In the midst of all this activity is a new executive chef. Joe Cirone is approaching his new menu with creative deliberation. He is a believer in "slow food," a movement or way of thinking about food selection and preparation that was originated by a group of chefs in Italy. Advocates prefer to take time to assure that vegetables, for instance, are cooked at lower temperatures in order to preserve texture, taste and nutritional value. Local vendors are chosen over giant corporations for their organic growing methods. Beef is hormone-free.

But beyond his food integrity, Cirone likes to have fun with his creations. He calls his style "whimsical American-Italian."

"My choice for Easter might have been fried rabbit with carrots and poached eggs," he grins.

Cirone, 32 and a San Jose native, was educated locally at Bellarmine Prep and Santa Clara University, where he received his B.A. in fine arts. He traveled to Florence, Italy, after graduation to study painting with a Franciscan priest. Eventually, he applied that talent to graphic arts, providing artwork for numerous restaurants, both in and out of state. At all of these locations he was distracted, either by instructors who were chefs on the side or by the aromatic kitchens he passed through on his way to work. The constant exposure wore on him. "I knew painting was something I could not do every day," he recalls. Finally, when he asked a client, famous chef Tony Ortu of Café Fortuna, to show him how to make tiramisu, he realized that cooking was his true calling.

Today at Café Primavera, he relishes creating "simple and elegant" dishes like wild mushroom lasagna made with fresh porcini or blood orange chioggia and beet salad. But his favorites are desserts: fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries with mascarpone cheese and sabayon (warm, frothy custard) with a chocolate twille (cookie). Entrees on the a la carte menu run from $14 to $22. A full-service bar is available along with an extensive wine list. A regular Friday night event is an informal Meet the Winemaker dinner, where guests may choose what they want from the menu and ask questions of the roving winemaker. A live jazz group provides entertainment.

Meanwhile, Joanna Biondi is at the center of the whirl of activity she has created. She and husband David have run the restaurant and a catering business in the old Fresh Choice location since 2000. They own two other Café Primavera restaurants, plus several downtown San Jose coffee kiosks. All of the catering comes out of the Los Gatos kitchen. So do most of the pastries prepared by pastry chef Tano Lira, plus the sandwiches, salads and soups for the kiosks.

"Last Saturday was a 13-hour day for us," she says, describing the hubbub in the kitchen. "There were just a million people down there getting ready for a wedding, an 80th and a 50th birthday, a bridal shower and a 30-box lunch pickup order." One of the June weddings Joanna probably will be catering will have to be without the help of Joe. He and Los Gatos native Jessica Chenevey (Los Gatos High class of '97) will be busy as bride and groom.

Café Primavera, located at 15970 Los Gatos Blvd. in Los Gatos, is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.­2:30 p.m., and for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, 5:30­9:30 p.m. The restaurant is closed Mondays. For more information, call 408.356.4902.