A restaurant reborn

Felton resident and chef Sebastian Nobile recently opened the Oak Tree Ristorante, named after the hulking oak that spreads its limbs over the building, patio and garden.
The site formerly housed La Bruschetta, which closed earlier this year, and Nobile had served as its chef for seven years. Oak Tree’s general manager, Raffaele Cristallo, used to wait tables at the former restaurant.
The restaurant opened July 6, exactly one week after Nobile’s second daughter, Natalia, was born. His other daughter, 3-year-old Renata, often accompanies him during restaurant preparations.
Nobile said many changes were made before his restaurant opened, including interior additions like wood floors, granite counters and an upgraded kitchen. The garden was also spruced up, and the restaurant’s famous double wooden door with the nude butterfly woman was refurbished.
“This place was very old. I’ve made it like new again,” Nobile said.
The outdoor seating features a garden full of greenery, with a small waterfall and blooming hedges of roses and jasmine. Inside, natural light streams in from the many windows.
While the restaurant still serves Italian fare, the menu is modified. Where La Bruschetta served Sicilian-inspired dishes, Oak Tree offers southern Italian cuisine with an international flair, Nobile said.
“I’ve been very inspired by my travels to Spain and Greece and other parts of Europe,” he said.
Originally from Uruguay, Nobile comes from an Italian family and learned how to cook from his grandfather. The restaurant features homemade pastas like linguini, ravioli and gnocchi, which he boasts are made from scratch.
“There’s a huge difference in flavors (from) box pasta,” Nobile said. “I used to make it with my grandfather. I learned a lot about cooking from him in my younger years.”
Nobile said he also gets many of his ingredients from the Felton Farmers Market. His salads and sauce are made with Dirty Girl Produce’s famous dry-farmed tomatoes.
Along with the dishes on the daily menu — Nobile touts the crab ravioli as his favorite — the restaurant offers a range of daily specials, including appetizers, pastas, fish and meats.
“This place is doing well, and business is building since it opened,” he said. “We cater to people that want good food, and there is a good market for that here.”
At a glance
WHAT: Oak Tree Ristorante
WHEN: 4 to 10 p.m. dinner daily; 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily breakfast; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. lunch, Friday through Sunday
WHERE: 5447 Highway 9, in Felton