The fun memories will linger for a long time with those who celebrated the new year at Spaghettini Italian Grill & Jazz Club in Seal Beach, CA. This 200-seat Italian restaurant is famous for its great food, fabulous atmosphere and top jazz performances. Besides a four-course menu, it welcomed in the new year with a personal performance by Grammy- and Emmy- nominated artist Greg Adams.

Don't fret if you missed the event. Spaghettini holds live performances weekly by a variety of top performers, including Grammy Award winner Paul Brown, who will appear Sunday, Feb. 17. Spaghettini is so famous for its live performers that 94.7, the WAVE, one of the top-rated radio stations in Southern California, has broadcast live from the restaurant on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for over six years, as brunch is served.

"We offered predominantly Italian cuisine when restaurateurs Laurie Sisneros and Cary Hardwick opened the restaurant in 1988," said Jon Tilley, general manager. "But it has evolved into its own unique style. We still offer Italian dishes, but it is now more of a California- style establishment, and we serve a tremendous amount of fish. Chilean sea bass is one of our most popular dishes, but we also do a lot of halibut, sockeye and Atlantic salmon."

Besides a great entertainment venue on New Year's Eve, people were reminded of their new year's resolutions. According to the Federal Citizens Information Center, a U.S. government information databank, the majority of people resolved to lose weight and improve their physical fitness regimes. Who would have thought that a restaurant like Spaghettini, where even a quick glance at the menu would make anyone salivate, could be helpful in sticking to a weight-loss resolution?

"Our executive chef, Victor Avila, takes a complementary approach to foods," said Mr. Tilley. "He looks to our primary supplier, Melissa's/World Variety Produce, for unique and seasonal products to help enhance our dishes. Customers increasingly request no or minimal starches on their plates, so Chef Avila is very creative with vegetables. Instead of pre- cooking them, he blanches them and uses ingenious creativity with spices and herbs. Our Butternut squash contains no cream. It is pureed down until it is smooth and creamy. Customers like the fact that they're getting a healthy dish without a lot of fat or cholesterol."

One of Spaghettini's popular dishes is a bone-in chop served with sugar beets and other root vegetables. Mr. Tilley said that these hearty produce items are well received during the winter months.

"Our Butternut squash ravioli is one of our most popular dishes," he said. "We use the baked pulp to create the ravioli, then we saut? it with sage butter sauce. Wild king salmon is another popular dish. It is served over a bed of diced cabbage with green apples, saut?ed with a little butter and walnuts. Port reduction sauce is dribbled over the dish. It's light and crisp, but pops in the mouth with flavor."

Chef Avila prefers to not "sneak" vegetables into a dish, but rather to serve them in ways that allow them to stand out. The pork with brussels sprouts is an example of his creativity. He shreds them and saut?s them in a balsamic vinegar reduction.

"Chef Avila was educated through experience," said Mr. Tilley. "He joined Spaghettini as a dishwasher 30 years ago when he was 16. From there, he went to the saut? table and then to food preparation. He learned to cook through experience, observation and by taking his kids to the library where he would read cookbooks while they studied. An advocate of helping young people, he sponsors troubled kids through the Los Angeles probation department every year."

The chef loves finding new ways to use produce. One seasonal menu item is halibut with a Meyer lemon sauce. Swiss chard is another favorite; Mr. Tilley said that demand for it died down a couple of decades ago, but it is making a strong comeback.

"It is reported as one of the top five vegetables for people to include in their diets," he said. "Chef Avila saut?s it in a little butter with salt and pepper until it's wilted down. The result is fantastic, and it's a top hit with our customers. Broccoli rabe is saut?ed in the traditional Italian way with a little garlic and olive oil, and it is always in demand."

The dessert menu at Spaghettini always highlights fresh fruits. Pastry Chef Oralia Herrandez keeps a seasonal fruit tart on the menu as a staple. She also likes creating fruit cobblers. "Chef Herrandez loves working with pears," said Mr. Tilley. "Roasted pears with fresh ice cream is one of her favorite dishes. She is currently using Seckel pears because they are in season. We also use them as a garnish on other dishes."

About six months ago, Spaghettini began offering a cheese platter. While planning, the restaurant conferred with Melissa's, stressing that it wanted a unique dish.

"Melissa's worked with us on matching the cheeses with special accompaniments," said Mr. Tilley. "Some of the items we incorporate, depending on the flavor and intensity of the cheese, are sugar-coated Macadamia nuts, dried raisins on the vine, Seckel pears, Fuji or Gala apples and even fresh honeycomb."

Spaghettini's Sunday brunch is important because of the large crowds drawn to the live jazz performances. Diners go to the buffet for their first course, which boasts a wide variety of platters. One popular dish is a seasonal apple and walnut salad with baby greens, candied walnuts and dried cranberries topped with crumbled Maytag blue cheese. Chopped grilled chicken salad with Mandarin orange is another seasonal favorite. Customers can also always rely on an in-season fresh fruit salad tossed with organic honey.

"At Spaghettini, it's all about using the freshest produce we can put our hands on and using creative ways to serve them with new and exciting flavors," said Mr. Tilley. "Melissa's plays a major role in making it possible."