Sir Bruno Serato Comes to Costa Mesa

Pasta Helps Power Through Hunger

“The Power of Pasta” recounts how Serato, who arrived in the U.S. not speaking a word of English, parlayed his small savings into realizing his dream of operating his own fine dining restaurant frequented by celebrities, U.S. Presidents and royalty. But what really put Serato on the map was creating a movement that started with feeding hungry children right here in the U.S. and later expanding to include finding permanent homes for “motel families” (so named because they live in cheap, crime-ridden rooms) and helping at-risk youth escape gang life by introducing them to careers in the hospitality field.

Readers follow along as he builds his Italian steakhouse into a celebrity watering hole then, in 2005, his real-life mission begins after he and his mother learn that in the backyard of the great wealth of Orange County, Calif, children are going to bed hungry each night. We follow along as he generously commits to preparing pasta for them each evening and watching that need expand exponentially. The numbers grew from 150 that first night to currently serving more than 3,500 hungry mouths with more than 1.5 million fed so far.

All proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to Caterina’s Club, the nonprofit he formed in honor of his mother that subsidizes his charity work.

The restaurant is situated on the mall’s first floor near Sears and just past the carousel.