Tucked away in downtown Claremont is truly one of our area's secret spots for wining and dining. So with the help of my friends of the vine George Franov of Rancho Cucamonga and Ron Mittino of Claremont, I share with you today the real juice on La Piccoletta Restaurant (translation: "The Little Place").  Created in 1977 by Ron, La Piccoletta was restored from an abandoned old building, which originally was used as a mechanic's garage and tin worker's shop where smudgepots were made. Later, it was used for artist's lofts.

"According to longtime guests and residents of the area, the building itself has a very rich history," George said. "The first record of it as a building was sometime in the 1920s."

George is the current proprietor of La Piccoletta; Ron was the original owner. Ron worked alongside Enzo Biscardi, who had traveled here from Italy.

"Enzo was marvelous," Ron said. "He was old-world charm at its best. He played guitar and was so entertaining. He told jokes in English. Not a simple task for an Italian who knew little about the English language."

Ron and Enzo worked side by side in the small kitchen, waiting on guests and washing dishes. Ron said he had grown up with the Italian-America tradition of dining at a long table.

"Many of the best memories of my life came from spending time around that table," he said. "I wanted to share our regional cooking and our Italian traditions with people."

The pair specialized in authentic Italian dishes, and the restaurant was a hit. Ron said it was often booked months ahead of time.

In 1980, Ron sold La Piccoletta and Enzo's wife Linda became the new owner. She operated the restaurant for more than 15 years.

"Linda really is the one responsible for creating such a wonderful place which has been long embraced by the community," Ron said. "She deserves all the credit in the world for keeping the place together."

The next owner was Vito Nicotera, who then sold to George Franov. George grew up in Upland and spent a lot of time in the village of Claremont.

"I love the people and the atmosphere of the area very much," George said. "Our `little place' is truly most one-of-a-kind. Ron, Enzo, Linda and Vito did such a wonderful job here. It has been a labor of love for everyone. I am doing my best to ensure that the standards they set will be upheld, while I bring some of my personality."

The recipes for the sauces have been handed down from previous owners. The nightly menu features a pasta with a choice of four homemade sauces, plus a salad, bread and beverage for $17. The menu also includes Osso Buco, filet mignon and chicken piccata.

For a little place, I'm impressed with not only the appetizers and entrees, but the wine list, too! More than 35 wines are featured by the bottle, priced from $18 to $75, but most are less than $30. George said it is really important to him to be able to offer his guests a wide selection at a reasonable price. He also features 15 different wines by the glass, ranging fron $4 to $9.

"Our most popular wines are the Bortoluzzi Pinot Grigio ($7 glass/$30 bottle, Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon ($9 glass/$45 bottle), Sterling Pinot Noir ($7 glass $28 bottle) and the Lanciola Chianti ($8 glass/$33 a bottle)," George said.

Seating is limited to 30 people, which is one of the reasons many people love La Piccoletta. I have found that you feel as though you are having a private dinner party. Reservations are available for parties of eight or more.

"I feel very fortunate," George said. "I have a job that I truly enjoy coming to every day and I have a small close knit staff that does an excellent job. It's always great to see guests who have been coming here for years and still enjoy it. I really love when a guest comes here for the first time and gets taken in with the intimacy and uniqueness."

George has been involved locally in the restaurant business for more than 25 years (Magnolia's Peach, Lord Charleys, Sneakers, and Cask and Cleaver Steakhouses.) Many people know of him, however, for his 25 plus years of coaching local youth and high school soccer.

George told me this true story:

"The day we received our final inspection and permit to open, I went to sit down with a friend to celebrate with a glass of wine. Before we could sit, we heard a knock on the front door. We almost didn't answer it because we were worried that it may have been the inspector to tell us that he had missed something and we couldn't open up after all.

"When I opened the door, I saw it was Ron Mattino. How fitting was it at that moment to have the original owner there with us. We sat down and uncorked a bottle of wine (from Gino!), and Ron shared some great stories about the early days of the little place.

La Piccoletta is located at 114 N. Indian Hill Blvd., No. P (located between First and Second Avenue) in Claremont. Dinner hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Lunch is served also for private parties of from 15 to 30. (909) 624-1373;

www.lapiccoletta.com.

Gino L. Filippi can be reached at Ginoffvine@aol.com