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Archive for italian

Eating Savelletri – Due Camini

Feb04

Restaurant: Due Camini

Location: Strada Comunale Egnazia, 72015 Savelletri BR, Italy. +39 080 225 5351

Date: August 3, 2024

Cuisine: Southern Italian

Rating: Great, if a little performative

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Another night, another Michelin star. Due Camini is located inside the very swank Hotel Borgo Egnazia in Savelletri.

We actually had a bit of a time finding it — not a lot of signage.



It’s a very elegant chic design. The white objects surrounding the “tree” in the lobby, however, are sort of an “OF chic.”

CHEF DOMingo schingaro

Puglia is his motherland. The sea, his father.
The kitchen is his home.
The brigade, his family.
Domingo Schingaro is a concrete Chef of few words and a thousand dishes that disclose ancient stories.
His recipes reflect the robustness of this region, a fertile land of ingredients and inspirations.
Small producers are his great passion.
Puglia is his heritage.


The dining room.


There were lots of amuses, including this pre-wave.

A bread with ham on top.

And a selection of smaller amuses.

A cannoli.

Sphereized something, maybe eggplant.

More amuses.

Puffed potatoes.

Great breads including this brioche and pizza bread.

Crispy breads.

Super good.

And very nice as well. Southern Italians know their breads.

This was a creamy ricotta-like dip for the breads.

And this special buttery cheese, which was also excellent.


The menu.


Orecchiette pomodoro. First of my son’s pomodoro tasting.

Ricotta cheese, roots, medlars and walnuts. I think.


Seafood caprese. This was awesome and I don’t even love tomatoes.

Grilled lettuce, almonds and agresto.

Podolica beef tartare, barbecue sauce, sea urchins and mussels. In taco form.


More excellent breads.

With a tasting of various local olive oils.

I got the super intense one.

Pomodoro 2.

Rice, bread, olive oil and tomato.

Raviolo pasta, basil and acqua sale.


Ravioli pasta, fish soup and monkfish liver. Strong flavors but delicious.

Risotto.

Whey and citrus fruit pasta. These were simple but truly excellent. Super al dente with a lemon pepper vibe.


More bread!

And pomodoro 3!

Aubergine, black garlic and bergamot.

I think a GF replacement for the aubergine.

Eel, chard and dill. Like a sword!

Beef and aubergine parmigiana. Delicious.

Then we got a kitchen tour.



A dessert intermezzo (delicious).

And a very herbal cold tea (which I also liked).

The wines were nice, and all Italian, but I would have preferred all local.

Chocolate gelato.

Another dessert (GF).

Apricot, seaweed, and buffalo cheese.

Mirabolano. This was incredible actually. Very much like a deconstructed fruit pavlova or something.


Petite Fours.

“Ice cream cone”

Mini sandwich.

Frozen pistachio thingy.

Another mini dessert.

And a gel.

I think it was also the most expensive meal of the trip.


It actually rained while we were at dinner. But overall Due Camini was also a fabulous meal. It had some length, but the pacing was very good and there wasn’t a notciable stall, which is much appreciated. The food was very tasty and quite inventive. The service was superb, but there was a slight air of “trying really really hard” in this high end way — like at one of those over-the-top super high end hotel spas. The staff all had these matched “shabby chic” tunics and quite performace.

For more Italian dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Venice – Quadri
  2. Eating Venice – La Colombina
  3. Eating Positano – La Cambusa
  4. Eating Santa Margherita – dei Pescatori
  5. Eating Carovigno – Già Sotto l’Arco
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Due Camini, Eating Savelletri, eating-italy, italian, Michelin 1 Star, pasta, Wine

Awesome Ospi

Sep28

Restaurant: Ospi Venice

Location: 2025 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291. (424) 407-1957

Date: January 30, April 3 and May 9, 2024

Cuisine: New (slightly southern) Italian

Rating: Delicious!

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Part modern Italian, part classic Italian, Ospi (short for ospiante or “host” in English) is our version of a casual lunch trattoria, familial dinner restaurant, or a fun recovery brunch spot on the weekends.

Ospi is located in the heart of Venice, right near the water.




The chic interior.

The menu.



Crispy Provolone w/ Vodka Sauce. This sauce will end up being a staple tonight.


Beef Tartare. tonnato, crispy potato, parmigiano. Great flavors and textures. The chips really added.

Caesar Salad. local greens, colatura cacio e pepe dressing and foccia croutons.


Cauliflower. Calabrian chili tahini, dates, pepita, fresh herbs. A little bit of a kick.


Copione Pizza. sopressata, honey, chili. Nice and crispy with that yummy spicy, salty, sweet vibe.

Vodka Pizza. That sauce again.

Stracciatella for the pizza.

Margherita pizza.

Cacio e pepe pizza.


Spaghetti Tomato, gluten free.

Spaghetti Tomato. Jame’s pomodoro, basil, parmigiano.

Ricotta Gnudi. Brown butter sauce crunch.

Lemon Tagliolini. Lobster “fra diavolo”, basil, pistachio. One person found it way too spicy — I thought it was just bright.

Slide!

Spicy Rigatoni. Alla vodka (again).

Malloreddus. Beef check ragu napoletano, thyme, toscano.


Mezze Maniche. cacio e pepe, single origin pepper. Super creamy and cheesy. They said it was parm. Could have used maybe a hair more pepper but the pasta texture was also fabulous.

Cannelloni. lamb neck & pine nut “alla sorrentina.” Soft, cheesy, meaty and oh so delicious.

Chitarra. blue crab, jalapeño, vino bianco. Very interesting for a crab dish — and quite spicy and a little bit smoky. Very unique.

Raschiatelli. spicy pork sparerib sugo, crema di pecorino, pangrattato. Also spicy with great texture.

Cavatelli. pork sausage, fresh black truffle, housemade truffle butter. The flavor was awesome and I usually love Cavatelli — although they could have been a bit better formed.


Dry aged New York strip.

Cannoli. citrus marmalade. Super soft cheese and nicely crunchy shells. Some of the best cannoli I’ve had in LA.

Nutella Mousse. chocolate shortbread crumble, whipped mascarpone, olive oil. Nice too.


Ospi was really good. Very carby. Unusually spicy (not that I mind) and lots of meat but some serious Southern Italian vibes here and really excellent execution. It was so good that I went here 3 times in fairly rapid succession.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. We Toss’em They’re Awesome
  2. Awesome Asuka
  3. Awesome Auburn
  4. Eating San Fran – Delfina
  5. Quick Eats – Palmeri
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: italian, pasta, Pizza, Venice California, Wine

Eating San Fran – Delfina

Sep15

Restaurant: Delfina SF

Location: 3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110. (415) 437-6800

Date: January 16, 2024

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Modern Rustic Italian

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Second work dinner of this January SF trip.

