La Fortuna Restaurant: Fine Italian Dining

Diners seeking a meal prepared with passion, full of complex flavors, and served with meticulous attention paid to each detail will revel in the experience of dining at La Fortuna Restaurant on Route 6, Bethel, where owner and master chef Michael Valeri has catered to guests since 1981.

A native of Italy, where his family imbued him with a deep respect for food and wine, Chef Valeri came to the United States in 1969, where he trained under elite European chefs in New York City, learning every aspect of the restaurant business. The discipline and appreciation of food learned in his early years has carried over into his own venture, making La Fortuna Restaurant the destination for food lovers near and far.

Decorative wrought iron doors open up into a cozy foyer, with one door leading into the bar, where customers can choose between a seat at one of six linen-covered tables, or in comfortable ladder-backed stools at the highly polished oak bar. Down lighting, and tiny flickering candles up and down the bar create a relaxed mood within the room.

The other foyer door leads into the spacious main dining room. There, floor to ceiling murals on three walls, hand painted by New York City artist Patricia Roth, give diners the feeling of being dropped into the Tuscan countryside. Each table is impeccably set with white linens, fresh flowers, and perfectly arrayed flatware, with a tiny tabletop lamp casting a serene glow over all. Even thought the dining room seats up to 110 guests, there is ample room for privacy for every diner. The main room flows into a smaller dining area, off set by iron gates and flowing drapery, allowing larger parties a more private setting.

The front of the house is overseen by Chef Michael’s son, Michael, Jr, who follows his father’s lead in creating a welcoming atmosphere that allows guests to feel at home.

It is the food, of course, along with the service, that has attracted and kept clientele for 30 years. Prepared in the cavernous kitchen where Chef Michael proudly reigns with a personally trained staff of six, the meals are crafted to please the most discriminating palate. “Everything I do, is done right,” asserts Chef Michael, adding that it is the tight teamwork of the kitchen staff that allows him to do so. “When you work together,” says Chef Michael, “you have a better place.”

Among the appetizers, which always include daily specials, Chef Michael offers Vitelo Tonato, a specially prepared and seasoned roasted veal, thinly sliced and served chilled, topped with a tomato spread of fresh tuna, homemade mayonnaise, capers, lemon, and hardboiled egg; fried calamari with a reduction of balsamic caramel; or grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon, with lobster sauce and a touch of brandy.

Diners appreciate the rich soups that come from the kitchen, including a minestrone, an escarole soup, pasta fagioli, and the Straccitella Alla Romano, a consommé served with egg, and topped with Parmigiana reggiano and parsley.

Several salads, from a delicately dressed Caesar salad to one of simple mixed greens, and several fresh vegetable sides make ideal accompaniments to the main courses.

Those main courses can be one of any roasted, pan seared, grilled, or sautéed selections of veal, chicken, ocean fresh fish, or Angus beef, such as veal osso bucco, lamb shank osso bucco, lobster fra diavlo, chicken or veal braciole served with handmade gnocchi, special risottos, and many more specialties. Each selection is handled with precise care from start to finish, and served with one of Chef Michael’s perfectly appointed sauces. “I demand the best quality in the meats,” Chef Michael says, and while he believes each dish sent to the table is prepared in the manner best suited to it, he willingly tailors orders to suit a customer’s preference. “You should cook for the customer,” says the chef, and he encourages customers to communicate with the wait staff, so that special needs are met.

Diners should not be surprised to find Chef Michael visiting the dining room during meal time, as he finds as much pleasure in preparing the food as knowing it is fully enjoyed.

Whether rigatoni, ravioli, gnocchi, or linguini, every variety of pasta served at La Fortuna is handmade on site. “The rolling pin is our pasta machine,” notes Chef Michael proudly. The tender pastas are vehicles to transport intensely and perfectly flavored sauces that complement the particular shape and texture.

La Fortuna Restaurant is also pleased to present gourmet pizzas on homemade dough. The La Fortuna is pizza topped with prosciutto, green olives, roasted red and yellow peppers, and Parmigiana reggiano cheese. Seafood lovers will be more than a little happy with a topping of grilled scallops, shrimp, and mussels in a red sauce. Marinated grilled vegetable pizza and a white sauce pizza with goat cheese and ricotta are among many other options for pizza.

Chef Michael has selected an extensive list of wines from France, Italy, and California to accompany the meals, including a superb collection of 2007 vintage wines from Napa Valley vineyards that include Insignia, Frog’s Leap, Opus, and Robert Mondavi Reserves. A variety of fine wines are available by the glass, and Italian and America beers, as well as a full bar, are served at La Fortuna.

Leisurely dining, encouraged at La Fortuna Restaurant, means that there is always room for one of the desserts made on premises. Fresh berries wrapped in a crepelike shell and served with crème Anglaise or Chef Michael’s own tiramisu are just two of many desserts that put the finishing touch on a meal well done.

La Fortuna also hosts large parties, special celebrations, and weddings in the banquet rooms off of the main dining area. One large space can be subdivided into as many as four separate, private areas with room for 25 to 200 guests. Each boasts the same elegantly dressed tables and accessories beneath chandeliers and natural light flowing in through the windows looking out onto the Tuscan garden patio, where still more guests can be accommodated. A perimeter of tailored evergreens surround the lawn area of the patio and seasonal flowers bloom profusely from baskets, borders, and planters. The gazebo, set back from the restaurant, is picture perfect for special photographs.

“Come and enjoy,” urges Chef Michael. “Linger, and appreciate every mouthful.”

La Fortuna Restaurant, 37 Stony Hill Road (Route 6) in Bethel, is open for lunch, Monday through Saturday, from 11:30 am to 3 pm, and for dinner from 5 to 11 pm. Dinner is served Sunday from 4 to 8:30 pm. For takeout, to book parties, or to make reservations, call 203-797-0909. For more information, visit the website at lafortunarest.com.