Planning a wedding and being in the restaurant business could pose as a tight situation for a bride-to-be. Just ask restaurateur, Amanda Rosamilia.
“Walking into that kitchen in the morning (when the chefs are) prepping the sauce you think to yourself, ”˜Alright, I”™m not going to do it,”™” Rosamilia said. “And then 5 o”™clock you find yourself saying ”˜Oh, how can I resist? And then you go for your fitting and say, ”˜Oh, that one plate of pasta!”™”
But who could resist a plate of pasta, especially when it”™s made in her own restaurant, Filia”™s.
Filia”™s, formerly known as Capriccio, is co-owned by Rosamilia, her mother Arlete Turturro and chef and friend, Bruno Crosnier. The three are proud of Filia”™s diverse and unique menu. Their herbs and hot peppers are homegrown and though it may look Italian, their mostly organic menu features dishes from many of the Mediterranean countries including Portugal.
“You see the word Italian and you think it”™s only going to be just Italian, but it”™s Mediterranean,” Rosamilia said. “And I think our paella stands out, all of our desserts are homemade and we do an incredible soufflé.”
Filia”™s eclectic menu stems from Crosnier”™s 30 years experience as a chef. Crosnier who is a former owner of Capriccio, was born in Blois Loire Vallee, France, and studied culinary arts in Paris. When asked what his favorite dish is he makes he said, “Every one of them.”
Filia”™s, which means daughters in Portuguese, Italian and Latin, holds a special meaning to Rosamilia and her mother, who come from a strong background of women.
“My grandmother was a mother to four women,” Rosamilia said. “All those four women gave birth to two women and Bruno also has two daughters. And my grandfather was never able to pass his name along. And every one was his filia. My aunts are like my sisters, my cousins are like my sisters, and to him everybody his daughter. So when (mom) said it out loud I said that sounds fantastic.”
But this isn”™t the first business this mother-daughter duo has cooked up.
Before embarking on the Brewster-based restaurant, Rosamilia and Turturro spent their time making things spic and span with their cleaning business, Night Owl Cleaning. Today, the business has 50 to 60 clients, cleaning up residential and commercial properties.
“My mother started the cleaning business in 1988, which was started with herself and one other person and me tagging along with a toilet brush,” Rosamilia said. “It has grown into a beautiful and successful business, more than I think she ever would have thought it been.”
But for now, her focus is Filia”™s.
“A lot of people that moved up here within the last 20 years, moved up here because it”™s peaceful,” Rosamilia said. “So when we had the opportunity to renovate the restaurant we wanted to cater to those families and those people, with (our) calming music and calming atmosphere. They can come in and there”™s no hustle and bustle inside of here. It”™s extremely calming and therapeutic.”
The seven months of renovations, which spanned from March to October 2007, included a fresh brush of paint and some inspiration from Mother Nature.
“When you look out the window and you see the view (of the reservoir), it”™s extremely calming to your soul,” Rosamilia said. “And whatever issues you might have walking through the door if you sit in this seat it kind of melts away. It”™s just so soothing. So we went with (earth tones), the taupe, the cappuccino as well as the brown suede (on the chairs). We wanted it to be a calming environment.”
Another aspect of the restaurant”™s features, is its ability to cater to any event.
“Because we are unique and can do one party at a time, we can design, and decorate the restaurant to (the customers) needs,” Turturro said. “If you want a Hawaiian night or a Mexican night, our Chef Bruno is so talented, he can cook a (wide variety) of foods (for any event).”
As for the future plans of Filia”™s, Rosamilia said to expect some great things on the seven-acre property.
“We”™re working on doing a small extension on the side of the restaurant for a great bar, which would include fresh oysters, fresh clams, fresh shrimp,” Rosamilia said. “From there we”™d love to put a wonderful catering hall somewhere here. We have a wonderful capacity here and most people who come to do their events here come because it”™s very intimate.
But the capacity is rather small. We have a lot of property so we want to expand (to accommodate) a larger group.”
In the near future, guests can look forward to outdoor barbecues that the restaurant will start in the spring and summer months.
With a wedding in June, and two businesses to run, Rosamilia has a full plate.
“One of my friends called me and said, ”˜Did you just leave me a voicemail saying you partnered into a restaurant?”™ And I said, ”˜yeah.”™ He said, ”˜You don”™t have enough things to do? You are crazy.”™ And I”™m holding my coffee and I”™m looking out (onto the water) and I”™m thinking, ”˜You”™re not sitting where I”™m sitting. I”™m not crazy.”™ If I was in a 40 by 40 in the city and I had no windows I”™d say, yeah I”™m nuts. But if you could see where I”™m sitting right now you would applaud me because it”™s phenomenal.”
