“I have tomato sauce running in my blood,” said Tarcisio Mosconi, 49, co-owner and operator of the Tra Di Noi restaurant in Malibu’s Civic Center area.

The name of the restaurant is fitting–it means “just between us” in Italian–for the small, intimate, newly rebuilt restaurant

Mosconi was rejoicing at the reopening of the restaurant Thursday, which was closed by the city since a December, 1999 fire destroyed a neighboring business and damaged the restaurant.

Tra Di Noi, which is also owned by Antonio Allessi and Claudio Borin, was originally founded in 1991 by Alessi and Borin at the site of the former La Scala restaurant.

Although the restaurant was closed for several months, Mosconi said he was able to find work for all the cooks and waiters at two other restaurants he is affiliated with, one in Marina Del Rey and the other on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Borin runs another Italian restaurant named Sage Room (at the former location of Indigo Cafe at PCH and Kanan Dume Road). The president of the corporation is Alessi. Tra Di Noi is Mosconi’s favorite “because it’s small and personal,” he said.

Trastevere in Santa Monica is, by contrast, “a machine that feeds 1,200 a day,” and the one they own in the Marina, Il Faro, is for tourists.

“Here, in Malibu, we have many local families who come several times a week,” he said.

Mosconi was born into a restaurant family. He tries in every way to make Tra Di Noi like the restaurant run by his family in Rome.

“When customers from Malibu tell me they are going to Italy, I tell them the name of my family’s restaurant in Rome and they go there and have their picture taken with my sister,” he said.

Mosconi often buys the vegetables for the restaurant himself.

“I feel fresh vegetables are important,” he said. “You cannot get the same taste with frozen vegetables. The same for fish.”

The average meal at Tra Di Noi costs $18 to $20, plus drinks. Mosconi stocks three types of wines at the Malibu location–Italian, French and Californian. One of the most expensive wines is Solaia at $140 to $145 a bottle.

The fare is Northern Italian. Pizza is served as well. While some might think it is a “given” at an Italian restaurant, upscale Italian restaurants think pizza is beneath them.

“We have pizza because a lot of our customers bring kids and kids love pizza,” said Mosconi.

Seafood is also big in the Malibu location, “because we are by the ocean and you expect it, and Italians love fish,” said Mosconi.

One unique selling proposition offered by Tra Di Noi is that they are located scant feet away from a children’s play area.

“We have parents come and request an outdoor table on the patio so they can dine while keeping an eye on their children only a few feet away,” he said.

Mosconi takes his job seriously. He is there seven days a week, sometimes up until 11 p.m. He greets each customer, and knows their taste in food if they are regulars. He takes a 10-day vacation once a year. Ironically, what he does while on vacation is “go to other restaurants,” he said. He said his one pet peeve is so-called Italian restaurants that don’t know how to prepare Italian food.

“I ordered a pasta up north in San Franciso and they were supposed to have egg inside, but had whipped cream,” he said. “I asked the chef who planned this recipe and he wouldn’t let me talk to the boss. I think they were afraid to be confronted by a real Italian chef.”

Although Mosconi won’t admit to being “star struck,” he does say that he was impressed when a movie star he had just seen on TV arrived in person and proved to be “a regular guy who talked about the weather and food.”

For those Malibuites who want their ambiance authentic, Mosconi strives daily to create an Italian ambiance.

“I have Italian music piped in from a satellite,” he said. “I had the chairs reupholstered with cloth from Italy.”

The walls feature paintings of vegetables from the gallery next-door, paintings he changes monthly so no one will get bored. He wears only Italian-made clothes. He said he wasn’t able to find Italian tablecloths as colorful as the French ones he chose for the patio. The implication was that French country was all right, but nothing compared to Italian country.

Tra Di Noi was booked through the weekend from the day they re-opened–word spreading fast that they were back in business.

