Bruno Serato has the quintessential American success story. A young man immigrates to the United States with nothing more than a dream and $200 in his pocket, works hard and creates one of the culinary world’s most respected and lauded fine dining establishments—the Anaheim White House. Renowned for its dramatic and artfully crafted Northern Italian/French cuisine as well as its elegant and historically significant setting in a mansion dating back to 1909, the Anaheim White House has counted celebrities, US Presidents, dignitaries, world leaders and culinary aficionados alike as loyal patrons since its stablishment in 1987. Thanks to his forward-thinking vision and an innate ability to “season� his guests’ dining experiences with a truly unique flair, Bruno Serato has traveled far from his humble roots as a busboy in Italy to create a culinary legacy that is recognized by both critics and patrons alike as among the finest in North America.
Bruno Serato traces his roots to post World War II Italy, where his family worked as shepherds. Times proved difficult for the growing family so his parents packed up and moved to France to work the land picking potatoes and beets in the northern region, approximately one hour’s drive from Paris. They settled in the city of Laon, and it was there that he was born and raised along with his four brothers and two sisters until the age of 11.
Bruno and his family returned to Italy in 1967 and settled in Verona, the famed city of Romeo and Juliet. It was there that they opened the family business, a small motel complex with a restaurant called the Bar Cristallo, and Bruno was SEEING and enjoying the delightful treats of Anaheim White House Restaurant, it’s hard to believe that the owner who has made it the favorite dining place of dignitaries and celebrities grew up in a poor family in Italy and worked as a dishwasher when he first came to America. called upon to wear many hats in the burgeoning enterprise including chef, waiter, bartender and maitre d’—often all at the same time!
A pivotal moment came in 1980, when Serato’s sister, Stella, told him of an opportunity at a French restaurant near her home that had just opened. Stella was married to a Filipino, Alfredo Ibay, and they lived in Orange County, California. Bruno visited them and decided to relocate to America.
He applied for an entry-level position at the famous La Vie en Rose in Brea, and he was hired as a dishwasher. Serato quickly caught the eye of the restaurant’s management team and he rose through the service ranks through the years, eventually gaining recognition and being named “Maitre D’ of the Year� by the Southern California Restaurant Writers.
In 1987, Serato began exploring the notion of striking out on his own. After hearing of the pending sale of the nearby White House Restaurant in Anaheim by leading area restaurateur Jim Stovall, he excitedly bought it and worked hard to make it one of the finest and most beautiful
restaurants in Southern California.
Serato threw himself into redesigning the restaurant’s menu to represent contemporary Northern Italian cuisine, but with a French flair. He moved away from dishes with heavy red sauces and created new ones highlighting the lighter tastes and flavors of herbs & olive oil —a move that would help spearhead a culinary trend that would come to be known as “California cuisine.� Serato designed elaborate, yet historically appropriate settings within the restaurant and in the garden areas to create spaces that could accommodate intimate dinner parties or cocktail receptions for more than 450 guests. In addition, he created a catering division that had the ability to accommodate small and large parties of any theme in locations as far away as Bora Bora. These changes earned him both popular and critical acclaim and, over the ensuing years, made the Anaheim White House a draw for celebrities ranging from former US Presidents Carter and George Bush to Madonna.
In homage to his own humble beginnings, Serato has made it a priority to give back to those less fortunate in the community. Among the organizations that he supports are the Boys and Girls Clubs of Anaheim; Paint Your Heart Out, an organization that renovates the homes of the elderly and infirmed; and Caterina’s Girls Club, which Serato founded in honor of his mother to benefit underprivileged girls in Anaheim. His philanthropic efforts have raised nearly $1 million for various endeavors and earned him a regional distinction of which he is particularly proud, “Citizen of the Year� by the Cypress College Foundation and presented by the City of Anaheim.
As he faces the future with much the same enthusiasm that brought him to this country, Serato has earned a coveted position in Southern California’s culinary landscape. He pledges to continue doing the work that he loves with the same level of passion and devotion that has earned him legions of loyal devotees across the globe.
Anaheim White House Restaurant is located at 887 South
Anaheim Boulevard, Anaheim, California 92805. Tel (714)
772-1381 / Fax (714) 772-7062.