Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Chef A.J. Szenda and proprietor Karen Grellas enjoy a glass of wine at Viaggio Ristorante Mediterraneo in Saratoga.

Chef says Viaggio's new menu is 'heavy on Italian'

By Suzanne Cristallo

Saratogans with a good palate who have enjoyed relaxing at the curved bar and dining among the Roman columns at Viaggio may be reassured to find the restaurant is being energized by a new menu, a Sunday brunch and new owners. Plucked from bankruptcy a month ago, the Mediterranean-style establishment in Saratoga is now under the proprietorship of Karen Grellas, native Saratogan, president of the San Jose transportation firm TDS Mayflower, single mom, dog fancier and Sunday rider of a classic Harley-Davidson.

Grellas, 42, says although she has never had restaurant experience, she has been an entrepreneur ever since graduating with a business degree from Santa Clara University. She plans to focus on dealing with local merchants and being very involved with the community. She also puts great faith in chef A.J. Szenda, who holds part interest in the restaurant and comes with a following generated by his years of cooking at the Plumed Horse.

Szenda, 29, a Massachusetts native, knew at age 13 he wanted to be a chef. Anticipating difficulty in getting into the reputable Culinary Institute of America in New York and hoping to gain the advantage of time, he applied while he was still in high school. "They told me to graduate first," he laughs. Nine months after graduation, he was enrolled.

With 15 years of cooking experience now behind him, Szenda has created a new menu that is "heavy on Italian" but incorporates the lighter California style of cooking. He terms the varied fare "a Mediterranean journey." It includes his favorite spinach couscous salad from North Africa, a Turkish appetizer made of filo dough stuffed with feta cheese called Borek, a seafood stew or bouillabaisse from Provence, France, and a Greek salad featuring locally grown organic greens.

All of the organic lettuce, herbs and edible flowers Szenda uses come from a two-acre farm in the Los Gatos hills. The same farmer uses the warmer climate of Willow Glen to grow tomatoes and peppers. "I can tell my farmer what I want him to grow," Szenda says, "and I always have fresh ingredients."

Szenda says meat eaters will be very happy with the big veal chops he serves and would enjoy the special assortito griglias, a combination of filet mignon, lamb chops and jumbo prawns. Entrées are priced in the $15-$29 range.

Viaggio Ristorante Mediterraneo, 14550 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. Lunch Wed.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner daily, 5-10 p.m. Sunday brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 741-5300.