“I regret that the building next door wasn’t repaired enough so that we can’t have a nice wall behind the patio instead of a board,” said Mosconi.

The fact that the building next door is not repaired is what prevents them from installing a more permanent canopy over the patio. His temporary solution is a canvas umbrella over each table to cope with the sun, and portable heaters to cope with the chill that comes at nightfall.

“In Italy the canopies are more permanent,” he said, “so you wouldn’t need the heaters.”

He said the secret of being a successful restaurateur is, “You have to love your job, and I do. And you need to understand what you’re doing. It’s like I said, I’ve got tomato sauce running in my veins.”

The Malibu Pier is in play again.

The state of California, owners of the Malibu Pier, are in the early stages of deciding what they want to see on the Malibu Pier after it’s been rebuilt and they’re taking that decision process out for public input. There was a kickoff planning meeting July 7 with the Malibu Business Roundtable at City Hall. They’re also taking potential bidders for the pier repair contract through what they call a bid-walk this week, to give them a better idea of what the pier will need.

The funding also appears to be getting into line. The County of Los Angles will probably be putting in $2.9 million of Prop A Bond funds and the City of Malibu will be putting in $700,000 of their bond funds. Both the county and the city want, as a condition, a commitment from the state that they will maintain the pier, which would include setting up a trust fund of $95,000 per year for repair, in addition to regular maintenance. The proposal, along with the finalized details, should be going before the Board of Supervisors for a vote at their next meeting. To date the state has spent approximately $700,000 on repairs.

Hayden Sohm, a park ranger and Malibu sector superintendent for the Department of Parks and Recreation of the state of California, who has charge of the pier said there will be a meeting for public input in August and noted that the meeting date will be publicized.

The repair and rehabilitation of the pier was scheduled to be done in three phases, but Phase 1 was cut short by the state because the two partners who where joint venturing the project couldn’t get along with each other. The state finally stepped in and terminated them both. The project has been put out for rebid, and the state hopes to have a new contractor by early fall.

Phase 2 will include getting another contractor to complete the incomplete portion of Phase 1, and will also include completing the structural aspects of the pier and buildings, and deciding what concessions get to set up business on the pier. Phase 3 will be to build those concessions and finish the pier for its entire length. Construction is expected to resume in early October.

When completed, the building that once housed Alice’s Restaurant will be once again be a restaurant, though major structural repair work has to be done first. The building will have to be raised so that the support structure underneath can be repaired. The smaller building on the other side of the entrance, which housed the prep kitchen, will be torn down and rebuilt. Since the Malibu Pier is a historical structure, the look of the buildings can’t be changed and have to be replaced as they were before.

No decisions have been made as to what restaurant will be going in there, said Sohm. There is room on the pier for two restaurants, he said, indicating the one of the two structures at the seaward end of the pier could be a restaurant.

As far as what level of restaurants go out on the pier, Sohm was noncommittal.

“We would like to see a restaurant that is supportive of what we do in the state parks in Malibu,” Sohm explained. “Maybe a restaurant with a display of the history of Malibu.”

But nothing is carved in stone.

The public will have an opportunity to say what they would like to see on the pier and how they would like to see it developed, Sohm said.

Sohm said it is not true that there is any problem with parking. Once the parking lot is opened, it will have room for 100 cars.

However, there will not be a provision to park cars on the pier as with the pier in Santa Barbara.

We have it strong enough to take a fire truck, said Sohm, but don’t plan to have cars out on the pier.

As far as other amenities the pier may have, Sohm said it is possible that sport fishing boats may be brought back. Fishing off the Pier is permitted, and with 380 feet of the pier reopened, the pier is being used for that now. A fishing license is not needed to fish off the pier.

On the short length of the pier the day before the Fourth of July, those using the pier talked about what they thought should be the proper direction for the pier. Jose Irheta, 32, a native of El Salvador, was fishing for halibut and sand bass.