Delfina, San Francisco’s beloved James Beard Award-winning trattoria, has been pioneering Cal-Italian cuisine for over 20 years. Owners Craig and Annie Stoll opened the classic eatery in 1998 to immediate success, with Food & Wine naming Craig Stoll Best New Chef in 2001. Over the years, Delfina has earned a James Beard Award and expanded operations to include Pizzeria Delfina, serving up some of the best Neapolitan-inspired pizza and seasonal dishes with four locations across the Bay Area. With warm hospitality, excellent service, and memorable dishes that are rooted in Italian flavors and driven by the Bay Area’s seasonal bounty, Delfina has solidified its reputation as a true San Francisco classic. In October 2022, Delfina reopened with a gorgeous renovation by Fucinaro Architects and Roy Hospitality, reimagining the restaurant’s interior.

The menu.

Fryer Creek Deviled Eggs. smoked whitefish mantecato, horseradish.

Mortadella. Rovagnati.

Warm Castelvetrano Olives.

Insalata di Campo. chicories and greens, Delfina pancetta, walnuts, parmigiano, balsamico.

Parm on the side.

Fryer Creek Squash Sformato. parmigiano fonduta, chestnuts, aceto balsamico tradizionale.

Mezzalune Val d’Aosta. fontina, almonds, white truffle butter.

Kuri Squash Tortelloni. sage-brown butter, cavolo nero.

Spaghetti Pomodoro.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina. 2lb dry-aged prime.

Umpqua Valley Lamb Leg Marocchino. spiced yogurt, olivata, butter beans da Delfina.

Fryer Creek Tokyo Turnips. bagna cauda, breadcrumbs.

Butter Beans da Delfina. garlic, sage, xvoo.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta. passion fruit. A touch sour.

Cocoa Nib Pavlova. caramel gelato, warm chocolate sauce, hazelnuts.

Very solid semi rustic Italian.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. San Fran – Starbelly
  2. Eating San Fran – Lily
  3. San Fran – Jardinere
  4. San Fran – RN74
  5. San Fran – Kokkari
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Delfina, italian, pasta, Pizza, San Francisco, Wine

Eating McLean – Pulcinella

Aug06

Restaurant: Pulcinella Italian Kitchen

Location: 1310 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA 22101.

Date: November 21, 2023

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Casual Italian Cafe

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My parents love this extremely casual Italian eatery near their house. VERY casual and VERY Italian-American for my style.

A weird thing that happens when people get older, even aging foodies, is that their food taste “reverts.”

They have no license, so it’s BYOB.

Bread.

Burrata salad. Not bad actually.

Beet salad.

Fried Calamari. They “cut” the squid with zucchini (probably for cost reason).


Meatballs. A bit bland. Lots of filler. Big though.

Basic pasta.

Eggplant Parm.

Pounded chicken with peppers.

Chicken Piccata.

Veal Marsala. Did taste of marsala. Kinda tasty, but a bit sweet. Classic supermarket mushrooms.

Branzino.

Spaghetti comes with everything.

Tiramisu was ok.

And very AL DENTE green beans.

Overall, it was good for what it was. But just not really “up to my standards.” Portions were large and service was very friendly.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Santa Fe – Sassella
  2. Eating Siena – Trattoria Pepei
  3. Eating Florence – La Cantinetta Antinori
  4. Eating Beijing – 3.3 Noodles
  5. Georgian Bakery and Cafe
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: italian, McLean Va, Pulcinella, ThanksGavin

No Funk at Funke

Feb18

Restaurant: Funke

Location: 9388 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (424) 279-9796

Date: May 23, 2023

Cuisine: Modern Italian

Rating: Great pasta. Salty!

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Funke is the latest from the pasta master at Felix and Motherwolf.
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Funke is located on Little Santa Monica right near Il Pastaio.
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Fancy Beverly Hills frontage.
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Lots of good wine, and not a crazy markup, maybe 2-3X. Of course, this is painful with a Gaja or something. And they have the really annoying 2 bottle limit. As usual this made us spend LESS money than if they hadn’t had the limit. We just drank less wine.
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Downstairs bar. There is also a big roof bar.
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Special pasta room.
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Stuffed pasta!
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The empty main dining room. The place is huge as there are several.
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The big kitchen (empty now).
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We took the elevator upstairs.
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Big upstairs area and more bars!
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Private dining room with this huge table. We were tucked in the corner here. Nice and quiet, the way we like it.
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The menu. Lots of overlap with Felix and Mother Wolf.
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From their list. High acid with nice minerality.
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Fiori di Zucca. Squash Blossom, ricotta fresca, parmigiano reggiano, sea salt. Quite good, and very delicate, but odd without any kind of sauce.
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Polpette della Maestra Alessandra. Sugo di pomodoro, english peas, parmigiano reggiano. Solid meatballs, great sauce. The balls were salty. Hey, everything at Funke is really salty. They were a bit chewier too then I like, but the meaty flavor was great.

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Frisella Pugliese. Burrata pugliese, psring vegetables, extra virgin olive oil. This was a weird burrata dish. It was on a crispy bread/pizza/thing. It was tasty, but who needed more carbs? Burrata was great. Spring veggies were great. Herbs (like mint) were fabulous. The whole thing was messy though, fell all over the table as we tried to cut it.

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Misticanza. Lettuces, wild and cultivated greens, herbs, flowers, condimento di lambrusco. Very lovely salad. Felt fresh and healthy.

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Pizza Boscaiola. Wild mushrooms, l’avarizia, salsiccia, parmigiano reggiano, finocchietto. The dough wasn’t that exciting. It was good, but not nearly as good as Bar Monette or anything. The mushrooms + sausage on a pizza, however, great!
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Troffie, Sori, Liguria, Sofia. Pesto Genovese, parmigiano reggiano, basil. Perfect classical rendition of this. Just like in Liguria except no potato or long beans. Great chew to the pasta and super bright basil flavor.

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Agnolotti dal Plin, Roddino, Piemonte, Gemma. Sugo di Arrosto, erbette chard, parmigiano reggiano. Perfect. Super salty butter pasta water emulsion sauce and delicate little “porky” pockets. Perfect.

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Orecchiette, Bari Vecchia, Puglia, Nunzia. Salsiccia, broccoletti, sugo di pomodoro, ‘nduja, pecorino pugliese. Great chew to the Orecchiette and a nice acidity and good sausage flavor. Very very salty again.
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Linguine alle Vongole. Aglio, olio, peperoncino, manila clams, vino bianco, parsley. Clams are much bigger than in Italy but the flavor was spot on, parsley forward, quite lovely. Extremely salty again.

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Mezze Maniche alla Gricia. Guanciale, black pepper, pecorino romano DOP. My favorite pasta as it was basically salty bacon, pecorino, and pork fat flavored. Increidbly salty. Like salty for salt. All those ingredients are salt forward.
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Scottadita di Agnello. New Zealand Lamb Rib Chops, cicoria bruciata, english peas, spring onions, green garlic, mint. Interesting prep covered in herbs. It was nice to have some more fresh herbs. This gave me a bit of Vietnamese vibe. The lamb itself was well cooked and delicious.
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The dessert menu.
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Mandorle Siciliano Gelato. Sicilian Almonds. I ordered this because at Sweet Milk Gelato several of my signature flavors are based on Sicilian Almonds. I have to say this wasn’t that exciting — i.e. mine are much better. I think they just used Mandorle Dolce (sweet almond). It’s pleasant and subtle, but I prefer Mandorle Tostate (toasted almonds) which just have more flavor.
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Cannoli Siciliani. Murray farm cherries, pistacchi di bronte. Madagascar chocolate. These were okay, but not amazing. I’m not sure I felt about the cherry thing, although it is in season. And the pistachios were rubbery and chewy intead of crunchy — pistachio foul!
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Crostata di Mirtilli. Puff pastry, sicilian almonds, crema di bergamotto. This was nice, although it tended to explode all over the place like any classic puff pastry.

