The restaurant will continue to feature pasta dishes, steaks, oven-roasted chicken and thick pork chops, said Terri Storti, who officially took over Jan. 1 with husband Jim.

“I would like it to be known that Alice’s is still Alice’s,” Terri Storti said. “We do not want to make it into something else – it is important for us and I would like to be known as the person who carried it on.”

Alice’s Italian Supper Club first opened for business on U.S. 2 west of Iron River in 1974 and has been at 402 W. Adams St. since the 1990s.

Terri Storti moved to the area from Milwaukee, Wis., 20 years ago. She and Jim, who is from Iron River, also run a construction business, but she has stepped back from that to give Alice’s Italian Supper Club her full attention.

ALICE’S ITALIAN SUPPER CLUB first opened for business on U.S. 2 west of Iron River in 1974 and has been at 402 W. Adams St. since the 1990s. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

Terri Storti said that since moving to the area, she has loved dining at Alice’s and was a big fan of the oven-roasted chicken and the mostaccioli.

Last May, Alice’s owner Jill Sabotta mentioned to the Stortis they planned to list the supper club for sale. Storti told them not to do it.

“It was kind of important for us that someone else did not come around and buy it – maybe someone from another state and change it,” Storti said. “It was really important for us to keep it the same, so I think there was a sense of urgency there too, because we love it and we wanted it to stay the same.”

Although Storti has no previous experience with running a supper club, she is in good company. When original owner Alice Tarsi started Alice’s Italian Supper Club, she had no experience, only a desire to serve the recipes she learned from her mother, Concetta (Mattioli) Tarsi.

When Tarsi retired in 2008, she sold the Alice’s to Jill Sabotta and her husband Rick, Tarsi’s nephew. They, too, had no prior experience running a supper club, although Jill Sabotta had at one time worked there as a server.

Sabotta went on to work in a bank but her heart was always at Alice’s and she eventually approached Tarsi about selling the supper club to her; they would own Alice’s Italian Supper Club for the next 16 years. Tarsi’s advice to Sabotta was “when they come to eat, treat them like they are coming to your home for dinner.” Tarsi offers the same advice to the Stortis.

Sabotta said it initially was not easy taking Tarsi’s place, but in time they won over the public.

“Well at first people were a little standoffish … She had been there 34 years, so trying to take over and fill her shoes was not easy at all,” Sabotta said. “But the thing that helped is we kept the food and we had (chef) Ralph (Sabinash) so I figured I could win them over and I think I did.”

Storti has eagerly jumped into her many jobs as owner, handling hostess duties, scheduling, payroll and other management duties. In addition Storti is there every morning to help make the homemade pasta, meatballs and the very popular breadsticks, dinner rolls and onion bread.

The staff has remained to ease the transition. Many are long-time employees; one server has been there 19 years, longer than the previous owners. Chef Sabinash has logged more than three decades.

Husband Jim Storti will help out where he can and 16-year-old daughter Sidney assists at times as well.

While Terri Storti stayed with the menu, staff and hours of operation, she did make some minor enhancements to add to the supper club’s atmosphere.

She put up some pictures that used to hang in her grandmother’s house and expanded the wine offerings. She plans to bring in fresh flowers weekly.

Storti said the response she has gotten from patrons so far has been fantastic. Despite taking ownership in what is traditionally a slow time of the year, there really has not been a slow night, she said.

“It has been amazing, just the messages that I am getting on the little enhancements that have been noticeable have been really special,” Storti said. “My cup is full.”

Storti calls Alice’s Italian Supper Club unique in the Iron River area.

“We are kind of the only supper club-type fine dining experience in a pretty heavy radius,” Storti said. “There is not much for Italian here (in Iron River); in Iron Mountain you do have Italian but there is nothing from here to Eagle River, Wis.”

The food makes Alice’s, she said — their sauce is “perfect,” not overseasoned or too meaty.

The menu, while heavy on Italian items, also features steaks, pork chops, chicken and even a burger if someone wants one. Some of the most popular items include the lasagna, gnocchi and the Saturday special, chicken valdostanna.

Friday night specials include poor man’s lobster, battered cod and grilled Norwegian salmon.

Ribs are available on the weekends and other daily and weekly specials are often offered.

For Valentine’s Day this year, specials include baked gnocchi, chicken valdostanna and steak and shrimp. If flowers are ordered through Silver Moon of Iron River, they will deliver them to the restaurant for free in time for the dinner reservation.

Alice’s Italian Supper Club is open 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are welcome.