“I’ve been fishing off piers for four years,” he said, “and one thing this one lacks is a restaurant and bathrooms.”

He also said he would like to see a bait shop. As far as a restaurant, Irheta said he doesn’t care if it’s expensive, but he would like to see one on the pier itself.

Hector Holguin, a 72-year-old senior citizen, said, “I’d like to see Alice’s open again, or a restaurant like it. Something where dinner is about $12 and I could buy a drink or two.”

He said he’d also like to see sport fishing boats come back to the Malibu pier. Holguin, who is from Mission Hills, has been coming to the pier since 1941. A grandfather of five, he plans to have his ashes scattered from the pier. As far as what level of restaurant he’d like to see open, he’s a little more in favor of a fancier place.

“I don’t want to see graffiti on the pier,” he said, indicating that Santa Monica’s pier has gone to the dogs.

Greg Battitt, 25, of Northridge, was also fishing for halibut. A plumber, he said he has tried the Oxnard pier “but the crabs ate all my bait.”

Battitt said he would like to see a bait shop, and a cheap restaurant “a little above Jack in the Box,” or maybe a coffee shop.

Abdul R. Pasta, manager of Malibu Inn, said he looks forward to the re-opening of the pier to its full length.

“I remember the crowds we had on weekends when the pier was open,” he said. “The parking lot will be good for use”

Pasta said he doesn’t care if the restaurant on the pier is expensive or middle class.

“We will benefit as people will come and eat here too,” he said.

The pier is open 8 a.m. to sunset daily to pedestrian foot traffic only. It is anticipated that the pier will be open until early October when construction activity is planned to resume. Entrance to the pier is free, however, parking in the adjacent lot is $6 per day.

Beaches, bluffs, canyons, and beautiful estates make Malibu a prime filming location.

Malibu has been the backdrop to many TV shows and movies such as “Baywatch,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “Terminator 2,” “Lethal Weapon 4,” just to name a few.

Although generally the locals are tolerant of filming in Malibu, that tolerance ends when it impacts the city’s only lifeline–the Pacific Coast Highway.

Recently a film production took place on PCH and closed down traffic lanes during rush hour. Traffic quickly backed up for miles in a massive traffic jam.

Dr. Joe Fuscillo, a cardiologist who has lived in Malibu since 1979, experienced the dilemma first-hand in May.

“I, like others, commuted for hours and when I got to the area of obstruction and found out that they were filming, everyone was outraged,” said Fuscillo.

“They can film anywhere around the Pacific Coast, but under no circumstances should that highway be closed for filming.”

However, he added that this was the first time such a problem happened in the 20 years he has lived in Malibu.

PCH is never entirely closed because of filming, said Malibu City Manager Harry Peacock. The permit rules state that production companies are required to use an on-duty county Sheriff for any interim traffic control (ITC) during filming.

ITC on roadways is limited to three minutes maximum with no exceptions.

On occasion, the California Film Commission/CalTrans allows filming or parking on PCH

“They do their best to comply with the lane closure policies of the city,” said Peacock.

The last problem occurred on a video shoot in May where the lane closure for parking backed up traffic.

To help alleviate problems in the future, Peacock said, “We have coordinated with CALTRANS and the Sheriff’s Department to make certain this does not happen again.

“The city will no longer sign off on a permit until it has seen the permit issued by CALTRANS and made certain the policy of the city is being followed.”

In the case in May the regular CALTRANS employee who handles the permits and coordinates with the city was on vacation and the replacement did not follow established CALTRANS procedure.

“The city has received a letter of apology from the district director of CALTRANS for this error and his assurance it will be handled properly in the future,” said Peacock.

The City of Malibu issues an average of 500 filming permits per year, said Peacock.

According to Malibu resident David Katz, 29, a film actor, director and writer, as well as founder of the Malibu Film foundation, “The City of Malibu has a very well-oiled permit process.

“As long as you have proper information, the process is well-defined and easy,” said Katz.