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The trio of desserts.
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Some chocolate expresso truffles and almond “cakes.” The almond things were good, actually.
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Emotional Damage!
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Overall, Funke was quite good. Service was very nice and professional, and they certainly knew their menu. The wine director was very knowledgable and nice too — although I’m no fan of the 2 bottle limit (but I’m sure that comes from high on up). The wine list is small, nearly all Italian, and excellent. Prices aren’t bad. But having to buy from the list somewhat means we would buy less, and buy interesting cheaper wines instead of the kind of older big wines we often collect. They don’t even really have those older wines, only a few places like Capo do in LA. Food was excellent. It is VERY SALTY. I know all restaurants are pretty salty but they, like Felix and Mother Wolf, go to town with it. Very salty. It tastes good, but you can feel it. It’s also very carb forward, almost gratuitous. And while the menu is slightly bigger than either Felix or Mother Wolf, it’s essentially very similar. A big percentage, perhaps 50-70% of all dishes duplicate with the other restaurants. So to that effect you could eat at any one of the three and have essentially a very similar meal. At current, all three reservations aren’t so easy to get, very difficult for Funke and pretty darn hard for Mother Wolf — and these are large spaces — so they are clearly doing “something” right.
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For more dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Mother Wolf – Carb Coma
  2. Uovo – Italian Sugarfish
  3. Quick Eats – Pasta Sisters
  4. Reference Pasta – Cacio e Pepe
  5. Palmeri again
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Funke, italian, pasta, Wine

Orsa & Winston

Sep25

Restaurant: Orsa & Winston

Location: FARMERS AND MERCHANTS BANK BUILDING, 122 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 687-0300

Date: February 16, 2023

Cuisine: Modern American Italian Japanese

Rating: light and very interesting

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Orsa & Winston is inspired by Italian and Japanese flavors, connected by the creativity of chef Josef Centeno. They were awarded a Michelin star in 2019 & 2021 and chosen as L.A. Times restaurant of the year in 2020.1A4A4656-Pano
Interior is small and intimate.
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Open kitchen (of course).
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Tasting menu only.
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Amuse. Chawanmushi with ice plant. Very much the classic “egg tofu” texture. Slightly bitter flavors and a bit of a black pepper kick.
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They don’t allow corkage! Boo! But they did have an interesting wine pairing.
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Crudo of Hamachi, fava beans, some kind of citrus. Very pleasant and light.
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Mushrooms.
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Saffron Scallop with a bit of green. Very classic combination, creamy, and quite nice. Not very big of course.
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More paired wines.
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Bitter greens salad. Maybe endive. Interesting crunch, a bit of salinity from the salmon roe, and a quite bitter lettuce profile. Interesting pairing with the oddball white Bordeaux.
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Wine.
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Sphagetti with Tomato Sauce and Truffle. Like a high end Spaghetti Pomodoro. Pretty darn tasty. Pasta had some chew, but seemed overcooked compared to a true Italian al dente.
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Seafood Satsuki Rice Porridge (supplement). This was my favorite dish (even if it was a carb cheat). Basically a buttery seafood risotto with uni, abalone, etc. I guess technically it’s also like a congee, but such a heavy butter and cream emulsion made it feel far closer to risotto. Either way it was delicious.
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Gift of polenta and cheese. Mild and pleasant although fairly bland. I’m never a huge polenta fan.

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Wine.
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Hamachi Collar with greens and black truffle. Pretty yummy and an interesting Italian/Japanese fusion.

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Honey Cornbread. I really enjoyed this — cheat that it was.
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Wine.
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Mixed Berry Panna Cotta.
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Chocolate Coconut Cookies. Yummy.
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Overall, a light and very interesting meal. Unique dishes for the most part, but a slightly complex and bitter tonal profile and the only thing that stood out as out and out DELICIOUS was the seafood porridge. Pretty small tasting menu, however, even with the supplement I was exactly stuffed. Plus there is the annoying no corkage factor.
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For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Persistent Providence
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dinner, DTLA, fusion, italian, Japanese, Josef Centeno, no corkage, Orsa & Winston, Wine

Napoli in LA – Michael’s

Aug17

Restaurant: Michael’s on Naples [1, 2, 3]

Location: 5620 E 2nd St. Long Beach, CA 90803. (562) 439-7080

Date: August 13, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: A top LA Italian

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A couple years ago, we organized our first Hedonist outing to Michael’s on Naples, rated on the Zagat list as #2 best restaurant in all Los Angeles. I co-organized this one with our fearless leader Yarom, myself, coordinating and designing the menu as well as ordering the wines. So many things sounded good that I came up with a 14 course extravaganza. The resulting Hedonistic Italian blowout ended up (with some alternates) as a total feast of great wine and food.

Michael’s is located on Naples Island, a bridge-connected island in Longbeach that looks so much like Florida they use it to film much of Dexter‘s Miami.

We were set up in this lovely private room. For a table of 15, this was about as perfect as it gets. Not too loud, space to move around and arrange the wines, and a square table that allowed for much better conversation than a long skinny deal.

First a note on the wine service. I had them put out 1 flute, 2 white glasses and 4 red glasses (2 and 2 of Burgundy and Bordeaux style). Then because of the number of red wines we had and the light, often white oriented first half of the menu, I progressed the white and red wine simultaneously — at least for the first half of the meal — so that people would have both colors in the glass. I tried to progress in varietal bunches, usually in flights of about 2 wines.

From my cellar: 2013 Zardetto Prosecco Zeta. Pairs great with food. A very simple wine, but its simple fruit allows it to go with anything.

Our special menu tonight, designed by me in conjunction with the chef and catering manager.

The pescatarian version for a couple of the ladies, including my lovely wife.

From my cellar: 2013 Giovanni Almondo Roero Arneis Vigne Sparse. 89 points. Clean and clear, touch of pale green color, with tight aromas of underripe stone fruit. Palate opens nicely, showing white peach, some Bosc pear, along with characteristic background of almond and herb. Bracing acidity, clean moderate fruit intensity, and a nice medium finish make this example a delightful version of an underappreciated noble grape. Very food-friendly.

2013 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis. 90 points. Very pale lemon colored with a nose of citrus and perfume. This wine tastes of lemon zest, other citrus, and almonds. It is light to medium bodied with crisp acidity and a shortish finish. Good food white wine.

agavin: more “oaked” than the Sparse, but quiet delicious.

From my cellar: 2010 Quarticello Rivellino Emilia IGT. 90 points. Terrific Lambrusco, with plenty of earth, cut and cherry fruits. Completely different that what many know as Lambrusco. Not sweet or generic by any means. Superb on a hot spring day. This wine is begging for Prosciutto (which is why I put it with the pizza).

agavin: There was a barnyard vibe to the wine, and it was super “different” for being a deep purple, yet frizante and dry. I liked it, but unusual. Those who prefer their wines clean and over extracted weren’t into it.

