Immediate
Release
GOOD EVENING SACRAMENTO UPN-31 TV TAPES LIVE
The television foodie crew of "Good Evening Sacramento"
(UPN-31) recently paid a dinner visit to Osteria Fasulo in early spring. Foodie extraordinaire and dining diva herself, Peg
Tomlinson-Poswall, came to the restaurant to feature the menu LIVE.
The UPN-31 TV program aired live that night,
where the restaurant and guests served as the backdrop while Peg introduced each of the contemporary and authentic Italian
dishes on the Osteria Fasulo menu. She enjoyed everything that came out of the kitchen and gushed about every dish (from
the gli antipasti, to the primi, secondi and dolci) that were presented to her and her crew that evening.
It was a
delight to host this dining diva and quite humbling to the Fasulo family and friends who watched with excitement as the show
unfolded, airing LIVE for Sacramento television viewers that night.
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