By Kaye Ross

The restaurant bearing Fred Maddalena’s name in Palo Alto will celebrate 30 years in business this month. Maddalena is somewhat north of 75, and the restaurant business is renowned for sapping blood in addition to sweat and tears from even the most successful of its purveyors.

But ask Maddalena to sum it all up, and, ever the continental gentleman, he said: “It’s been a challenge, this business - not a chore.”

It’s been in his blood since he was a young teenager, growing up in a staunch Italian neighborhood in Toronto. Being an only child during the Depression, Maddalena had not even entered high school before he began working as a busboy and room service waiter to help out with family expenses.

“It was really my school,” he said of his seven years at the upscale King Edward Hotel in Toronto. “I was very, very lucky.”

After just six years, Maddalena was able to buy his parents their first home.

He fell in love with the restaurant business and, later, with the world of the cabaret. When Canada began licensing clubs, one of Toronto’s top players chose Maddalena to manage the first nightclub in town.

“Bob Newhart was our first performer and emcee,” he said.

There was a chorus line to open every show, of course, and Maddalena became enamored of the ballet teacher, Eileen, who had moved to Toronto from Sheffield, England. They have been married more than 40 years and live in Los Altos.

Those early days were terrific, Maddalena said, because there was a circuit of performers who made the rounds of Toronto, Buffalo, New York, Chicago and other northern cities. Maddalena could book the incomparable jazz singer Sarah Vaughan for a week for $600.

But by 1965, the lure of Las Vegas for entertainers had changed all that. Vaughan could command 10 times the Toronto rate. The Maddalenas followed the business to Vegas, but didn’t stay.

Some friends told them that Palo Alto might be a good place to start a business. Maddalena ran the Golden Dragon there from 1967 until he opened Maddalena’s in 1976. Seventeen years ago, he got the chance to add the cabaret Cafe Fino next door.

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, June 21 through June 23 Maddalena’s will offer a three-night special prix fixe dinner and cabaret evening. Blues singer Margie Baker will entertain June 21, Italian concert-style tenor Pasquale Esposito on June 22 and Nancy Gilliland will sing Broadway show tunes June 23.

The dinner costs $55 per person for five courses: antipasto, tortellini Bolognese, insalata, and choice of charbroiled salmon, roasted chicken or New York steak with fresh vegetables, and tiramisu or raspberry cheesecake.

“Do I have fun?” Maddalena said. “Why not?”

Reservations may be made by calling Maddalena’s, 544 Emerson St., Palo Alto, at 326-6082.