Ricotta stuffed squash blossoms with honey basil pesto. They sweetness of the honey really took this to the next level.

Speck, buffalo mozzarella pizza. basil pesto and sweet peppers. This had just the combo of salty, cheesy, and other savory elements (the best) that I really like on my own pizzas.

Italian sausage pizza. roasted peppers, basil pesto and mozzarella. Another fabulous meaty blend.

Forest mushroom pizza. basil pesto and Taleggio cheese. Great for a veggie pizza.

Confit baby artichokes. basil pesto and goat cheese. My least favorite, mostly because of the texture of the artichokes, but still good.

Bread.

From my cellar: 2007 Venica & Venica Malvasia Collio. 92 points. Great malvasia. Interesting as well as refreshing. A medium-full bodied white. Apricot, green apple and honey on the nose. Fresh tastes of apples, apricots comingle with a vibrant acidity. Would buy again.

2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova. VM 96. Medium-deep bright ruby. Beautiful, profound nose of sweet ripe cherry, pipe tobacco, almond and raspberry jam. Ripe, suave and juicy, with sweet flavors similar to the aromas, this is an absolutely seamless wine with lively harmonious acidity on a suave, never-ending finish. Though extremely concentrated, this is a uniquely refined Brunello with wonderfully suave smooth, classy tannins.

agavin: by itself a great brunello, but paled compared to the “piano”.

Fighi e Prosciutto D’Anatra. Housemade Liberty farm duck prosciutto with Mission fig and goat cheese mousse. A great summery dish. Figs, cheese, and prosciutto have been a favorite since antiquity!

The same thing without the ham.


From my cellar: 2010 Borgo del Tiglio (Nicola Manferrari) Collio Studio di Bianco. VM 95. Weightless, crystalline and pure, the 2010 Studio di Bianco appears to float on the palate. White pear, crushed rocks, oyster shells and lime jump from the glass. A beautifully delineated, vibrant wine, the 2010 captures the best qualities of the year. Stylistically, the 2010 is brighter and more focused than the 2011, with a bit less body but more sheer drive and personality. What a gorgeous wine this is.

agavin: Another great Italian white.

2006 E. Fuligni (Cottimelli) Brunello di Montalcino. VM 96. Bright dark red. Captivating nose shows a medicinal quality to the notes of sandalwood, minerals, graphite and orange peel. At once silky and explosive in the mouth, providing oustanding density without heaviness and saturating the entire mouth with sweet flavor. A wine of incredible aromatic thrust. The floral lift on the extremely long finish gives the wine an almost Lafite-like clarity.

Fegato D’Oca. Hudson Valley foie gras terrine, stone fruit jam and mustard greens. I love foie terrine and this was no exception. It paired nicely with the sweet jam. It was perhaps a touch warm, and so not firm enough, but still tasted great.


Frutta di Stagione. Stone fruit and watercress salad with candied pecans and robiola cheese.


From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. Burghound 91. Stunningly pure fruit laced with citrus and lime notes framed by a deft trace of pain grillé with understated flavors of remarkable precision just oozing a wet stones character. The bright acidity beautifully frames an impressively long finish and this presents itself as a classic Folatières. This is really very fine and classy. I like the style of this immensely.

agavin: Drinking perfectly. Shows how hardass the Burghound reviews are that this is a 91, really drinking like a 96.

1995 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 94. The 1995 is a fresh, vibrant Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano that is just entering its prime drinking window. Expressive, open aromas meld seamlessly into a palate loaded with ripe, perfumed fruit. This full-bodied, delineated wine offers notable inner sweetness and a long, resonating finish. Abbruzzese calls 1995 a “sister vintage” to 1993, but comments that he was better prepared to capture the best qualities of the vintage.

agavin: about as good as Brunello gets!

From my cellar: 1999 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco. VM 95. The wine was absolutely majestic.

agavin: starting to brick, and full of sediment (unfiltered), but lovely and pruney.

Polipo con Patate. Grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes, caperberries, micro celery. A ver mild and fresh summer dish.


Caponata di Melanzane. Grilled crostini with eggplant stew.

1990 Gaja Barbaresco. VM 95. The 1990 Barbaresco emerges from the glass with an exotic array of tar, smoke, licorice and grilled herbs. There is wonderful intensity to the fruit and plenty of structure. The tannins are still a bit young and the wine is only now beginning to enter the early part of what looks to be a long drinking window! The 1990 Barbaresco is a touch rounder and softer than the 1989, with perhaps just a little less aromatic complexity and inner perfume, although that is splitting hairs at this level. The finish is long, intense and deeply satisfying. This is a marvelous bottle of Barbaresco.

agavin: I’ve had better bottles of this wine, but it was still quiet nice.

From my cellar: 1990 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Gallina di Neive. VM 94. The 1990 Barbareso Gallina is simply awesome. The wine boasts a seamless core of rich red fruits in a soft, generous style. This opulent Barbaresco possesses impeccable balance and tons of class. Floral notes intermingled with bright red fruits provide lift on the finish, adding lovely balance to the dense fruit. This is the most approachable of Giacosa’s 1990s but has plenty of stuffing to last another twenty years. The 1978 is still going strong.

agavin: a little funky and petro-like for a few minutes. Got better, but still not as good as it should be.

Agnolotti di Mais. Stuffed pasta with corn, ricotta and braised greens. Everyone LOVED this pasta course. The corn was fresh and bright and provided a nice complement to the al dente pasta. It was voted a Hedonist “10”!


1998 Gaja Barbaresco. VM 91. Good deep medium red. Deeply pitched aromas of plum, mocha, licorice and dried flowers. Dense and chewy with extract; compelling, sweet flavors of currant and licorice. Tannins are sweeter than those of the ’99 Barbaresco. Finishes with a suggestion of nutty oak.

From my cellar: 1997 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia. VM 96. Giacomo Conterno’s 1997 Barolo Cascina Francia was also fabulous. The 1997 vintage seems to have yielded great wines in some of Piedmont’s poorer soils, as this heroic Barolo amply demonstrated. The 1997 was pure Serralunga Barolo, which is to say roses, tar and licorice galore on a frame of substantial depth and pure breed.

2004 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Romirasco. VM 93. Imposing and dark on the palate, the 2004 Barolo Romirasco possesses massive fruit, beguiling aromatics and considerable depth. Today, the 2004 is a bit in an awkward stage, where tertiary aromatics have not yet developed although much of the wine’s youthful exuberance has begun to fade. As such, the 2004 is best cellared for at least another few years. Although some time has passed, I did expect the 2004 Romirasco to be a touch fresher than this.

Casarecce con Agnello. Homemade pasta with Marin County lamb ragu`and burrata. Another good pasta, although if the corn ravioli was a 10, this was more a 9.


Casarecce con Funghi. Homemade pasta with forest mushroom, brown butter and sage.


