I occasionally write snippets about Anaheim White House and its owner, Bruno Serato, but in those tidbits, I’ve been missing some of the deep essences that keep this restaurant on the front burner of smart dining.
The restaurant, which some now call the Spago of Orange County, and Bruno himself, have become icons of fine dining here. It has been featured in special segments on CBS, ABC, Fox and FoodTV.
This is not an Italian restaurant predicated upon garlic and tomatoes. Instead, it’s in tune with what’s happening among refined diners in Italy.
The building was put up in 1909. It was built as the home of Dr. Truxaw and resembles the White House in Washington, D.C. In the 1970s, under a former owner, it had been a restaurant, but one that remained undistinguished until Bruno came along.
Bruno was born in the romantic city of Verona, Italy, and spent a few teenage years in Paris.
On his way to OC, he went to Bora Bora, catered in Atlanta and opened a restaurant and catering company in Moscow. He had a sister living in OC, which was the catalyst for his restaurant career here. He arrived in 1980 and soon landed at Brea’s La Vie En Rose.
While he honed his English a bit at La Vie, he worked as a busboy, then as a waiter and quickly became the general manager.
By 1987, he was ensconced in Anaheim White House on his own. Celebrity clientele found the restaurant to their liking. Famous athletes, movie and TV stars, a Saudi princess and a former U.S. president are among the notables who dot the customer list.
The service is amazingly professional and friendly. Bruno’s nephew, Sylvano Serato, is the general manager and Sylvano’s father, Fred, is the day manager.
It all adds up for interesting dining. I’m betting that you have not had mashed potatoes with white chocolate beaten into them. The chocolate is one of the best things to happen to potatoes and one of the creative accompaniments going on here.
Chef Eddie Meza has been overseeing this kitchen for 18 years and is of one mind with Bruno.
For a midday appetizer, it’s hard to top fresh lobster ravioli on a ginger-citrus sauce with crispy leeks. Sauteed jumbo Atlantic scallops in puff pastry served with a light tomato sauce are beautiful to look at and taste.
Lunch entrees take us through pastas with the creamiest of carbonara sauces, divine homemade gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce and meat and seafood sauces that represent regional Italy. A must is the combination pasta plate that features four of the most famed pasta dishes of Northern Italy.
Poultry entrees join steaks and veal and there’s even a signature braised Sonoma rabbit dish with tiny orzo pasta that’s a dream meal.
The dinner menu expands in all categories. Consider starting with some homemade seafood ravioli swimming in a little pond of fresh seafood consomme or the seafood carpaccio trio of thinly sliced Ahi tuna, halibut and Norwegian salmon.
I’m a calamari fan,here it’s a steak-like version doting on a shallot-caper sauce and a bit of Tuscan olive oil and chive pesto that permeates the angel hair pasta. Still in the pasta category, artichoke, tomato, fresh asparagus and roasted garlic are the hand-holding seasonings in a totally vegetarian version. Fresh seafood and the best cheeses add culinary flair to other pastas.
Rack of lamb, steaks with Italian-accented sauces and tender roasted veal rack are part of the meat choices. Several varieties of fresh seafood await: Alaskan halibut, wild salmon, Hawaiian rare tuna, sand dabs, prawns, calamari and even lobster.
Bruno has hired a pastry guru, Diane Webber, as a consultant. The pastry cart is laden with cakes, tarts, petit fours and specialty desserts. For a special occasion, order the multi-tiered mirrored architectural wonder that’s strewn with bite-size treats.
To go with all this cosmopolitan food, sommelier Franco Pafundo has put together a wine list that represents well the wines of three countries: Italy, France and the U.S. Top labels and value-priced wines from little known boutique wineries have been selected.
At a recent dinner where a few of us gathered for more of chef Eddie’s incredibles from the kitchen, we began with an Italian Prosecco, Aneri Prosecco, one of Italy’s most charismatic sparklers. Then, we had a nice Italian pinot grigio and a California viognier. We naturally gravitated to reds,a charming Italian amarone and a Bordeaux.
A new adventure in dining will soon unfold with famous guest chefs coming in for an evening or a few days of cooking. Hoping to work together soon are Bruno and the renowned Piero Selvaggio,owner of Valentino and Valentino Grill in Santa Monica, Valentino and Ristorante Giorgio in Las Vegas, consulting chef to the Italian restaurants on the Crystal Cruise Line ships and acknowledged as the father of modern Italian cuisine.
Bruno’s raised thousands of dollars for Caterina’s Club (named after his mother). It was founded as one of the divisions of the city’s Boys and Girls Club, geared to children who live in local motels with their families and have no safe place to go after school while their parents work. Bruno continues to expand the restaurant’s activity with the group.
AT A GLANCE: ANAHEIM WHITE HOUSE
Address: 887 South Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim
Phone: (714) 772-1381
Open: lunch from 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday; dinner from 5 p.m. every night
Cost: three-course, 45-minute business lunch with choice of starter and entree $18.95; lunch entrees $11.95-$21.95; dinner appetizers $9.95-$12.95; entrees $21.95-$27.95
