>Osteria la Fiamma in Ridgewood
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
By ELISA UNG
RESTAURANT REVIEWER
When Trattoria Fratelli opened on Ridgewood Avenue in 1994, its wood-fired pizza oven was a big novelty for the area. As Fratelli grew into a Ridgewood institution, husband-and-wife owners Sara and Abele Oscar Riva (who were importers of such ovens before they were restaurateurs), often talked about expanding the wood-fired theme with a rotisserie.
In the late 2000s, their familiar downtown Ridgewood spot was in need of a physical makeover, and when the economy started to dive, the Rivas figured it was time for a change. They carefully planned all of the details – warmer colors, banquettes and wood-fired meats. They even chose a start date. But then, suddenly, Abele Oscar Riva was hospitalized last December and died in February.