1986 Latour Pauillac. Parker 90. Tasted from my cellar, the 1986 has consistently been outstanding, falling short of being sublime. The spicy, peppery bouquet reveals aromas of dried herbs and red currant fruit. Medium-bodied, austere, but youthful, vigorous, and concentrated, this wine still requires 4-5 years of cellaring. It is surpassed in this vintage (which favored the northern Medoc and Cabernet Sauvignon) by its rivals, Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild.

agavin 98. This bottle was drinking PERFECTLY. Really nice.

1997 Angelo Gaja Darmagi Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 90-94. There are 1,000 cases of the exceptional, black/purple-colored 1997 Darmagi Cabernet Sauvignon (3-4% Cabernet Franc was added to the blend). With abundant quantities of smoky, concentrated fruit as well as tannin, the vintage’s low acid, thick, glycerin-imbued character, and a layered, full-bodied finish, it should develop nicely for two decades.

agavin 94: I’ve never had this Gaja cab. I liked it a lot though.

Petto d’Anatra. Seared Liberty Farm duck breast with farrotto, Farm Lot 59 rainbow chard, and bing cherry reduction. A great duck dish. Very smokey and lean.

Branzino alla Griglia. Grilled Mediterranean sea bass with confit artichokes, potatoes and Taggiasche olives.

2003 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. VM 90. Tua Rita’s 2003 Redigaffi, 100% Merlot, opens with notes of over-ripeness on the nose. An initial suggestion of reduction blows of with air. It presents plenty of fruit, chocolate and toasted oak along with a richly concentrated, opulent personality, yet a note of gaminess and hard, unripe tannins ultimately convey the impression of a less polished version of this wine than is normally the case. My preference is to drink Redigaffi on the young side.

agavin 92: Nice and extracted.

2010 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. VM 96. I am struck by how light on its feet the 2010 Redigaffi is for such a big wine. Dark red cherries, tobacco, licorice, smoke and anise all flesh out as this layered wine opens up in the glass. Over time, the wine’s intense salinity emerges, adding energy, drive and polish. Hints of dark cherry, plum and smoke reappear on the vibrant finish. Readers will find much to admire in the superb 2010. To be sure, the 2010 is less outwardly opulent than is often the case with Redigaffi, but there is no denying the wine’s absolute beauty.

agavin: Our bottle was open for 4-6 hours in the decanter, but was still a fruit bomb monster.

2008 Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia Sassicaia. VM 96. The 2008 Sassicaia is a rich, deep wine imbued with notable class in its black cherries, plums, grilled herbs, minerals and smoke. The 2008 is a decidedly buttoned-up, firm Sassicaia that is currently holding back much of its potential, unlike the 2006 and 2007, both of which were far more obvious wines. Readers who can afford to wait will be treated to a sublime wine once this settles down in bottle. Muscular, firm tannins frame the exquisite finish in this dark, implosive Sassicaia. The 2008 Sassicaia is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The wine spent 24 months in French oak barrels.

agavin 96: I forgot how much I love Sassicaia, even when it’s young.

Porchetta. Roasted Devil’s Gulch pork loin and belly with eggplant caponata and roasted potatoes. This was super tasty, although a little on the rare side for my pork taste.


Ippoglosso in Padella. Pan seared Alaskan halibut with fava, fregola and tomato jam.


The chaos in full swing.

From my cellar: 2008 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito. agavin 97. Pure red raison juice. I love this stuff. All biodynamic. All late harvest ripasso style. An ultra rare dessert wine.


From my cellar: 1997 Fattoria Di Pancole Vin Santo di San Gimignano. This is that kind of Tuscan “dry” vin santo, making it more like a dry sherry. I tend to like the sweeter types.

Torta Di Mandorle. Almond cake with rosemary simple syrup and vanilla whipped cream. I adored this dessert. Between the almond flavor and the icing. I just love that.

Cannoli Con Impastata Alla Frutta. Crispy cannoli shells filled with Ricotta impastata cream, candied orange peels and Valrhona chocolate. I always love a good cannoli. I couldn’t taste the orange peel, which disappointed me, but otherwise they were great.

Ciambelle Dolci. Italian doughnuts served with orange glaze. Love these. Just love ’em.

Panna Cotta con Frutti di Bosco. Panna cotta with seasonal mixed berries.

Overall another fantastic dinner. Different and more varied in wine type than our usual Hedonist fare. I’ll break down the discussion into different components.

Food: The chef and catering manager did a great job working with me to generate not one but two fabulous menus. These were extensive, varied, and highly seasonal. Compare to our last visit here (in December). This was a similar sized, but much lighter more summery menu. Execution was excellent with some dishes being stellar: duck, corn ravioli, squash blossoms, and the rest being just “very good.” A few people didn’t love the octopus but I thought it quiet light and lovely. Course size was small, but given the number of plates really about right for anyone but the most gluttonous of us (which includes me).

Wine: We had a really nice array of wines. The giacosa barbaresco was a little off and the a few people with “unsubtle pallets” thought the Lambrusco and the Sagrantino a little “weird,” but there was consensus that all the whites were fabulous along with the del piano and all the Bordeaux varietals.

Service: The staff did a fabulous job handling a party of this size, starting with a perfect table and a layout of 7 stems per person. Courses arrived with excellent pacing and got down fairly swiftly considering the 15 person count and the difficulty in accessing the back of the room. Not like they do in the Republique private room where it all comes down within 2 seconds of each other, but still great. Attitude and attentiveness was first rate. Silverware was being constantly fixed and reset.

Wine Service: The Somm and lead waiter did a great job. They opened most of the bottles and got a lot of stuff decanted. They even labeled the decanters to avoid confusion. We had a nice separate wine table (badly needed). I had an unusual and taxing wine order with simultaneous progression of white and reds. They were able to understand my cryptic shout outs about what was in what glass with no slip ups. Where wine service fell down slightly (from a very high ideal) was in speed and availability of “pouring.” Now, I’m not really dinging them because there are like 3 restaurants in Southern California that could do better and all of them would charge A LOT just for the wine service. These would handle it by having at least one dedicated wine guy who all the time who didn’t help with food service. Because our Somm and main waiter were also delivering food, busing, and resetting silverware — not even mentioning their duties elsewhere in the restaurant — they didn’t have enough time to be constantly pouring. But a meal like this, with over 25 wines needs constant pouring. It was 3 hours long which means a wine is heading around roughly every 7 minutes and a glass poured every 30 seconds — for the entire dinner! In practice it’s more concentrated than that. Basically this would require someone full time, and someone skilled at pouring bottles 15 ways too. I have a lot of practice pouring (and a Sommelier Cert) so I helped them out by pouring about 40-50% of the flights. I’m fast too and I brought one of my dripless spouts to speed things up. Too bad I didn’t have a couple. Plus it helped that I had the “wine vision” in my head. It would be nice if I hadn’t had to do this, but unrealistic without a 100% dedicated person. So net net I was very pleased.

Value: Tremendous. At $120 per person + tax/tip this was just fabulous value, particularly given the level of service and the lack of corkage. Bravo!

