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Dining Insider, December 8th, 2009, No Comments

La Calabria Ristorante offers taste of chef’s home

Do a Google search

for Calabria, Italy, and you’ll find that the main tourist attractions are the coastline, with its rugged cliffs and sandy beaches, and its mountains.

But San Tan area residents who visit La Calabria Ristorante in Gilbert will crave to visit the area on the very south of the Italian peninsula for the cuisine, particularly as it’s cooked by Giovanni Spataro at its location at 1534 East Ray Road. The restaurant is hidden away in a strip mall behind a tire store at the northwest corner of Ray Road and Val Vista Drive.

La Calabria is a true mom-and-pop eatery with Giovanni running the kitchen and wife Clara overseeing the front of the house. Two previous restaurants have come and gone in this location, but Clara says they decided to give it a go because it’s been their dream to run a restaurant.

“We’ve had so many people come to dine in our home say that we should open our own restaurant,” Clara says. “So we did. We wanted to give an authentic taste of Calabria, which is where Giovanni is from.”

The restaurant has been open for 15 months now, but still is trying to overcome the hurdle of being stashed in the shopping center that includes a dance studio, karate studio and a dentist. There is no visibility from the busy Val Vista Drive or Ray Road streets.

“Giovanni creates different specials every night,” Clara says. “And we use only the freshest products.”

Some of the entrée selections include Chicken Amalfitano, a chicken breast topped with proscuitto, fresh mozzarella, red wine, demi glace, fresh mushrooms and fresh herbs; Gamberi Marinara, shrimp in marinara sauce; Veal Scalloppine Sorrentino, veal topped with proscuitto, eggplant, sliced tomato, mozzarella and light marinara sauce; and Filetto Di Manzo Al Pepe Verde with Shrimp Scampi, a filet mignon grilled to perfection served with green peppercorn brandy sauce.

Entrees are served with a side salad and vegetable of the day.

Desserts are also highlights, including the homemade tiramisu and homemade Italian cheesecake.

The restaurant also has great lunch specials and also offers catering and room for parties. La Calabria is open Tuesday through Friday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. It’s open Saturdays from 4 to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 4 to 8 p.m. It’s closed Mondays, with the exception of private parties.

Clara says the restaurant is family friendly and also offers a great selection of menu items for children. Those interested can call the restaurant at (480) 726-3537.

Written by Louis Sacco

La Calabria Ristorante offers taste of chef’s home

Do a Google search for Calabria, Italy, and you’ll find that the main tourist attractions are the coastline, with its rugged cliffs and sandy beaches, and its mountains.

Autumn in Bloom

Articles, December 8th, 2009, No Comments

Season’s harvest can create a rustic centerpiece

The holidays offer so many opportunities to showcase the bounties of the season. Take advantage of fall’s colorful gourds and hearty plants to create a centerpiece that celebrates the holiday’s humble beginnings.

Three small cabbage plants can be rooted in a white pumpkin and accented by beaded pins and delicate white blossoms. Smaller gourds surround the arrangement; some have been hollowed out and used as candle votives. Suit your centerpiece to your personal style by playing with different shapes and colors, or swapping seasonal plants for autumnal blooms. Step-by-step, Cyndie Turtoro of Design in Decor (www.designindecor.com) shows you how.

Carve a large opening around the stem of your pumpkin, leaving plenty of room for your arrangement. Remove the stem cap, and use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp. If using seasonal plants, remove them from their containers and pour any loose soil into the gourd. Extra potting soil may be needed to keep plants in place. If using fresh flowers, line the gourd with plastic wrap, insert floral foam, and add ice water for extra longevity.

Insert plants or flowers and arrange as desired. Tip: Ornamental cabbage, as pictured in this article, is part of the Brassica family, which also includes mustard greens and kale. Brassica plants come in a variety of colors, from deep purple to white, and will keep for long periods of time.

Accent your centerpiece with ornamental pins or beads, rhinestones—anything you wish.

To create candle votives, cut off the bottom of the gourd first, so it will lay flat. Carve out the top, and use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Tip: Artichokes also make fun, festive votives. Remember to trim the sharp points off of the leaves!

A centerpiece using seasonal plants can be made several days before your event. Turtoro recommends putting arrangements outside at night for longer lasting freshness. Fresh flower arrangements can be made one day before, taking care not to bruise lighter colored blooms.

Lori Archibald is executive editor of LetsPartyMagazine.com. Visit the website for party-planning ideas, how-to articles, recipes, theme parties, DIY décor and more.

Written by Lori Archibald

Photography by Xaris Studio

Season’s harvest can create a rustic centerpiece

Q&A

Q & A, December 8th, 2009, 1 Comment

Jim McMichael of Everybody’s Auto Broker

Everybody’s Auto Buyer and Consignments is a consulting firm that specializes in helping consumers purchase and sell vehicles. They eliminate the hassles, frustrations and aggravations of the dealership experience while saving you time and money in the process. Everybody’s Auto Buyer and Consignments was created so the consumer can focus on family, friends, work and fun.

