(May 23, 2002) -- Nestled in the golden mountains of Milan amid flowering pastures glowing with color, La Fontana Italian Kitchen beckons you like a siren’s song to come and discover their small yet beautiful ristorante. Okay, okay, this isn’t exactly where La Fontana is, nor what it’s exactly like, but believe me when I say that this place tries very hard to capture that romantic mood inside the restaurant.

Located at 933 North Brand Blvd. in Glendale at the corner of Glenoaks Blvd., you would think that La Fontana would simply be another metropolitan Italian restaurant. Though on a bustling corner, it is so secluded you will never know that you’re on a busy street until you walk outside. As the name suggests, the place is very romantic and almost ideal for a date with that special someone.

To set the mood, there is a shady, garden-like entrance with a beautiful fountain in the middle of the outside seating area. Making your way into the restaurant, the first thing you see is a pair of golden harps, then the sculpted wall fountains of cherubs off to the side and another very large fountain giving off a water mist to cool the center of the main dining room. All these add to the mood.

The staff members at La Fontana are very nice and try their best to make your dining experience enjoyable. Right away they serve water and some of their homemade bread rolled in garlic and oil. The bread is so addictive they should come with a warning from the Surgeon General.

Whether you’re looking for the classical Italian dishes or the zesty and spicy dishes, you’ll probably be able to find something you like, as all the dishes are made with great care. Another nice touch is that if you chose to bring home your food in a doggie bag, instead of finding your one chicken breast and three or four vegetables, you will find that the waiter has filled your take-out container to the top so you have almost another entrée to eat.

Most of the prices range from $12 to $20, which isn’t bad, but not great either. So if you’re willing to shell out some money and restrain yourself from eating too many of those delicious courses, you will enjoy a nice classy meal.

La Fontana is located at 933 North Brand Blvd. and is open Mon.- Sun. from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pianists play Tues. through Sun. Please call (818) 247-6256. Reservations are optional.