Mama's cooking and adventure led to La Conner

A trip on the Love Boat led Carlo Ochetti to sail from Italy and eventually fulfill his dream of owning a restaurant in America.

Ochetti opened La Terrazza on May 1 to showcase authentic recipes from his family, his professional training and his culinary experiences.

“I love La Conner — it has made my dreams come true,” he said.

Ochetti got an early start cooking. Traditionally, Italians gather at the family home on Sundays for a big meal and relaxation. “I followed Mama around every Sunday,” he said.

From Mama he learned the flavors of northern Italy and favorite dishes, such as homemade cannelloni, lasagna, and ravioli. But wanderlust stirred his heart. “Mama always knew I was going to leave,” he said.

After three years in culinary school in Italy, he completed an internship in Switzerland, and then an idea struck him for a way to travel beyond Europe — cruise ships.

He’d watched the “The Love Boat” TV show in Italy. In America, the series about both crew and passengers resolving romantic difficulties aboard a ship ran from 1977 to 1987 on ABC. Celebrities and Hollywood stars rotated through the passenger list during the show’s popularity.

Ochetti could scarcely believe his luck when hired by Princess Cruises, parent company of the ships featured in filming the series. “I’d get paid to travel,” he said.

He started as a third-level cook and worked his way up to Sous Chef — king of all the sauces that flowed from the kitchen to flavor the fancy cruise-line dishes.

“It’s the heart of the kitchen,” he said of his kitchen role.

After six years globe-trotting, visiting exotic places such as the Caribbean, Panama, South America and Alaska, he crossed paths with Italian restauranteur Luciano Bardinelli and ventured ashore. He worked a total of 11 years for Bardinelli in San Luis Obispo and in Bellevue. He later went back and forth between California and Washington, mainly because his children and ex-wife live there.

He landed in Seattle but was finally tired of traveling and of city crowds and tangled traffic. “Then I discovered this historical town — the quietest town in the Northwest,” he said.

He named the restaurant La Terrazza — The Terrace — because of the two patios jutting from the building at 505 First Street.

The small-town flavor here reminds him of Verbania, where he grew up.

Verbania is northeast of Milan, near the Swiss Alps and bordering Lago Maggoire. “This year it was voted the most beautiful lake in Europe, he said.

Like most Europeans, he is multilingual. He speaks Spanish in addition to slightly accented English and his native tongue. He isn’t likely to forget his Italian roots, as his mother and father, sometimes siblings, visit regularly from Italy.

Guests at the restaurant usually are greeted by Lubos Szabo of Czechoslovakia, Ochetti’s business partner. The two met while working in Bellevue and became fast friends.

Ochetti is happy to realize an immigrant’s dream. “I have been pretty fortunate in America — the land of opportunity. Now I have an opportunity here, and I’m taking it,” he said.