Taverna Aventine preview
As Taverna Aventine plans its debut next month in Glen Ellen, owners Adolfo Veronese, Gian-Paolo Veronese and Rodrigo Nevado have some interesting challenges ahead of them.
Negotiating with the resident ghost, for example, who haunts the 170-year-old gristmill that is now home to the Italian restaurant slated to open June 12 in Jack London Village.
His name is Charlie, as in Charles Pagani, a former construction worker at the historic complex on Arnold Drive. He passed away many, many years ago from cancer, but apparently loved the property so much he’s never left.
“I heard tapping on the ceiling one afternoon, and was sure it was Charlie,” said Adolfo. “But I went upstairs, and it was the painter. We’ve seen some suspicious things, though.”
As Inside Scoop noted before, this will be the third Aventine, joining the original that opened in San Francisco in 2007, and a second spot that opened in Hollywood in 2012.
Renovating the wine country building has brought plenty of challenges, says Adolfo, such as working with walls that aren’t straight, wood support posts that lean like the Tower of Pisa, and floors that are so crooked that an egg would roll across them. It’s part and parcel of the structure that was originally built in 1839 by General Mariano Vallejo as a saw mill, then converted to a grist mill in 1856.
Add to that the space has sat abandoned for the past several years, and it’s not surprising that some cobwebs needed sweeping away. Most recently, the space was Grist Mill Bar & Grill, and before that, Bluegrass Bar & Grill.
Now, an original bottle rack from the 1890s still exists near the kitchen, as does the 40-foot tall water wheel just outside, powered by Sonoma Creek running just behind the back patio, and visible through windows in the main floor bar and the upstairs lounge (where, incidentally, Jack London liked to write).
For new touches, the owners have brought in a pizza oven imported from Italy, are in the process of establishing two steel beer brewing tanks, and have plans to open a wine and private dining cave beneath the hillside patio.
As for food, chef Adolfo is sticking with strictly traditional plates like prosciutto wrapped prawns sautéed and topped in a squiggle of balsamic ($17), a giant meatball stuffed with mozzarella, basil pesto and golden raisins set atop soft polenta ($15), and seared scallops with faro and roasted bell pepper sauce ($29).
There will also be Aventine S.F.’s signature popcorn, dusted in Parmigiano, parsley, salt and pepper, and spritzed with black truffle oil ($4).
“We have to have it,” said Adolfo. “We sell at least 40 orders a night in the city.”
Taverna Aventine: 14301 Arnold Dr. (in Jack London Village), Glen Ellen; aventinesf.com.