Saratoga, California Since
1955
Dining
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Italian and American meals are the staples of Nonno's at the Summit 
Robert and Sandy Potmessil were married in April, and a week later opened Nonno's at the Summit. By Suzanne Cristallo The willows have been trimmed, the pond scrubbed and the weeds pulled. More than 300 goldfish are cruising the waters and catfish soon will be added. And that's just the pond. The restaurant at the summit of Highway 17, overlooking the forest to the ocean, is undergoing other changes after being closed for more than eight months. A pair of newlyweds are now trying to make a dream come true. Owners Sandy and Robert Potmessil were married last April, one week before the "soft" opening of their restaurant - Nonno's at the Summit, formerly known as Lindsey's. There's some confusion, though. Not only do they have the turmoil inherent in the startup of a new business (both were associated with a technical recruiting company before), they have generated additional headaches for themselves with the choice of their restaurant's name. Up until now, the name Nonno, meaning grandfather in Italian, is synonymous in the Santa Cruz mountains with the catering, pizza, barbecue and pasta establishment founded 13 years ago by Ralph Di Tullio. His eatery is located in Redwood Estates, just down Highway 17 on the Santa Clara County side of the mountain. "We're in Santa Cruz County," explains Robert, "where I did all of my research before opening, and I didn't see any conflict." It wasn't until after he had opened that the conflict was pointed out to him. By then, he felt, it was too late. All the permits, beer and wine license and business contracts were in the Nonno's name, which he pronounces "No-news" and grew up applying to his recently deceased step-grandfather, Frank Pregliasco - a longtime Los Gatos resident and favored cook for the local Italian-American Association. "He was from central Italy," Robert notes as an explanation for his unconventional pronunciation. "It always was my dream to call it Nonno's after him. I can't imagine anything different." Down the highway at the Redwood Estates Nonno's, Di Tullio shrugs. He feels that by the time he could get the court's attention in the matter, it most likely would no longer be an issue. Meanwhile, Grandpa Pregliasco's recipes and culinary methods live on. Robert, who serves as chef, while Sandy is the hostess and bookkeeper, has started his Italian menu slowly, adding a few new items each week. For now, there are a dozen pastas, each with a different shape, which come with a choice of three fresh, home-made sauces: marinara, pesto or toco - a red sauce with meat. A lunch plate of pasta with a roll is $5.95. Dinner pasta with garlic bread and either soup or garden salad is $7.45. Raviolis run $1 more. Minestrone soup is made fresh daily while a variety of other soups change each day. Coming soon are chicken parmigiana, cioppino, lasagna and buffalo wings. On the American side of the menu, there are eight-inch beef hot dogs for $2.95, quarter-pound hamburgers for $4.95, grilled chicken sandwiches ($5.25) and quesadillas (both pesto and chicken). From the barbecue grill, big tri tip beef sandwiches are now served for lunch ($6.95) and for dinner with red potatoes ($8.45). Beer and wine are available. Breakfast fans will soon be treated to brunch on weekends. Sandy, 31, the former Sandy Woo of Foster City, and Robert, 33 (a 1986 Leigh High School graduate) met as employees of her brother's technical recruiting company. Although their educational backgrounds seem a far cry from food - both have degrees in finance and he's going for a master's degree in cultural geography - they have the essentials to communicate well. Robert chuckles that while both speak a little Cantonese, he speaks a more important language: "Just food!" Nonno's at the Summit, located at 23123 Highway 17, Los Gatos, is open daily 8 a.m.- 9 p.m. Group accommodations are available. For more information, call 408-353-1877. |
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