Meet Chef Luis Garcia of Rosti Tuscan Kitchen

Luis Garcia of Rosti Tuscan Kitchen developed a love for cooking later in life. He moved from Mexico to California when he was 15-years-old, in order to seek a better life. He landed his first job at Rosti Tuscan Kitchen in 1993 and that is when the cooking bug bit him.

"Everything started here in America," Garcia said. "I started out at restaurants just to get a job and then I started to get more involved in all aspects of cooking."

The owner of the restaurant at the time was an Italian chef and Garcia pleaded with him to teach him how to cook. After some lessons, Garcia realized his culinary capacity and gained experience working part-time at other local restaurants. He spent a year at Delmonico's Steak and Lobster House, as well as a couple months at the Hilton and Sheraton hotel refining his cooking method. 

"At these restaurants I learned grilling techniques, perfect temperatures and how to make different sauces," Garcia said. 

Now with 17 years of cooking experience under his belt, Garcia and the owner of Rosti Tuscan Kitchen, Kevin Goldfein, decided it was time to revamp the restaurant and menu.

In April they moved into a more spacious venue across from Encino Marketplace, which allows patrons and staff to move around more comfortably, Goldfein said. The new decorum is like a "Tuscan farm house; modern with a classic feel to it,"  he added.

The refreshed menu includes about 25 new items. Goldfein and Garcia also collaborated with a consultant, who specializes in food entrees, in order to make the menu just right. The restaurant wanted to stay true to their roots, so the dishes are still Italian, which is fine by Garcia because that is his favorite cuisine to make. 

"We were going to completely change the menu, but 90 percent of our business is regulars and repeat guests, so we wanted to keep them happy," Goldfein said. "We just took a couple items off the menu that just really didn't sell very well for us historically."

Their signature Fresh Grilled Salmon--Tuscan Style is served with a flavorful chunky sauce made of artichokes, kalamata olives, basil and checca tomatoes. According to the staff, another patron favorite is the arugula and fig salad, which contains arugula and endive lettuce, dried figs, toasted hazelnuts, caramelized onions and goat cheese. It is tossed in a honey balsamic dressing.

Rosti Tuscan Kitchen is also a big supporter of the community and non-profit organizations. They host "school nights" where they give cash spent in their restaurant directly back to local schools. They also donate to citywide charities including Relay for Life, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation and the American Cancer Society. 

The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fresh Grilled Salmon-Tuscan Style (Serves 1)

7 ounces of salmon

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

Half a pinch of pepper

1 tablespoon artichoke hearts

1 teaspoon calamata olives

4 leaves of basil diced

4 ounces checca tomatoes

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in the pan and then add the salmon. Add salt and pepper to the salmon and grill on each side for four minutes. In a separate pan add olive oil, chopped up calamata olives, artichokes, garlic and checca tomatoes. Grill for three to four minutes or until artichokes are tender.

The consistency should be chunky. Then put the veggie mixture on top of the salmon and enjoy.