The Latest Spin-Off From Da Vinci's, Cibaria Is An Unqualified Success. By Rebecca Cook THE TRADITION CONTINUES..." This may sound like the latest promotional soundbite for the Master's Tournament or Wimbledon, but it is instead the motto of the latest spin-off from one of Tucson's favorite prime-time dining venues. Cibaria, nestled against the backdrop of the Catalinas in lovely Oro Valley, features a variety of Italian dishes that may seem just a tad familiar to many residents. Chef/Manager Loreta Foley learned the art of cooking and running a restaurant at the elbow of one of the best in the business, her dad, otherwise known as Cosmo Ali, longtime owner of Da Vinci's Italian Restaurant. "My father was a great teacher," says Foley. "He insisted that all of us get a college education. I think he was hoping we'd get out of the restaurant business and have normal jobs with normal working hours. Somehow it didn't work out that way." With a degree in political science and sociology and a minor in economics, Foley considered an MBA path, but there was something about restauranteuring that had her hooked. When the opportunity to run Cibaria presented itself, Foley and her husband Charley (Cibaria's pastry chef) leaped at the chance. Foley wasn't the only one in the Ali family fascinated by the food industry: Sister Pina opened Trattoria Pina three years ago, and aunts, uncles and cousins are down the road running things at Michelangelo's Ristorante Italiano. To say the Ali family has almost cornered the market on Italian dining in the Tucson area would be an understatement. Although Foley admits there's considerable sharing of recipes and information among family members, she notes there are also subtle differences. "My restaurant is more reflective of Northern Italy, with a lot more white sauces being used. I have polenta, and I don't think the others offer that," she explains. "Da Vinci's is more authentic, Trattoria Pina is more innovative, and Cibaria is somewhere right in the middle." Both lunch and dinner are served at Cibaria, and, from the looks of things, the place has gone over big with many residents of nearby Sun City Vistoso, who are no doubt tickled not to have to drive great distances for decent food. Cibaria takes reservations only for parties of six or more, and would-be patrons would be wise to avoid the early dinner times, which are enormously popular--so much so that Foley says for a while there were often people lined up outside the door when they opened at 4:30 p.m. But if you'd like to take a leisurely drive up North Oracle, maybe stop off for a little scenic tour of Catalina State Park and ease into a later meal of unequivocal goodness, put Cibaria on your list. A good beginning was an order of the cozze affogate ($6.50), green lip mussels sautéed in your choice of a white wine or marinara sauce. We opted for the white treatment of the dish, and were delighted with the slightly chewy mollusks and the blatant blessing of garlic. Accompanied by an order of crostino (Italian baked bread) and a glass of hearty red Italian wine, we sat back to watch the colors change on the mountains as the sun slowly set. A sizable menu presents the diner with many formidable dilemmas. Should one stick with pasta dishes (we are talking Italian here after all), try the chicken, veal, seafood, or dive into some awesome-looking pizza? The only satisfactory resolution is to plan future visits in order to complete a thorough sampling. We restricted ourselves to but two selections: the lasagna primavera ($11.95) and the pollo Toscanini ($13.50). The Toscanini presentation was breathtaking, if for no other reason than its enormity. Three half-chicken breasts bathed in a light lemon-cream sauce with button mushrooms and artichoke hearts, served over a generous bed of cheese tortellini, was more than even my ample appetite could accommodate in one sitting--although I gave it a valiant effort. The chicken was tender and moist and a perfect foil for a sauce that was neither too cloyingly heavy nor drippingly thin. The lasagna primavera was a good six-by-three-inch rectangle of layered pasta, ricotta and mozzarella cheese and a veritable harvest of sautéed vegetables, including tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and peas, bathed in a barely sweet fresh tomato puree. The veggies were cooked to perfection, with no distracting crunchiness to contend with, and the flavors blended together gloriously. Desserts are made on the premises (with the exception of a frozen pecan pie, which is a favorite of many of Cibaria's regular customers) and can feature anything from sorbet to chocolate torte. An avowed tiramisu devotee, I had no choice but to try to make room for Cibaria's rendition. Already equipped with two take-home containers of food, I nevertheless forged ahead. Cibaria's tiramisu ($4), a confectionery blessing of espresso-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese custard and whipped cream, easily covered the parameters of a medium-sized dessert plate, and we were grateful we had not embarrassed ourselves by placing a second dessert order. Two spoons were more than sufficient, and even at that, we had to request yet another to-go box. Stuffed to after-Thanksgiving-dinner capacity, we waddled contentedly out of Cibaria into the desert, gloaming, lunch for the next week clutched firmly in our hands. Yes, indeed. Tradition can be a marvelous thing. Photo by Tom Pritchett Cibaria Cucina Italiana. 12985 N. Oracle Road, No. 165. 825-2900. Open 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4:30 to 9 p.m. for dinner, Monday through Saturday. Closed Sundays. Full bar. V, MC, AMEX, DC, no personal checks. Menu items for lunch: $4.75-$6.95, for dinner: $4.95-$14.95. Chow Scan is The Weekly's selective guide to Tucson restaurants. Send comments and updates to Chow, P.O. Box 2429, Tucson, AZ 85702; or use our e-mail address, tucsonweekly@tucsonweekly.com. These listings have no connection with Weekly advertisers.

		© 1995-97 Tucson Weekly . Info Booth