Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Tom and Cecilia Pavicic are owners of Caffe Siena on the corner of Main Street and College Avenue in Los Gatos.
Caffe Siena offers coffee and meals with a European touch
By Suzanne Cristallo
It's a "not-so-coffeehouse" kind of place--a European cafe concept. "We're just missing the beer and wine," says vice president and manager Tom Pavicic, whose small corporation, Italcas Inc., took over what was Kelly's on Los Gatos' E. Main Street in October.
Quick to discount the corporate influence, Pavicic points out that being incorporated is for reasons of protection, not expansion. "More means getting less," he says, regarding the chain store expansion mentality. "I have my hands full with just one!"
Pavicic and wife Cecilia greet customers seven days a week in the corner store. They are the working partners, while San Jose physician Robert Masi is president and a silent partner. They stress quality in the coffee they serve, sticking with one kind. "Some coffee places serve 20 kinds of coffee, and none of them is really fresh. It's just a gimmick," Pavicic believes. "We serve one kind that is good and lots of espresso."
They also serve sandwiches, salads, cheese and meat plates and desserts all day. "You can come in here and have lunch for breakfast and breakfast until we close, if you want," he says. One breakfast anytime feature is eggs with parmesan cheese for $3.50 or with prosciutto for $4.25. The eggs are baked in a ramekin and served with a buttered baguette.
There also are over-the-counter items, such as noncooked pastas, olive oil, whole Italian tomatoes, fresh fruit and coffee by the pound, both dark roast and espresso beans. Gelato made in San Francisco by Ciao Bella is becoming a take-out favorite.
Changes to the store have been minimal. The former candy display and fudge counter have been removed to provide more counter space. The ambiance is informal with a simplified, up-to-date decor. "There are no silly signs," adds Pavicic, smiling, "and we serve at the table."
Pavicic, 33, who has a straightforward, no-nonsense style laced with dry humor, learned English as a schoolboy in Zagreb, Croatia, where he was born. He studied hotel and restaurant management there, but economic conditions drove him first to Switzerland, then to San Jose in 1988. He arrived on his uncle's doorstep. "I wasn't really invited," he recalls. "I just showed up, and they couldn't leave me on the street." Soon he was riding around on a bicycle and washing cars, eventually landing a job at Cafe Marcella in Los Gatos, then Viaggio in Saratoga. About this time, he met Cecilia, a native of Atherton, on a blind date in a Menlo Park coffeehouse. He next managed a cafe in Palo Alto, then opened his own in Valley Fair Shopping Center in 1996. He was squeezed out when the mall owners brought in a bakery wanting to serve coffee. He opened again in Cupertino--the Cafe Torre--where Los Gatan David Flick visited one day. Their conversation resulted in Pavicic learning of the availability of Kelly's, one of Flick's tenants.
"There are so many places where you can get mediocre goods," he says. "I believe people who respect quality will be our regular customers."
Caffe Siena, 26 E. Main St., Los Gatos. Open Mon.-Sat. 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-4 p.m. 408.399.2890.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
