Arcata's La Trattoria,offers traditional
Italian cuisine in a family
environment
Bruce E. Brown
For The
Time Standard
ARCATA - Step into La Trattoria in the
Proprietor Patricia
Cambianica operates her restaurant with a personal touch, accompanied by her
husband, Jim Becker. Hung on the walls to satisfy your artistic taste are large photographs of picturesque
Formerly the
Barcelona Cafe, Cambianica and her husband took over the location in November
2001 after looking for a suitable spot for seven years.
Cambianica says she
was raised in the restaurant environment "I've been in the restaurant
business since I was 6 years old." she said. "My family has always
owned restaurants and as kids we would help out."
This is Cambianica's
first restaurant ownership, however. She left Los Bagels after six years and
credits the owners there with being very encouraging in. her
endeavor to start her own restaurant. Cambianica is La Trattoria's
chief cook and food preparer with her husband helping as maitre d' and wait
staff.
La Trattoria offers
uniquely traditional Italian dinners - as well as appetizers -from a set menu
and a rotating seasonal menu featuring (as much as possible) organic produce
and fresh bread from the Brio bakery in Arcata. Currently, traditional Italian
dishes such as handmade potato gnocchi, tomatato and
basil sauce on spaghetti, hand- made spinach and cheese ravioli, and rabbit
with Sicilian sweet and sour sauce are being offered for dinner.
Cambianica's
grandfather was from
Italian dessert -
consisting of a family recipe of tiramisu and Cambianica's
mother's recipe of spumoni is also served.
Breakfast with an Italian-accent is available Saturday and
Sunday from
Patricia
Cambianica, seen heree inside La Trattoria, is the
restaurant's owner, chief cook and food preparer.