A bunch of the Hedonists also stayed and smoked cigars outside. The staff were very cool about setting this up. We, however, fled home to get to bed :-).
For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Never Say Too Much
  2. Food as Art: Capo
  3. Gusto Italiano
  4. Tony Terroni
  5. How many Saddles to Peak?
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barolo, Dessert, hedonists, italian, Michael's on Naples, pasta, super tuscan, Wine

Eight Legs at Il Grano

Jul04

Restaurant: Il Grano [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Location: 11359 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 310.477.7886

Date: June 16, 2014

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Modern Italian to die for

_

After my stellar birthday meal at Il Grano, and with the closing of Drago, Il Grano has become one of my favorite westside Italians. You can tell by the number of reviews (up to 8!) I also frequently bring out of town guests here, like tonight.


The sleek interior space.

We didn’t order off the menu but instead asked Chef Sal Marino to make us a 9 course tasting menu. He through in a couple of bonuses!


From my cellar: 1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused, round, intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now and I wouldn’t hesitate to open one anytime as there is no further upside to be had. A beautiful effort of real style and grace.


Spoons of Tuna Tartar  as an amuse.


Crudo. Chef Sal Marino is famous for his crudo. From left to right: big eye tuna/toro, yellowtail, snapper, Hokkaido scallop with cherry, and octopus.


Arugula and porcini salad. With parmesan.


Arugula, endive, and salmon salad.


Burrata and grilled peach. A lovely summer combination.


Pizza Del Re. white truffle crema, fontina, shaved white truffle. Yum!


Beef tartar with olive oil and caper. I love beef tartar. This one was good, but perhaps a bit too much of the caper.


From my cellar: 1995 Elia Pasquero Barbaresco Sori Paitin. Parker 90. A terrific 1995, this complex, fully mature, multidimensional Barbaresco is a beautiful wine. The color is deep ruby with some lightening at the edge. The knock-out nose consists of cherry liqueur intertwined with aromas of tobacco, wood fire, dried herbs, and roasted meat. Deep and lush, with no hard edges, a plump, succulent texture, medium to full body, and layers of glycerin and sweet, jammy fruit, this hedonistic, seductive Barbaresco.


There were two large parties tonight, one of Japanese gentlemen diving through a 21 course tasting menu. One was this giant stewed octopus done Southern Italian style. This big boy was cooked for a long time.


Here the chef is snipping off bits.


Octopus. My slice of tentacle. It was chewy, but fully of great flavor.


Lobster risotto. I love a good risotto and this definitely qualified!


Cheese  ravioli. Not your everyday version, but a lovely homemade variant.


Spaghetti funghi. Mousserons, chanterelle mushrooms, mushroom stock. A very smokey flavor.


Spaghetti Octopoda. The octopus juice and bits were used to make a delicious briny pasta.


Wild salmon with pea puree, kale, and asparagus. Very soft and delicate.


Halibut crusted with squid ink with farmer’s market cauliflower.


Anatra. duck breast, caramelized maui onions, greens, pomegranate reduction, candied fig.


Apricot crumble. Warm, soft, and very apricot. Delicious.

If you like higher end Italian cooking (and who doesn’t?) you should absolutely rush over here. Make sure you get a tasting menu. I don’t think appetizer and entree selected off the regular menu would do the place the justice it deserves. I’m sure the dishes would be great, but this cuisine is about more than just two notes. I’m not sure why Il Grano isn’t always mobbed, as folks flock to overpriced mid-quality trattorias. I guess people are just clueless.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long journey through Northern Italy.

Sal treats his tomatoes like family

The wine list is top notch, with a real depth in Burgundy

Related posts:

  1. Il Grano part 2
  2. Tomato Night at Il Grano
  3. Il Grano – Only 19 courses?
  4. Il Grano Birthday
  5. Il Grano – Buon Anno
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barbaresco, Burgundy, Burrata, Crudo, Il Grano, italian, Italian cuisine, Los Angeles, Sal Marino, Truffle

Reference Pasta – Cacio e Pepe

Jan15

I’m pretty much a pasta fiend, particularly good homemade pasta, so an evening home with my son afforded a good opportunity to try out my pasta cooking chops on this ultimate reference pasta — cacio e pepe. Literarily, it just means “cheese & pepper” and it’s an extremely basic pasta from Rome that showcases its extremely few ingredients. In Gavin tradition, like my ultimate pizza or my uber tiramisu, I try to do it to the highest standard of quality.


That starts with a good pasta. Cacio e pepe is traditionally done with spaghetti or a similar thick long pasta. This pici, is a thick hand rolled pasta, like fat spaghetti. This one is homemade (not by me) out of durum semolina and has a fantastic bite and coarse surface perfect for saucing.

This is a 22 minute to al dente pasta! Wow. I used a pinch of applewood smoked salt in the water to lend a slight smokiness to it.


Some other supplementary ingredients. More on the egg late, but you need a little fat. The most traditional would be pancetta, but staying dairy olive oil or butter work fine. Romans would usually use the pork or olive oil. In the grinder is very fresh, very strong black peppercorns. This awesome grinder makes a very coarse grind. It’s extremely important to have coarse ground bitey pepper. This pasta is about cheese and pepper — so none of that weak sauce pepper with no flavor.


The don’t call it “cheese and pepper” for nothing.


My son and I grated the cheese as the pasta cooked. Only real, fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano will do. Check out the cute little olive wood grater box I bought last time I was in Tuscany.


And the signature cheese: Cacio de Roma (Roman Cheese). This is a sharp, salty, medium firm, creamy sheepmilk cheese. You could use generic pecorino, but it’s not really creamy enough. This is the right cheese.


Drain the pasta and keep some water (I just plucked it out with tongs and dropped it into the strainer). Even at 22 minutes it was seriously al dente, very thick, with a nice weightiness to it. Don’t rinse it. You want that starch.


Now here is the secret to proper pasta that Americans forget. You have to make the sauce in a pan and throw the cooked pasta into it. Before adding the noodles, I melted some fat (butter this time), then toasted some pepper in it for a minute or so, then added a bit of the pasta water and boiled it. This creates a butter/starch base. In went the pasta.


And then most of the cheese (about 3/4 a cup of ground Parmesan and 1/3 a cup of Cacio). You toss it all around for a minute or so to melt the cheese into the sauce and coat the noodles.


To finish it, I ground in a bunch more pepper and threw in an egg yolk. A tasty Carbonara I had a month ago gave me this idea. It’s not strictly traditional to the Cacio e Pepe, but it does add a nice richness. I stirred that in too.


And voila, one heart stopping bowl of simple pasta. This was pretty spectacular. Very weighty, with a richness to the eggy cheese, and a good bite from the pepper. Adult mac & cheese done right.

For more food write-ups, click here.

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  4. Eating Bologna – Trattoria Leonida
  5. Ultimate Pizza – The Toppings
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Al dente, Black pepper, Cacio de Roma, Cacio e Pepe, Cooking, italian, Olive oil, pasta, Recipe, Rome

Tony Terroni

Oct02

Restaurant: Terroni [1, 2]

Location: 802 S Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90015. 323-954-0300

Date: September 30, 2013

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great location!