Chris Wallace works for two production companies, which recently filmed in Malibu.

The two companies, Anomaly Productions and Greg Aronowitz and Associates, came together to film, “Off Side.”

“The permit wasn’t especially difficult to get,” said Wallace, adding that Malibu is part of the Los Angeles County permit zone.

Kim Collins-Nilsson handles all film permit applications for the City of Malibu. She has been the film permit coordinator for June 1.

However, Malibu city business is not new to Collins-Nilsson because she has worked as the Public Works Project manager for the city in the past.

According to Peacock, production companies must contact the California Film Commission, which in turn contacts CALTRANS and the city to obtain a permit. This process is set out in state regulations and any city that issues film permits (and not all do) are asked to follow the same guidelines.

The state wishes to be known as being friendly to the film business and to make it easy to film in California, he said.

The Malibu Municipal Code requires a permit for the use of any public right-of-way or any public or private property, facility or residence for the purpose of producing, taking or making any commercial motion picture, television or photographic production.

The city requires all productions to provide advance notice for all filming activities. A permit requiring traffic control, special effects, pyrotechnics or precision driving must be submitted two business days in advance for review and approval.

Production undertaken by non-profit organizations, educational or public service television, or student films requires an approved permit for which the fees shall be waived. No fees are required of news crews or non-commercial still photographers.

All sheriff and city services are paid for by the company that secures the permits; none is paid by the taxpayers of Malibu.

Peacock said that June 2000 was a typical month for Malibu, 52 permits were issued in all: 27 for still shoots, seven for videos, six for TV, one Public Service Announcement; six features, three commercials, and two student productions.

Malibu is not normally a location where an entire film is shot.

“We are typically a one-or two- day location,” said Peacock.

The most recent “big” project was the construction of a set on Westward Beach for the film “Pearl Harbor,” which took about three months to build and shoot the scenes, he said.

Westward Beach, in front of the Whale Watch Restaurant, is under the jurisdiction of the county of Los Angeles and therefore permitted by the Los Angeles County Film Office.

Filming is usually permitted from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. as set forth in the policies, and a production company’s security arrangements are their own responsibility.

Malibu residents can rent their house for a shoot for 14 days without signature approval of the neighbors as defined in the policies.

To warn neighbors of potential disruptions, all permittees are required to distribute the City of Malibu Filming Notification sheet to all residents within 500 feet of the filming locations at least 24 hours prior to the first day of filming.

Residential notification is not required for still shoots with cast and crew of less than 10 people.

According to the City of Malibu, when special effects or helicopters are used, the permittee should generally obtain written consensus from neighbors within a radius of 500 feet of the filming activity and must notify neighbors within 1000 feet of the filming activity.

Generally, the more signatures obtained, the greater the neighborhood consensus and the greater the likelihood of permit approval by city staff. The same is true for after-hours filming.

When helicopters are used in residential neighborhoods the flight-path shall be over vacant property. The flight plan shall be on file with the city.

The city does not regulate the content of a shoot under a permit.

However, Peacock said that he does not personally know of any pornographic shoots that have taken place in Malibu. Any damage incurred during a shoot would be the responsibility of the production company.

City of Malibu

Permit fees, charges and deposits:

Motion Fee

Motion Application $600

Minor Revisions (Riders) $100

Beach Application $ 250

Cancellation Fee $ 200

Administrative Reimbursement and Property Use Fee:

City property or right of way (filming) $ 400/day

City property or right of way parking

Up to 60 vehicle spaces (@24′ each) $ 200/day

60 or more vehicle spaces (@ 24′ each) $ 400/day

City park fees: $35

processing fee

Park use fee $1,200-$1,800/day

Performance bond $ 500

Monitoring required $20/hour

Still fees:

Still Application $100

Minor Revisions (Riders) $50

Beach Application $ 100

Park Fee $62/hour

Cancellation Fee $50

All of Janet Baker’s possessions are in her car.

