La Riserva was opened by chef Michael Vivolo in Larchmont one-third of a century ago. He was born in southeast Italy near Naples and trained at French restaurants in Switzerland but he cooks northern Italian food and has been for more than 33 years.

He grew up in Accadia, a small town in the province of Foggia where his father owned a farm. There were six boys and two girls in his family -- more hands available than needed to work a small farm.

Employment opportunities were scarce in Foggia in 1964 when Vivolo reached the age of 16 so he and two close friends set out to find work elsewhere. They travelled to Lucerne, Switzerland where all three found work at different restaurants. Vivolo went to work for a French restaurant where the chef was kind and patient and taught him the basics of French cooking. He also encouraged Vivolo to enroll at a local French culinary "ecole."

The restaurant's workday was long and demanding but the chef allowed Vivolo time during slow hours of the day to attend classes. He also found time to learn to ski -- a sport he still loves. 

After combining classes with working during most of his four years in Lausanne, Vivolo moved to Geneva and for three years cooked at up-scale restaurants La Locanda and Monte Cristo.

In 1970, he met Margaret, a young woman from Bray, a town in Count Wicklow, Ireland who worked at the Australian embassy in Switzerland. Language proved not to be a barrier and less than a year later, they travelled to Ireland to get married.

Vivolo was ready to pursue a career in America; so he headed for New York in April, 1971 where he found work. Margaret joined him in America in December; they lived in Yonkers. Employment and promotions for Vivolo followed at the prestigious restaurant in the St. Moritz Hotel. 

He remained at the St. Moritz for more than five years receiving several promotions along the way. But in 1977, with a young son at home and a daughter on the way, he felt the time had come to start his own restaurant. After looking at several places up for sale, he came across the "Chef's Hat," a seafood restaurant in Larchont; It was the about the right size (more than 60 seats) and in a location he sought.

With partner Carlo Colaianni, Vivolo purchased the existing restaurant and renamed it La Riserva.  A traditional northern Italian menu was created. In 1996, major renovations were made for the restaurant. 

Over the years, the most popular dishes at La Riserva have been Branzino Mediterraneo, angel hair abissi marini (deep sea) and veal scallopini (although this dish does not appear on the menu posted on the restaurant's website, it is always available). Current best sellers include dishes featuring monkfish and tuna.

The Branzino Mediterraneo is served with grape tomatoes, asparagus, capers, and white wine; it's priced at $25. The angel hair abissi marini consists of thin egg noodles in a light cream sauce with shrimp and mushrooms; it costs $17.50.

Veal dishes appear in depth on the menu and choices for accompaniments abound; most of these dishes are priced at $20. And diehard veal parmigiana fans, many of which exist, can order it at La Riserva for only $20. Veal scallopini comes with asparagus, mushrooms, cheese and white wine.

A dozen different pastas are offered starting at $15; half orders of pasta are available as appetizers. 

A three-course, prix-fixe menu is available at $17.50 on Tuesday evenings (the dishes offered change weekly) and a three-course lunch is served on Monday through Friday priced at $11.95 (for individuals or groups up to ten people).

The Sunday brunch includes an Italian omelette named after former Yankees manager Joe Torre, who believed that dining at La Riserva brought his team good luck.

Once a year, Vivolo skis with a group of local chefs; they have been doing this for more than 20 years mostly on the sloops of Hunter Mountain and not the Alps. However he also races occasionally against chefs in European competitions.

Vivolo's daughter Lara helps out at La Riserva on busy nights and holidays. Ellie Cucino has been with La Riserva for more than 30 years. Vivolo's son Dean, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park is the chef/owner of Trattoria Vivolo in Harrison, opened in 2003. 

La Riserva Trattoria is located at 2382 Boston Post Rd., Larchmont. It opens for lunch Monday through Friday at noon and serves dinner seven nights a week. Sunday brunch is offered from noon to 3 p.m. 914-834-5584. www.lariservarestaurant.com