Carmine Camporaso, owner of Ristorante Fratello, came to America about six years ago from his home in Salerno on the coast of Italy.

"I brought a lot of Italy and her ways with me when I came here. And now my guests are enjoying those ways when they dine with us," Camporaso says.

When asked what the house specialty of Ristorante Fratello is, Camporaso says, "We don't really have a house specialty, but our guests love our pasta plates. They are authentic Italian, with everything made fresh and from scratch, just like we did in Italy."

Invented in China, pasta was brought to Italy by Marco Polo in 1292 A.D. and became a daily staple for families because it was tasty and inexpensive to prepare.

One of the more popular pasta dishes at Fratello is the linguine pescatore—clams, mussels, prawns and chili pepper on a bed of pasta. This dish can be ordered with either a red or white sauce.

If a guest is not in the mood for pasta, there is the gnocchi alla sorrentina, which is a potato dumpling with fresh mozzarella and basil in the chef's own marinara sauce.

Several chicken and veal dishes are offered at Ristorante Fratello, with the most popular being saltimbocca di vitello—free-range veal baked with ham, eggplant and fontina cheese in a butter and sage sauce.

Keeping the food and atmosphere authentic has become almost an obsession with Camporaso. From the art on the walls to the type of water pitcher his waiters carry from table to table, it is all Italian, all the way.

"People think they are eating Italian when they eat pizza. They need to come here for Italian," Camporaso says.

In America, the pizza people eat is nothing like the pizza prepared in his home country, Camporaso notes.

"The pizza in Italy is very thin-crusted, and there are only a couple of items placed on the pizza. It is meant as a light meal or an appetizer, almost a snack, eaten when you go dancing at a club or out with friends," says Camporaso. "It is meant to awaken the palate rather than serve as a meal."

The pizza at Ristorante Fratello is considered by Camporaso to be closer to the true Italian pizza.

"We put on a little sauce, some nice mozzarella cheese and maybe a little crushed garlic. That's it," Camporaso says.

True Italian mozzarella is one of the things about Italy that Camporaso misses the most.

"In Italy, our good mozzarella cheese is made from buffalo milk. The flavor is like nothing I have found here in America." Camporaso says.

Ristorante Fratello also has live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights for guests to enjoy.

"In Italy every meal is an event," Camporaso says. "The families get together and people talk, laugh and sing. There is good food and good wine."

Fratello also offers an extensive wine list, with wines by the bottle or the glass.

"We have a wine that goes with every dish we serve." Camporaso says.

After dinner comes the age-old question of dessert.

"We don't have a dessert list. At the end of the meal we tell you what our desserts are for the evening. I like to offer our guests a variety of desserts, and there is usually something that will please everyone," Camporaso says.

On most nights a bread pudding is available. Another tasty treat offered is the pear tart.

"When guests leave here, we want them happy and full. We treat everyone who comes in like family," Camporaso says. "We make sure their dining experience is one that they want to repeat. That's just good business."

Ristorante Fratello, located at 1712 Meridian Ave., is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday 5:00­9:00 p.m. and Friday through Saturday 5:00­10:00 p.m. Call 408.269.3801 for reservations or take-out.