Guests can 'feel at home'
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

DINING IN STYLE- The new Mediterraneo on Agoura Road in Westlake Village has replaced Le Café next to the Westlake Inn.

When manager Sandro Coppola was ready to unveil the new Mediterraneo restaurant, formerly Le Café, there was no grand opening celebration. To have time to work out the kinks, Coppola quietly opened the doors to the newly transformed dining spot at the Westlake Village Inn about two months ago.

Mediterraneo has since developed a group of faithful regulars, and the restaurant is getting very popular, according to Coppola.

"Le Café needed a face-lift," Coppola said. "This is a totally new concept. It's elegant, but sexy, charming, romantic. All the elements combined give Mediterraneo its vibe and atmosphere. It has warmth. We needed that."

The $2 million project spearheaded by Los Angeles design firm Guerin extended the roof to expand the patio. Spanish tiles were imported and new tables, chairs, china, flatware and stemware were chosen.

The elegant tones are emphasized with a long white marble bar and giant fireplaces, black crystal chandeliers and handdried Venetian plaster walls. Candles flicker around the large leather booths and dark tables. Modern touches are worked in with streamlined white leather lounge seating, twisted neon vases and flat-screen televisions near the bar.

"The best compliments are when people come in and are surprised this is where Le Café was," Coppola said. "They just say, 'What a change,' excitedly. That's the best thing to hear."

Chef Edwin Cruz was brought in to create a similarly impressive menu. Coppola starts his meals with a bowl of Cruz's chicken noodle soup with chopped carrots and celery and homemade chicken broth.

Cruz calls his seasonal salads, which change with the farmers' market selections, "very energetic, very fresh." He also recommends the sandwiches, steaks and roasted chicken.

"The products I use are very fresh," Cruz said. "The companies I use aren't always local, but they seem like they are, they're so fresh."

Cruz's pastas are light and flavorful, as he rarely uses butter, preferring the healthier olive oil. The desserts, however, are what Mediterraneo is becoming known for, Cruz said.

The flourless chocolate cake is a favorite, as well the Art Florentine, a caramelized almond bowl filled with white chocolate mousse and seasonal berries.

Coppola said he looks forward to the summer when the extended patio can serve as a relaxed lounge setting, and he is thinking about bringing in live music to accompany tapas, a full bar and extended boutique wine list.

Coppola, who at 5 began making pasta with his mother in Italy, moved to the United States 13 years ago. He moved up the ranks quickly and managed the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica and Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills.

"As guests come in, we always say, 'Welcome to your house,' because people want to feel at home," Coppola said. "I spend most of my time in the dining room. It's probably because I love my job so much."

The Mediterraneo restaurant is at 32037 W. Agoura Road in Westlake Village. Call (818) 8899105 for reservations or visit www.med-rest.com.