For Isabella’s Ristorante owners,
love of good food is key to success
By BETTS GRIFFONE, Photos by ERIC REED
It was an InauspIcIous begInnIng for Isabella’s Ristorante owners Ruth and Martin Felix.
"We met over a steam table, so to speak," Ruth says.
Actually, both worked in the same restaurant and a love of good food drew them together.
The Felixes started their small chain of restaurants in san bernardino, where they depended on a busy lunch crowd to carry the business. success led them to open a Redlands location 14 years ago and another one in corona five years after that.
About two years ago, downtown san bernardino could no longer support Isabella’s, so the original location was
closed. but not long after that, the Felixes opened a new place in calimesa.
Much of the staff at all three restaurants is family. Martin is the executive chef, with two of his nephews running the kitchen in Redlands and his two brothers heading the cooking staffs in corona and calimesa. everyone was trained under Martin, so all of the recipes maintain consistency and the kitchens are compatible.
Martin grew up in Riverside. He started in the food trade working under Giusepe Pitruzello in Riverside, then went on to train under two other Italian chefs in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Ruth describes the food at Isabella’s as classic Italian cooked in a Northern Italian style — no pastes, sugars or purees. The chefs use only fresh whole tomatoes and fresh cream in the sauces.
Fettuccine Viviana, with a combination of grilled chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, is one of Martin’s signature dishes, but most of the menu selections are recipes that date back hundreds of years. The Felixes like to think of it as traditional comfort food.
One or two types of fresh fish are served every day, depending on market availability, along with one featured menu item — especially created for that evening. Often, it is a stuffed ravioli or a chicken dish.
Soups also change daily.
Most of the desserts are made in-house. Creme brulee, tiramisu and cannoli are made fresh each day in the restaurant.
Isabella’s offers a full bar in Redlands and Calimesa, and beer and wine is available in all three locations. The wine list, though not extensive, is well balanced. The restaurant can accommodate special parties and groups. Food-to-go also is available.
Ruth and Martin Felix feel that if you are in the food business, it should be a passion. You have to love it to make it work.
Bruschetta Pomodoro
Ingredients
8 slices of day-old bread (baguette is ideal)
2 large ripe tomatoes chopped to 1⁄4 inch dice
6 large fresh basil leaves finely chopped
1 clove fresh garlic
4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Rub garlic on bread slices and brush lightly with olive oil. Either grill bread slices or toast in oven until lightly toasted, crisp and golden. While bread is toasting, take a mixing bowl and toss together chopped tomatoes and basil. Take the clove of garlic used for the bread rub and press through a garlic press and add to tomato mixture.
Add remaining olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently to combine all flavors. (This mixture can be made ahead.) Take warm toasted bread slices, arrange on a platter and top with equal amounts of tomato topping. Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a light lunch or dinner.
Insalata Caprese Ingredients
2 ripe tomatoes (cut into 8 1⁄2 inch thick slices)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (cut into 8 1⁄2 inch thick slices)
8 leaves of fresh basil
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Ground pepper to taste
Directions
Arrange tomato slices attractively on a platter. Place one basil leaf on each slice and top with one slice of mozzarella cheese.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and lightly dust with ground black pepper if desired. Serve immediately with warm fresh bread. Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 for a light lunch or dinner.
taste | dining
