Saratoga News

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Bella Saratoga owners Bill and Ellen Cooper enjoy a quiet moment at the restaurant.

Bella Saratoga serves up food, music and history

There's even a friendly ghost

By Suzanne Cristallo

Diners hoping to catch a bit of spring between rains can top off an Italian meal with a warm berry sundae on Bella Saratoga's heated front porch while listening to hot jazz.

Between the live bands that owners Ellen and Bill Cooper bring in on weekends and the stirring aroma of chef Roger Sanchez's cooking wafting from the kitchen, winter-weary guests can feel revived.

For the three years the Coopers have owned the restaurant since buying out the former Bella Mia, they have been offering specials they believe represent "California Italian" fare, such as salmon ravioli in tomato dill sauce or hearty meat lasagna with pepperoni, ground beef, cheese and eggs.

Besides food, the Coopers also offer a bit of Saratoga history. Soon after taking over the restaurant property, which once was a private residence, Bill compiled a pictorial history of it from the Saratoga Museum and hung it in the front hall of the old house.

Samuel H. Cloud built the Victorian for his family in 1895, right next door to his country store, the Farmers Union--now Harmony's. A derailed streetcar mortally injured Cloud in front of the house, where he was taken and soon died. Some people say--including a waitress in recent years--they have seen a ghost walking the premises, opening and shutting doors. After Cloud's death, the house was occupied by his descendants and eventually the Saratoga News before it became a restaurant.

Taking a cue from Cloud, a founder of the Village Improvement Association, the Coopers became avid supporters of Saratoga community events, including the September street dance. Bill also belongs to the local Chamber of Commerce, which last year voted him Businessperson of the Year.

The Coopers came from Oregon 15 years ago after many transfers here as part of Bill's promotions within the Marriott Corporation. He eventually became general manager of the division that handled catering contracts with colleges such as Santa Clara University, St. Mary's, UC-Davis and UC-Irvine.

His foray into private restaurant ownership came after he answered a blind newspaper ad. He found the toughest reality in his new work to be the check-writing. "I was doing the writing myself instead of requisitioning Marriott," he says with a grin.

The Coopers can handle a surprising 120 customers, including 50 upstairs, handled by a physically fit staff. Many guests come from foreign countries. "I hear a lot of accents," Bill says. They tend to favor Italian food, Bill feels, because of its healthful qualities: low-fat tomato sauces and high-carbohydrate pastas. He sees the popularity of beef returning, but in smaller portions, along with pork chops and his shellfish salad of prawns, shrimp and crab in a Gorgonzola vinaigrette.

"If you're looking for a coat-and-tie place, you won't find it here," Bill says. "We have elegant linens and tableware, but our customers favor casual attire."

They also favor, along with Bill, desserts such as the warm berry sundae--blackberries, raspberries or strawberries sautéed in Grand Marnier and served with whipped sweet cream and chocolate sauce--or the old-fashioned bread pudding with bourbon sauce, which Bill calls "the best outside of New Orleans."

Bella Saratoga, 14503 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. Open for lunch and dinner daily, 11:30 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. weekends. Saturday breakfast and Sunday brunch. 741-5115.

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