TOSCANA IN BRENTWOOD —
Toscana is a neighborhood trattoria that celebrates the rustic, authentic, farm-to-table flavors of Northern Italy. For more than 30-years we have stood tall on a corner in Brentwood and set the backdrop for special meals shared by generations of families, friends, and neighbors, as well as elites from the worlds of entertainment, sports, fashion, and our valued guests from around the globe. This is a place where every guest, whether famous or not, is treated like they’re a part of our family.
Lunch ~
Monday — Saturday
11:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Dinner ~
Monday — Saturday
5:30 PM to 10:30 PM
Sunday
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
WHO WE ARE
KATHIE & MIKE GORDON
Co-Founders
Theirs is a love affair… one steeped in good food, phenomenal wines, and all things Tuscan. Mike Gordon comes by his passion for food honestly. His father, Bobby, simply loved to eat and Mike inherited the gene. But being seasoned restaurant diners wasn’t enough for Mike and Kathie Gordon. They wanted to open their own restaurant which would feature the tastes and feel of a land they loved. Armed with a notepad and camera, they took off for Tuscany and immersed themselves in the foods, wines, and traditions of the region. Upon returning home to LA, Mike summoned the skills and connections he honed as an entertainment industry business manager, while Kathie, an award-winning writer and skilled landscape designer, called on the stamina she gained as a marathon runner to lay down the groundwork necessary to bring their dream to fruition. In 1989, Toscana opened on a corner in Brentwood where a pharmacy once stood… and its legacy grew.
In 2010, the Gordons partnered with Mike’s son, Andy, to open Bar Toscana, an intimate, impossibly chic cocktail bar adjacent to Toscana. Another much lauded restaurant joined the fold in 2013 when the Gordons decided to make Santa Ynez their home. They opened the laid-back yet elegant, award-winning Santa Barbara County mainstay, S.Y. Kitchen, alongside chef Luca Crestanelli.
ROBERTO FACCIOLLA
General Manager
Born in Bari, Italy, Roberto Facciolla grew up in the small southern town Gravina di Puglia. As a young boy he worked in la campagnia (the countryside) on his family farm, picking olives and harvesting grapes from their family vineyard to produce olive oil and wine. From his exceptional palette, a passion for wine was born. It quickly earned him a Sommelier D’Italia Degree certified with the IACCW. He went on to earn his Degree in Hospitality at Benedetto XIII, Puglia, Italy. Today, Roberto is well known in the Los Angeles community as one of the most knowledgeable in his field.
Roberto has been an integral and treasured part of the Toscana family for more than 20-years. When he is not overseeing the continuous goings on at the restaurant, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Michelle, and their two young sons.
MIGUEL MARTINEZ
Chef de Cuisine
He says his favorite dish is the Tagliatelle Bolognese, just one of the traditional Tuscan recipes Chef Miguel Martinez has mastered, honored, and enhanced with his exquisite touch. As a young boy growing up in Mexico, Miguel dreamed of being a pastry chef. That dream is now a reality and only a fraction of what he does as Toscana’s Chef de Cuisine and a beloved member of this family since 1999.
Miguel first knocked on our door at the turn of the century. He was the only member of his family to come to the United States and Toscana was the first stop he made. With no prior restaurant experience, he began as a dish washer and worked his way up the ranks.
With a keen eye for quality and an impeccable sense of what foods work best together, Miguel takes great pride in all he makes, but by far he is most proud of his family which includes his wife Geysy and their three children, Ethan, Catherine, and Emily.
LISA KOZEL
Chief Financial Officer
Also a marathon runner (trained, encouraged and coached by Kathie), Lisa Kozel was lured to Los Angeles by Mike and Kathie from her home state of Nebraska where she graduated from the University of Nebraska.
Originally assigned to pay bills and help Mike manage, Lisa quickly learned the nuances of the restaurant and hospitality industries. She brought her drive and stick-to-it-tiveness to the job and earned her role as the newly appointed Chief Financial Officer for The Toscana Restaurant group. As CFO, Lisa is responsible for guiding the financial sides of Toscana, Bar Toscana, Nerano, S.Y. Kitchen, and Nella.
As a happy transplant, Lisa now calls Brentwood home.