When Victor, an experienced chef at a top-rated restaurant in San Francisco, decided to put the brakes on the fast pace, he couldn't leave his first love, the restaurant business. The result was the Giancola version of a neighborhood Italian trattoria as he remembered it from his youth in the Bronx. He christened his restaurant La Caterina in honor of his mother, whose picture, a lovely sepia wedding Photo of decades ago, hangs in the restaurant. The flavorful menu is devoid of the usual heavy sauces most people expect with Italian cooking. These are true Southern Italian dishes, just like Victor's mother used to make.
Preparation is the key here, light and spontaneous, just like the atmosphere.
A cafe with an overhead awning sprawls out onto the town center. Be sure to peruse the extensive wine list, more than 100 to choose from at quite economical prices. La Caterina serves Sunday brunch. Dinner is served seven days a week. Lunch is Tuesday through Saturday.