Luigi’s

By Sara Rubin

Contradictions are commonplace in the Salinas Valley: There’s hunger in the Salad Bowl of America, international agribusiness alongside quaint country living and a lack of library services where the favorite son is a Nobel Prize-winning author.

So it’s fitting that for dinner I meet a Gonzales local who spent the day working on a ranch with a chainsaw and talks elegantly about local Pinot pairings with cheesy garlic bread. Her knowledge extends to the families behind the wineries and which local winemakers are the biggest-hearted. The bartender chimes in and says the Pessagnos are good people to work with (even so after their sale to the Franscionis), so I go with a glass of the 2012 Central Avenue Pinot and get a very generous pour for $8. It’s a fruit-forward wine that doesn’t sacrifice balance and makes me feel those good vibes.

The good feeling doesn’t stop there. Luigi’s is old-world with modern menu twists, featuring local spots like Roy’s Swiss Sausage Factory ($10.95/appetizer) alongside imported Italian pastas.

The family-owned place occupies an old Wells Fargo bank, which at first evokes extremes like corporate money and a post-capitalist future. Instead it enjoys a happy medium between those opposites, with a blend of hearty and high-quality food and easygoing families who chat each other up.

The repurposing has made the place so cozy it takes a while to notice the wine cellar is located in the old vault. Keeping with the theme, high-security bars protect the bathroom windows.

The instincts for a successful conversion to a family restaurant come from owners Ralph Bozzo and Michael Filice, the son and grandson, respectively, of Luigi Bozzo, who was born in Donnici, Italy, in 1931.

The restaurant opened six months ago, named for Luigi, whose black-and-white photo adorns the menu. The family also owns Angelina’s Pizzeria in Toro Park, Bagel Corner in Salinas, and Bozzo’s original restaurant – also named for him, per his nickname – Gino’s, which opened in 1975 and has won Weekly readers’ vote for Best Restaurant in Salinas repeatedly. When asked about the South County addition, members of the family say they wanted to “do something for Gonzales.”

Luigi’s wife, Angelina, made tomato sauce back home in Donnici. The recipe travels well, employing fresh bell peppers and Italian herbs, and remains in use today at all the family’s restaurants.

Everything we tried was good, but greatness came slathered in that tomato sauce. The Nonna’s meatballs ($9/five) were mild in flavor and light on texture, basically a meaty vehicle for more sauce. The eggplant parm ($15.95) was perfectly cooked, avoiding that pitfall of tough, chewy eggplant, and also doused in the earthy, slightly acidic tomato sauce.

For the purist, there’s spaghetti and tomato sauce ($13). I upgraded to meat sauce for another $2, and got two full meals out of the portion. Like the wine, the filling food here is served generously.

On a menu dominated by stick-to-your-ribs carbs and meats, the salads offer lighter options. The Granny Smith apple salad ($8) is big and full, piled high with mixed greens, the kind of salad every Salinas Valley eatery deserves, dressed just enough with a tangy raspberry vinaigrette so the fresh lettuce doesn’t get drowned out or soggy. Complemented by a sprinkle of bite-sized pieces of Granny Smith, candied walnuts and gorgonzola, the lettuce stars.

The greens also take center stage with the Santa Lucia Preserve pizza ($12), weirdly named after a swanky housing development. The crust is thick and bubbly, more like a bread (in a good way), topped with fresh arugula tossed like a salad with olive oil, coarsely ground black pepper and salt, barely wilting over melted mozzarella.

Even the soup of the day ($3.50/cup, $5/bowl) on one visit, chicken, came with its own impressive heap of chopped veggies, noodles and substantial pieces of meat, not just little strings of chicken.

There’s an extensive local wine list of 50 choices ($7-$9/glass; $20-$50/bottle) – and $20 for local bottles on Wine Wednesdays – and a few beers on tap like 805 and Stella ($5/16-ounce; $7/22), but no cocktails and no plans to add them.

“We’re content with beer and wine,” says General Manager Ben Velez. “Part of the reason is it appeals more to families.”

As if to prove it, the bar is empty on the Friday night I’m there, even while tables are bustling. Monday night family-style pasta and salad dinners ($10/person, $40/minimum) offer another explicit invitation to bring families in – which goes back to the Bozzo tradition.

Part of that tradition is religion, which is visible in the restaurant. A cross hangs on the wall above the wine cellar, and the menu opens with a Bible verse.

“Putting God first has been very successful for us,” Velez says. “We feel very blessed and humbled that we have this opportunity to provide food for so many in this area.”

Amen.

LUIGI’S ITALIAN, 346 Alta St., Gonzales. •11am-3pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat, 4-9pm Mon-Sat; closed Sun. • 675-7800, www.ginosfamilyrestaurantgroup.com