|
Sergio Mitrotti has always
exhibited an adventurous spirit, first as an avid sailor and
scuba diver in the Mediterranean, then as a successful graphic
artist in his native Italy, then as a proprietor of a high-end
clothing store in Beverly Hills. |
|
But for this Renaissance man, food
has always been the most natural of all avenues for
exploration. "In Italy, you eat well from the moment your
born," he says. "When I was a teenager, I didn't think twice
about making gourmet food for parties." The decision to cook
professionally came in 1987, hand in hand with the desire to
leave Los Angeles and its fast pace and move to Hawaii, which
he saw as the perfect place to pursue his many passions. "I
was ready to open a restaurant," he says. "I was an amateur
cook, but a sophisticated eater. My background is really good
eating, and there's no school to teach you that!" he says. |
|
He traveled Italy with a
passion to understand the traditional roots of Italian
Cuisine. He learned the principles of his present art from
fisherman in the Mediterranean Islands, housewives in the
local Southern markets and from watching and helping his
mother and grandmother in the family kitchen of his native
northern city of Turin. His incorporation of these techniques
elevates his cuisine to something more than that of just a
commercial Italian restaurant but to a showcase of earthy
authenticity and creativity. |
|
This culinary Marco Polo has
brought to Hawaii two successful restaurants. Cafe Cambio in
1987 and in 1991 Cafe Sistina, a trendy restaurant known for
it's live late night jazz and linguine ala puttanesca. His
popularity has given Hawaiian's a strong whiff of authentic
Italian cooking, as in his spinach ravioli with gorgonzola or
his gnocchi with lamb sausage. He continues to explore new
worlds with his version of Spanish paella and Middle Eastern
couscous. In the past several years Mitrotti's food has taken
on more exotic overtones such as duck sausage with orange
fettuccine and shrimp with a spicy mango sauce, chicken breast
with African spices and many other local favorites. |
|
In addition to being a fabulous
chef this truly remarkable man is also a consummate artist.
The walls of Cafe Sistina double as Mitrotti's canvas - he has
painted replicas of parts of the Sistine Chapel on every
possible restaurant surface - and he's still painting. "I
cannot stop being a designer," he says. "I have to keep
creating. It comes from within me!" |
|
|
|
|
Hours: |
|
Lunch: Mon-Fri, 11:30 am-2 pm |
|
Dinner: |
|
Sun-Thurs: 5:30 - 9:30 pm |
|
Fri-Sat: 5:30 - 10:00 pm |
|
Payment: |
|
AmEx,
MasterCard, VISA, Diner's Club and JCB |
|
Full Bar: |
|
Cocktails, imported and domestic beer. |
|
Wine List: |
|
Over 30 domestic and Italian wines
that complement the cuisine, including about 20 wines by the glass.. |
|
Private Dining & Catering: |
|
Perfect for weddings, receptions,
rehearsal dinners, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. The side room seats
up to 20 guests. Groups up to 40 can be accommodated on one side of
the dining room. Groups of 80 for a buyout. |
|
Live Music: |
|
After
10 pm on weekends. Schedule varies. |
|
Parking: |
|
Validated, in the Interstate Building |
|
Take Out Available |
|