Though she has been a resident of Malibu for at least the past 20 years, raising her two children who attended local schools, while teaching children of Malibu herself, Baker can no longer live here.

At an income of $2,000 per month (which sometimes varies), she can no longer afford to stay in Malibu, where the average annual income is $249,000 and the average priced home is $1 million.

Baker currently teaches at Saint Aidan’s Pre-school, and for 10 years taught at Malibu United Methodist. She supplements her income by baby-sitting.

“I’ll take anything,” Baker said of her desire to make extra income to survive.

She had lived in a one-bedroom unit on Pacific Coast Highway across from Broad Beach for $600 per month for most of the time she’s been in Malibu. Grayfox Street was the location of her last residence until she was asked to leave, due to the recent crackdown on code enforcement laws that make it illegal to rent out guest houses or second units on most single-family residences.

Now, she has nowhere to live. She said she cannot find anything under a $1,000, or if there is anything at that price, it’s gone in a flash.

“They’re [rentals] either too high or gone too fast,” said Baker of her search.

Unfortunately, for the 20 percent of residents in Malibu who earn less than $40,000, with the rising property values in Malibu has come the rise in rental prices.

“Any time property values go that high it becomes exclusive,” said Mayor Tom Hasse in a phone interview of the problems renters face. “It does trickle down to the renters.

“People need to understand that when the property value is so high, it is difficult to do something [about rental prices],” said Hasse.

While Baker has been finishing the school year at St. Aidan’s, she has been staying with friends here and there, sleeping on couches to get by. Currently, she has a trailer to stay in, but still keeps all her things in her car, including all her books–she’s a story teller–which she has read to many children over the years.

In the past two weeks, Baker has gone to graduation after graduation to congratulate those children, former students of hers, and to say goodbye.

For Baker is leaving Malibu. Not that she wants to. She has no choice.

Baker is leaving this summer to go and live with her daughter in another state.

“It’s sad to leave this town,” said Baker. “Many parents have told me it’s the end of an era.”

She’s not the only one leaving either.

Single mom Lori Kerkar, owner of Hands on Therapy, a local business that provides therapuetic massage, has had her business here for nine years.

Her current rent is $1,500, but her landlords want to raise it by $300. Though her income is higher than Baker’s, with health insurance costs, self-employment taxes, and childcare for her 4-year-old, plus many other daily living expenses, she cannot afford the rent increase. As a result, Kerkar is moving to the South bay.

There are others who are finding it difficult to stay in this city where the rich and famous blend in with the local waiter, bartender, teacher, small business owner or student.

One single mother of two, ages 16 and 11, who prefers to remain anonymous, said she is “struggling to find housing” for her family.

She said she “races” to call about one bedrooms for rent only to find that they’re already taken, or that no one wants three people living in one bedroom. She and her children are presently living at a friend’s home, until they find a place.

She’s lived here for 15 years and said, “It’s the first time I’ve had such a hard time.”

City Manager Harry Peacock, who will retire this month, said of the housing problem in Malibu that it is a “statewide” problem and not unique to Malibu. He said there are people who work for the city who do not live here due to the high prices.

“Malibu is an expensive place to live,” Peacock said. “Not everyone can live in Malibu.”

“People who can afford [to live here] are people who worked very hard to be able to live here.” he said.

Of the code enforcement laws, Peacock said it is illegal to rent out guest houses or second units, including travel trailers. He stressed the point that the city has not evicted people.

Hasse said the city is awaiting a report from the Code Enforcement Task Force on the issue of renting second units or guest houses, as well as “home office” rules and the “grandfathering” issue.

While Hasse stressed that he does not want to predict or influence what the task force will do, he did say that to change the code is “a viable option.”

As to what choices the less-well-off residents of Malibu have in the meantime, Peacock’s words were, “[They] will have to move to other communities.”