Even living in Santa Barbara, Renato Moiso remains close to the Italy of his youth. To wit, the name of his nearly 20-year-old Italian deli and restaurant, Via Maestra 42, is the address of the house his parents still occupy in the culinarily rich Piedmont region. I feel I have to respect my roots and keep the concept simple,” he says. Hard to argue when those roots tap a bounty that includes prosciutto di Parma (aged at least 500 days), sublime provolone cheese (a 70-pound wheel hangs in a corner of the restaurant, aging for 24 months); and truffles during the fall and winter seasons. Then there are the frittatas, the pastas, the honest Italian coffee, the baked-on-the-premises cornettos (croissants), the olives and other specialties, and the desserts and gelatos. With a half dozen tables inside and more outside, Via Maestro is what Renato wants it to be: “a cozy place with that warm Italian feeling.”