Quality Food And Elegance

On The Menu At La Fortuna

La Fortuna on Stony Hill Road (Route 6) in Bethel has been serving fine northern Italian cuisine in elegant surroundings for 25 years. Deceptively small-looking from the road, the restaurant is deep, offering partitioned banquet rooms to host public functions and private gatherings. When the dividers are all open, it can accommodate wedding and other celebrations for up to 200 people. In warm weather, there is an outdoor patio that can be used for cocktail hours as well.

Chef Michael Valeri said the restaurant serves “old school cooking” — simple, quality food prepared from scratch, tastes balanced with fresh herbs and spices and cooked according to traditional methods. Every meal is cooked to order and meant to be savored. La Fortuna also offers an extensive list of wines that can be chosen to accompany any meal.

Mr Valeri grew up in a wine-making family from the Abruzzo region of Italy who lived in Argentina when he was born. He grew up with the family gathered and cooking in the kitchen, learning about creating delicious food from an early age. In 1969, at age 17, he came to New York and began working in restaurants.

“I was extremely fortunate be to able to work alongside and learn from some of the finest chefs in the world. Many were refugees from the World War II, men who had run renown family restaurants in Europe and had immense respect for food. I am honored to be part of carrying on that tradition,” Chef Valeri said.

Over the next decade he worked in several famed eateries and helped open others that made it to New York Times “Ten Best” lists. In 1981 he opened La Fortuna with a partner (today it is owned by Mr Valeri and Paula Olmos). While northern Italian cuisine dominates the menu, the international business contacts of local corporations have also influenced the food selections and La Fortuna has had a sushi bar for nine years. It is overseen by Sushi Chef Mashahiro.

Upon entering La Fortuna, dinners will be in room that holds a full bar with seats for ten, three tables on the opposite wall, and the seven-seat sushi bar on the end. The 90-seat dining room is to the left and features intimate settings throughout. There is ample space between tables and the décor is soft, featuring fabric and hand painted murals on the walls. The murals and decorative painting continue throughout the banquet rooms and partitions as well. The dining room also has an alcove area with fireplace that holds another half-dozen tables.

Appetizers on the dinner menu include clams served three ways, $8.95–$9.95; hot and cold antipasti, $10.95; and fresh mozzarella slices, lightly breaded with mild or hot marina sauce, $8.50. Soups, salads, and vegetables range from $4.95 to $6.95. Homemade pasta dishes, $13.95–$19.95, include gnocchi (potato dumplings) with tomato basil or Bolognese sauce, and ravioli stuffed with ricotta, sun dried tomatoes, pignoli and roasted garlic.

There are half dozen veal ($17.95–$23.95) and chicken (all $16.95) choices, as well as a selection of fish and grilled entrees. And for that special occasion, La Fortuna offers Chateaubriand-Boucatiened for two for $72.95, but this selection requires six hours notice. The full menu with descriptions is available at La Fortuna’s website, LaFortunaRest.com.

Monday–Friday lunch is served from 11:30 to 3, and dinner from 5 to 10:30. Weekend hours are 5 to 11 on Saturday and 2 to 8 or 4 to 8, depending on the season, on Sunday. Private functions can be accommodated at any hours desired.

For reservations, information and directions, La Fortuna can be reached at 797-0909; fax 794-0873.