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Terroni is a small chain (5 restaurants) of high end Italians out of Toronto. They have two locations now in LA and downtown is the latest, just a few weeks old. This provided the perfect excuse for the Hedonists to haul the Italian treasures out of the cellar.


It’s situated in a stunning early 20th century space with great vaulted ceilings.

And our private room is no slouch either.


The location being both quiet and attractive (except for the traffic getting there).


2009 Vie di Romans Friuli Isonzo Tocai Friulano Dolee. IWC 89. Bright, gold-tinged straw-yellow. A hint of lanolin dissipates to reveal fresh aromas of lemon and yellow apple, complicated by musky nuances of licorice and nuts. Nicely balanced and lively, with flavors of lemon icing, butter, cut grass and shaved almond. Finishes long, rich and buttery, but with very good rather than outstanding concentration.

Prosciutto e Burrata. prosciutto, burrata, fresh spinach and extra-virgin olive oil.


Tonight, co-organizer Kirk wanted to go all Italian and really set the  bar high. This is most (but not all) of the lineup and includes some of the boot’s top wines. He also reigned in the chaos present at some of our dinners and served the wines neatly in flights.


Bread.


From my cellar, 1990 Gaja Barbaresco. Parker 95. The 1990 Barbaresco emerges from the glass with an exotic array of tar, smoke, licorice and grilled herbs. There is wonderful intensity to the fruit and plenty of structure. The tannins are still a touch young and the wine is only now beginning to enter the early part of what looks to be a long drinking window! The 1990 Barbaresco is rounder and softer than the 1989, with perhaps just a touch less aromatic complexity and inner perfume, although that is splitting hairs at this level. The finish is long, intense and deeply satisfying. This is a marvelous bottle of Barbaresco.


1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto. Parker 94-96. The saturated ruby/purple-colored 1996 Barolo Falletto exhibits an extraordinary nose of smoke, earth, white truffles, black fruits, licorice, and floral scents. Extremely massive, with layers of concentration, high tannin, a muscular personality, and a 40+ second finish, this classic, young Barolo will require patience. Why can’t I turn my body clock back twenty years?


1996 Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala. Parker 94. The stunning aromatics of the 1996 Barolo is full-bodied and muscular. It possesses high tannin as well as extract, and mouth-searing acidity that gives the wine both great precision as well as a frightfully backward character. A super-dense, extracted, and rich Barolo, it will not be ready to drink for a decade. Discipline in the form of cellaring is definitely required for this fabulous Barolo.


Mangiabbun. white pizza with mozzarella, garlic, rapini and homemade spicy Italian sausage.

Cheesy and a touch bitter. They sent around some Calabrian peppers that really spiced this up nicely. They have a chewy thin crust that is pretty authentically Italian.


Margherita. tomato,mozzarella and basil.

Da Do a Da. tomato, mozzarella, goat cheese, eggplant and roasted red peppers.


Usually, Terroni refuses to cut the pizza (although they did for us), so I came armed with pizza cutter (Lana is modeling it here).


Ricchia salad. arugola, fresh mushrooms, shavings of parmigiano lemon and extra-virgin olive oil.


2006 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Superiore. Parker 91. Romano Dal Forno’s 2006 Valpolicella Superiore is dark, rich and powerful. Firm yet well-integrated tannins frame black cherries, mocha, licorice and spices in this deep, broad-shouldered wine. The 2006 boasts tons of depth and richness in a sophisticated, sleek style. I was quite surprised to see the 2006 drink well with just a few hours of air.


1982 Roberto Mazzi Amarone Punta di Villa. Parker 92. Mazzi’s 1982 Recioto della Valpolicella-Punta di Villa is a wine to enjoy at the end of a meal – either with cheese or by itself. It is a powerful, spicy, intensely aromatic wine (nuts, herbs, leather, and red fruits), with exceptional intensity and a dry yet muscular, rich finish. It should last for 10 or more years.


Spinach ravioli stuffed with spinach. A nice homemade pasta, but nothing magical.


2004 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cru Cerretalto. Parker 96. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is deep and powerful in its smoke, tar, spices, scorched earth and plums. The wine has shut down quite a bit since I last tasted it a few months ago, and the refined silky tannins that were present a while back have turned decidedly virile. Still, the wine’s pedigree is impossible to miss, and the only thing this needs is time, probably lots of it. Pretty scents of soy, smoke and incense inform the long, elegant finish.


2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino. Parker 91. The 2001 Brunello di Montalcino, which saw three years in cask, opens with a perfumed, aromatic nose followed by layers of dark cherry fruit, licorice and tar that develop in the glass with outstanding purity and definition. It offers notable balance and harmony. Today the tannins come across as slightly hard and this wine will require a few years in the bottle to fully come together.


Capunti al Ragu d’Agnello. capunti pasta with slow cooked lamb ragu’ and parmigiano shavings. Covered in white truffles. This proved a slightly unusual combination. It’s basically a classic Bolognese with truffles on top. I’m not sure they added hugely, but it was tasty.


A vegetarian version.


2008 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo. Parker 96+. Mascarello’s 2008 Barolo is a wine of extraordinary elegance. A sweet, open bouquet leads to dark red fruit, mint, spices and licorice in this pretty, nuanced Barolo. The 2008 is all about detail and understated finesse. It boasts breathtaking purity in its fruit and fabulous overall balance. A textured, finely-knit finish leaves a lasting impression. The 2008 is very classic in style. It will require considerable patience, despite its deceptively medium-bodied structure. This is another dazzling wine from Maria-Theresa Mascarello.


Salmon over mashed potatoes with calimari (left). This dish was accidentally set on our table. It didn’t survive.


From my cellar, 1994 Castello di Ama Vigna l’Apparita Toscana IGT. 95-96 points. Moderate depth of color, red rim (looked younger than its age), moderate depth of color at rim… aromatically this wine was phenomenal… lots of dark and red fruits, just a hint of savory tomato thing I often find in merlot, loads of exotic spices… some from oak some from somewhere else… minerals… incredible definition of aromas. On the palate the wine was fresh with high acidity, had a nice round midpalate with good flesh, the tannins were completely integrated, moderately ripe, ETOH was moderate. Perfect balance, incredible length, great intensity of flavor, off the charts complexity. Wine had finesse, flawless texture, and very good expression of place. This wine really surprised me and is one of the two or three best merlots I’ve ever had. Remarkable wine… I was floored!


1998 Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT. Parker 93. Solaia has been one of Italy’s most brilliant wines since the early eighties. Made in a Bordeaux-like style, it will age for two decades or more. The 1998, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc (8,000 cases), was aged for 14 months in new and one-year old French oak casks prior to being bottled without filtration. Yields were a low 30 hectoliters per hectare. The 1998 is a classically-structured, dense, full-bodied, youthful, well-balanced wine designed for cellaring. Its opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by a classic bouquet of black currants, vanillin, earth, tobacco, and a touch of mint. Full-bodied, moderately tannic, dense, and concentrated, this backward 1998 needs 3-4 years of cellaring.


2005 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto. Parker 94. The 2005 Masseto comes across as fresh, vibrant and beautifully delineated. It is a mid-weight wine that will most likely age along the lines of some of the more slender years from the 1980s. Today the 2005 impresses for its length and sheer energy. In this tasting the 2005 comes across as a bit out of place in a flight of wines from ‘challenging’ vintages. The 2005 is a striking Masseto.