What led you to start your business?

I started in the automotive industry in 1977 and watched the small Mom and Pop dealers get bought out by the bigger corporate dealers. The industry was taking a big hit in the consumer trust index. I could see that the consumer on the sales floor as very unhappy with the process and some hated their new vehicle even before they drove off in it. I started Everybody’s Auto Buyer to offer them a non-intrusive and protective relationship.

Tell me something about your business

that people might not know. Most folks don’t know that we handle all aspects of the process for them. This includes making sure they are receiving a fair value for their trade, and that they are making the best decision on the incentives…cash versus interest rate. We make sure that they are making decisions based on solid information and that they make them at home on their time – no pressure.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome as a business owner?

The economy has created my biggest challenges. Growth has been much slower than I forecasted. Getting the word out has been another tough aspect as we found that regular advertising was not very effective for us. So we count on our networking and word of mouth to get our message out. We’ve had great success as that goes.

What drives your passion in this business?

The satisfaction of knowing that we help people every time we get the opportunity of working with them and that each and every time we see the excitement and satisfaction our clients express when they are taking delivery of their new vehicle. On the consignment side, we see how relieved our clients are when they are meeting the buyer of their vehicle at the bank for the first time ever to get the cash for title done.

What advice would you give somebody starting their own business?

Make sure that you are in a position financially to take on the adventure of your life no matter what the economy does. I have seen so many businesses open and close because they weren’t, and as a small business man that saddens me. You need to make a commitment to make it work and you need to work at that commitment every day!!

Stuart’s Tip: Jim’s focus on creating an outstanding customer experience is spot on! Small businesses must ‘Wow!’ their customers. That way, the customers will return, and bring someone else with them the next time they visit. How do you Wow! your customers?

written by By Stuart Preston, MyBusiness Advisors

Jim McMichael of Everybody’s Auto Broker

Heavenly Spreads

Featured Story, December 8th, 2009, No Comments

D’Vine Gourmet has the perfect gifts

Denise McCreery was just experimenting when she began taking the wine her husband would bring home from wine tastings and started making “spirit jellies.” Living in Tucson at the time, Denise decided to try and sell the product and made 1,000 jars that she thought would last through the craft fair season.

“We sold all 1,000 jars in the first two days,” she says.

At that moment, Heavenly Spreadables was born. D’Vine Gourmet, a company focusing on unique holiday and event gift baskets, was the natural progression for McCreery. The gift baskets are filled with high-quality, delicious treats that include, obviously, Heavenly Spreadables and other products that are primarily locally produced.

“We always try to use local vendors whenever we can,” McCreery says. “We like to support the local businesses.”

And D’Vine Gourmet is a true local business as the McCreery’s have made the move to Chandler following her husband’s job transfer. Denise will soon open a retail space at 1075 East Riggs Road (at McQueen Road) to hopefully take care of any last-minute shoppers looking for a great local gift.

Some of the popular gift baskets include the Buon Dia, which includes fresh-baked scones smothered with Blackberry Cabernet wine jam, Italian brewing coffee, Chai tea mix, biscotti and a hand-painted spreader; and the D’Vine Pantry. a steel-ribbed willow basket with wine jellies, bourbon pecan brittle, crackers, wine infuse cheese, liquer cake, decadent sipping chocolate and other treats.

Of course, the Heavenly Spreadables wine jellies are still a staple of the business, which McCreery says is composed of about 70 percent corporate gifts. She has 20 different products including popular choices such as Black Pepper Merlot, a deep, fruity merlot flavor made even more piquant with fresh ground black pepper; Apple Chardonnay, a light, crisp, yet bold true California Chardonay combined with fresh, sweet apple juice; and Tequila Lime with Habanero, with real Mexican tequila, lime juice and freshly chopped habanera peppers.

McCreery says all the alcohol is eliminated during the cooking process and all the wine and spirit jellies are free from additives and preservatives.

McCreery built her business in Tucson through actively marketing herself and her business and she’s doing the same thing in Chandler. She’s joined the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and various other networking organizations. She recently also set up a display of her gift baskets and Heavenly Spreadables during an event at DVine Wine Bar and Bistro for an organization called Women In Need of Shopping (WINOS).

In 2007, Denise was honored with the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, Women Entrepreneur of the Year for a Product-Based Business and was named one of Arizona’s Top 10 Women to Watch in 2005 by BizAZ magazine.

Those interested can visit www.dvinegourmet.com to see her companies selection of gift baskets, wine jellies and other gourmet gifts.

Written by Kirk Kern

D’Vine Gourmet has the perfect gifts