About Us
Our History
Even before I arrived in America from Sicily in 1987, I had a vision to create an intimate and quaint restaurant in true Sicilian style to share with my new friends in my new home. When my wife and I opened the first La Fornaretta in Pasadena in 1997, that dream became a reality.
Suzanne lo Coco, La Fornaretta executive chef and co-owner, had for years worked closely with her restauranteur father, Giovanni lo Coco. Giovanni educated Suzanne in the science and art of preparing delicious, satisfying, authentic Sicilian cuisine. For over 30 years, Giovanni—from his self-titled restaurant, Lo Coco's—had been thrilling the San Francisco bay area with a light, yeasty, crusty pizza, the recipe for which he passed on to Suzanne to share with patrons of La Fornaretta.
La Fornaretta's irresistably delicious Schiacciata flat bread, served complementary, is made from the same dough recipe Giovanni passed on; served warm, with extra virgin olive oil for dipping, the Schiacciatta offers a wonderful, chewy accompaniment to any appetizer, salad, or entrée.
For nearly 10 years, La Fornaretta and its sister restaurant in San Marino, Caffé La Fornaretta, delighted the Los Angeles area with authentic Sicilian dishes prepared from the finest and freshest imported and local ingredients, prepared according to family recipes which had been passed down for generations. Our Puttanesca sauce, tangy and tantalizing, had been voted one of LA Times' Top 10 Best Dishes in Los Angeles. Regular customers returned often for our daily seafood specials: generous portions of fresh fish like tuna, halibut, salmon, swordfish and mussels, delicately seasoned with elegant truffle oil and rare saffron and served with risotto or pasta.
Alas, when the building in which our original La Fornaretta restaurant operated was sold and our 19-year lease was likewise purchased, we decided to close the restaurant, returning north to be closer to our family and the recreational activities available in nearby Lake Tahoe. But Southern California's loss was to be Newcastle's gain: With the restless drive of consumate restauranteurs, we opened a new La Fornaretta in a historical fruit packing shed located along the first American transcontinental railroad.
Like a phoenix reborn from ashes, our new La Fornaretta immediate began packing in crowds hungry for traditional Sicilian cuisine. Drawing visitors from the greater Sacramento area both near and far, as well as travelers en route to and from San Francisco, Reno, and resorts in the Lake Tahoe region, we delight our patrons with mouth-watering dishes and warm and friendly service. La Fornaretta also invites you to join our family, to relax in our atmosphere of traditional Italian hospitality and let us prepare our finest Sicilian cuisine especially for you.
The Newcastle Area
, Passenger service along the first 31 miles of Central Pacific's newly constructed rail line from Sacramento began in 1864, terminating in the cozy community of Newcastle. Eventually connecting with the Union Pacific-constructed line in the famous "Golden Spike" ceremony in Promontory, Utah, in 1869, that brief stretch of track would become the first transcontinental line connecting the frontier West coast with the East.
At that time best noted for the fruit orchards of the surrounding area, Newcastle's town center is dominated by its historic packing shed, where fresh fruit picked locally was transfered to the rail lines for shipment across the country. The economic character of Newcastle proper has since shifted somewhat towards the residential, as a bedroom community to the greater Sacramento area, but its past glory as an agricultural-rail nexus is remembered in its sponsorship of the annual Mt. Mandarin Fest. Meanwhile, Newcastle's rustic packing shed has been refurbished to play charming host to a number of businesses, including antique shops, art galleries, and of course, La Fornaretta.
Convenient to Sacramento, Newcastle lies not far off I-80, along routes to such varied and popular destinations as San Francisco, Reno, and Lake Tahoe-area resorts, nowadays providing locals and visitors of nearby country clubs a diverting side-trip, and travelers a welcome respite from their road, wherever their journey may begin or end.
In recognition of California's gradual drift from railway to highway and its proximity to historic US Route 40, Newcastle celebrates the height of car culture with the Newcastle Hot Rod & Custom Get Together. The event is sponsored in part by the Golden Spike Lions chapter of the Lions Clubs International, of which La Fornaretta co-owners Cesare and Suzanne di Lorenzo are active members.
Evenings and particularly weekends, the generally quiet and laid-back township of Newcastle comes alive with revelers seeking live music and refreshing libation from local saloons—and, of course, discriminating diners seeking the ebullient atmosphere and excellent cuisine of La Fornaretta.
Not far away from Newcastle lies the Placer County seat of Auburn, which boasts the most well-preserved historic downtown in the state of California. Its structures dating back to the town's founding in the hey-day of the gold rush, it now offers a number of diversions, including elegant wine shops, charming boutiques, and live music on the Square. Auburn is also home to the Auburn State Recreation Area, covering over 35,000 acres and sight of many endurance competitions such as the Sierra Nevada 50 Mile Endurance Run and the Western States 100 Mile Run.
Placer County and the surrounding region is also home to many outstanding wineries, producers of international gold-medal winning wines, a selection of which La Fornaretta is delighted to feature on its wine list.
La Fornaretta is a proud member of the Newcastle Area Business Association.
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