Passion plates

Couple set their restaurant romance in Loveland

By Theresa Myers, Special to the Rocky

Published February 13, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Ellen Jaskol © The Rocky

Giuseppe and Tammy Hiatt Monaco own Monaco Trattoria in Loveland. Giuseppe, 40, was born on Capri, off the southwestern coast of Italy, an area famous for its seafood and fresh produce used the Italian way - in season. Tammy, 41, is a Coloradan with roots in the San Luis Valley.

LOVELAND — In the city where thousands send their valentines to be postmarked with its name, a love story with many levels is being played out in a historic downtown brick storefront.

It's first a romance: An Italian man meets an American woman vacationing on his native island of Capri and they fall head-over-heels in love. It also is the story of finding a destination they love and opening the restaurant of their dreams. But maybe most significantly, it's the story of their love affair with food.

Giuseppe and Tammy Hiatt Monaco own Monaco Trattoria. Giuseppe, 40, was born on Capri, off the southwestern coast of Italy, an area famous for its seafood and fresh produce used the Italian way - in season. Tammy, 41, is a Coloradan with roots in the San Luis Valley.

The couple met on Capri when Tammy was traveling through the country in the '90s with her sister. It was love at first sight; Giuseppe and Tammy eventually married, moved to California and started a family. The couple have two sons, Luca, 11, and Giovanni, 4.

Giuseppe, the chef, worked in many restaurants in California before pursuing his dream to open his own establishment. Tammy wanted to return to her roots, so the couple looked from Denver to Fort Collins for an ideal restaurant location. The building that won them over was in historic downtown Loveland.

"I like to say that we didn't pick Loveland; Loveland picked us," Tammy said.

Giuseppe was determined to specialize in authentic Italian dishes. The passion was passed down from generations of ancestors who have cooked the same way for centuries.

He and Tammy also decided they would use only fresh, organic ingredients in their dishes.

"We are trying to keep it as seasonal as we can," Giuseppe said.

They buy fresh produce daily from a farm in Windsor and occasionally supplement from their own garden.

"That's everything we are about," Tammy said. "Organic is very important to us. It has to be. The basil is the best basil you've ever tasted."

But winning over the taste buds of northern Coloradans has presented more of a challenge than the couple anticipated during their first three years in business.

It's a bit like the opening scene of the 1996 movie Big Night, when Italian chef Primo, played by Tony Shalhoub, is angered by a customer who wants to know why spaghetti and meatballs isn't served with his risotto. Risotto is rice, the movie chef screams, outraged that the customer wants two starches.

"We occasionally have people suggest different dishes and different ingredients," Tammy said. "We've embraced the education. Yes, this is different."

You won't find sausage-laden lasagna or cheesy manicotti on their menu. They do offer a version of spaghetti and meatballs, but that was only after Tammy urged Giuseppe to add just a few entrees that would appeal to the American palate.

This is real Italian: prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, risotto with sauteed scallops and butternut squash, braised wild boar in a wine sauce, zuppa di pesce (a Mediterranean-style fish soup) and baby octopus cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. Fish is prevalent on the menu.

"Here in America, everyone has two cars," Giuseppe said. "On Capri, everyone has two boats."

Their signature dish, offered as a special, is branzino al cartoccio, a Mediterranean sea bass stuffed with Gaeta olives and Sicilian capers, with white wine and garlic. It's baked in a wood-fired oven that the couple had shipped in pieces from Capri. The sea bass is flown in fresh from Italy.

To share his food education, Giuseppe offers monthly cooking classes. The restaurant also hosts a wine-tasting dinner once a month, where different wines are specially paired with the food served.

The couple work side by side most days, with Tammy working as hostess or waiting tables and Giuseppe in the kitchen, giving attention to every dish before it's sent to the table.

What's next in the Monacos' love story? Tammy promises no compromising on the mission: to serve fresh, authentic Italian food using the best ingredients available.

"For us not to be committed to the authenticity just wouldn't work," she said. "(Giuseppe) grew up eating this way. He isn't going to change."

Monaco Trattoria

218 E. Fourth St., Loveland

Open for lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; daily for dinner, 4 p.m. until all customers are served. Happy hour 4 to 6 p.m. daily in the Acqua Lounge, with $4 martinis and other drink specials.

5 things to love about Monaco Trattoria

* The Acqua Lounge is a quaint, comfortable bar at the back of the restaurant. Small appetizers from the restaurant's new tapas menu cost $2.95 to $4.95.

* The interior of the long, narrow restaurant is painted lemon-yellow, with white tablecloths covered in white butcher paper. Tables are close together, European style, and the decor is purely Italian. It could just as easily be found on a narrow roadway in Rome or Milan.

* The wood-burning oven, shipped in pieces from Capri, really burns wood. Unlike its electric cousin, the stove gives bread a true crust and is used to bake many dishes at the restaurant.

* The extensive wine menu offers a variety of price ranges. Italian wines are prevalent and include many labels not common in the U.S.

* Despite being perfect for a romantic night out, the Monaco is family-friendly and offers a kids menu. Young ones can even draw on the paper table coverings.

• October 7, 2008

  1:36 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  bvannoy writes:

  The dining expirence that i had at this lovely resturant was amazing! The waitress was so knowledgable about the menu and wine list, not to mention very professional and personable. The hostess was so friendly and helpful. The food was increadable. I can honestly say that our dining experiance was the best that I have ever had. What a great place! I will recommend this resturant to everyone i know and dont know.

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