Grilled pork with mixed vegetables. The pork was a little salty, but when washed down with all those big Tuscans managed alright.


Grilled seabass.


1976 Ruster Eiswein. Delicious old sweet wine in a funny Austrian bottle. There was also a 2001 Greek Vin Santo that was nice too, but I forgot to take a picture.

A dessert plate consisting of nutella fritters (amazing), pana cotta, hazelnut gelato and a creme puff thing (upper right).

Overall, this was a fabulous evening. Terroni’s new space is as good looking as any restaurant space in town and the service was top notch. Plus our bevy of top Italians were utter knock outs. The food is still a bit of a work in progress. I’d call it better than 80% of LA Italians, and the menu is large and excellent, but execution needs a bit more tune up to rival the very best.

For more crazy Hedonist dinners, click here or

Read my complete LA dining review page.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Taverna Tony
  2. Big Bottle Madness at Kali Dining
  3. Sfixio – Strong out of the gate
  4. Drago New Years
  5. Amarone at Oliverio
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barbaresco, Barolo, Bruno Giacosa, Burrata, hedonists, italian, Italian cuisine, Italian sausage, Terroni

More Pizza – Hostaria del Piccolo

Aug03

I updated the post on this newish rustic Italian to include twice the yummy pizza, pasta, and old-school Italian delicacies. Click here to see all the details.

Related posts:

  1. Hostaria del Piccolo – Pizza + Pasta
  2. Quick Eats: Piccolo
  3. Piccolo – A little Italian
  4. Ultimate Pizza – The Birthday
  5. Ultimate Pizza – Day 2
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Hostaria del Piccolo, italian, Italian cuisine, pasta, Pizza, Santa Monica California, Tomato sauce

Il Grano part 2

Jul09

Restaurant: Il Grano [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 11359 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 310.477.7886

Date: June 19, 2012

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Modern Italian to die for

_

After my stellar birthday meal at Il Grano, I just had to go back — 8 days later as it turned out. This recent find has been around awhile and chef/owner Sal Marino and Chef de Cuisine Water el Nagar churn out absolutely first rate modern Italian cuisine. On this particular occasion I just dropped in and they whipped up this 8-10 course tasting menu on the fly. Service was impeccable again as well.


This spectacular Barbaresco comes from my cellar. Parker gives it 91, but it was way better than that. “The 1996 Barbaresco exhibits a dense ruby color as well as a forward nose of cherry liqueur, earth, truffle, mineral, and spicy scents. Rich, full-bodied, and seductive, with its moderate tannin largely concealed by the wine’s wealth of fruit and extract, this gorgeously pure offering gets my nod as the finest Barbaresco produced by Gaja since 1990. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2016.”


“Il Benvenuto. tomato gazpacho and copper river salmon tartar, cucumber caviar.” The amuse. Both were spectacular, showcasing the tomato and the salmon in equal ways.


Various crudo. Left to right: “Wild big eye tuna, Hokkaido scallop, Wild Japanese snapper, Wild Japanese baby yellowtail, and Hokkaido scallop ligament.” Unfortunately, tonight’s photos are a little out of focus because I accidentally locked my camera onto a focus point in the corner and didn’t notice — too much Barbaresco I guess.


The tuna, scallop, and snapper. Sal does a wonderful job with these sashimi like crudos. They have just hints of Italianate flavor to mix them up and the fish is absolutely first rate. You just have to check out my Sushi Index to see I know what I’m talking about too.


The yellowtail and scallop ligament. The ligament (that orange stuff in the right hand corner) was surprisingly tasty.


Bread.


“Insalata di porcini. Seared porcini, arugala salad, shaved porcini, Sal’s 1st of season sun gold heirloom tomatoes.” A lovely little salad.


“Carpaccio di filetto al fegato grasso d’oca. Foie stuffed prime filet carpaccio, Murrary Farms summer berries, micro greens.” This was a very interesting blend of flavors. A lot going on here: The meat, the berries, the richness of the foie.


“Calamaro Ripieno. Seafood squid ink risotto sutffed wild Japanese calamaro, black foam, orange oil.” I’m a big fan of squid ink and this had that characteristic briny quality.


“Cannellone al branzino. branzino stuffed cannellone, lobster sauce, Santa Barbara prawn, lobster roe.” Sort of an Italian take on the classic Lyonnese Cannelle. Really good though, and totally made by the prawn sauce which is that kind of bisque-like shell fish reduction I love.


“The 2003 Riesling Auslese Wehlener Sonnenuhr displays hints of minerals lurking below its wafts of sulfur. A seamless, creamy-textured wine, it is easygoing, plump, and exhibits flavors reminiscent of poached pears, cotton candy, and sweet minerals. Drink it between 2010 and 2020.” This was a really interesting medium mature Riesling that tasted of hot asphalt.


“Bigoli aai riccio di mare. Squid ink pasta, Santa Barbara channel sea urchin sauce.” Wow! One of the best pastas I’ve had in a while. The uni (sea urchin) literarily melted like butter.


“Agnello. Colorado lamb chop, baby purple artichokes, sunchoke puree, lamb reduction.” Some darn fine lamb. Just a great piece of meat with a nice savory reduction sauce.


This is a white passito DOGC from Emilia-Romagna (near Parma, Modena, etc.). A very nice sticky with notes of honey, apricots, and flowers.

“Panna cotta alle cilege: Cherry pannacotta, cherry crumble, cherry spherification.” Wow. This wasn’t a super showy dessert in the usual sense, but instead a really nice showcase of the in season cherry. Really delightful.

I was doubly blown away by Il Grano. Not only did they nail it the first time I went, but they knocked it out of the park on the second with only one repeat dish. I love when a restaurant can keep mixing it up. If you like higher end Italian cooking (and who doesn’t?) you should absolutely rush over here. Make sure you get a tasting menu. I don’t think appetizer and entree selected off the regular menu would do the place the justice it deserves. I’m sure the dishes would be great, but this cuisine is about more than just two notes.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long journey through Northern Italy.

Related posts:

  1. Il Grano Birthday
  2. Eating Tuscany – Boar at Home
  3. Villetta – More Italian in Brentwood?
  4. Fraiche Santa Monica
  5. Hostaria del Piccolo – Pizza + Pasta
By: agavin
Comments (5)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Barbaresco, Campania, Chef, Hokkaido, Il Grano, italian, Italian American, Italian cuisine, Los Angeles, Sal Marino, Santa Monica California, Water el Nagar

Il Grano Birthday

Jun13

Restaurant: Il Grano [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 11359 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. 310.477.7886

Date: June 11, 2012

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: One of the best Italian meals I’ve had outside Italy

_

This year, when my birthday rolled around, I spent some time searching for a dining destination worthy of a full Foodie Club outing and finally settled on Westside Italian Il Grano. I’d been a couple years ago, but a tasting menu post by fellow food blogger KevinEats.com had recently drawn my attention. Kevin covers the history of the restaurant and it’s chef/owner Sal Marino and Chef de Cuisine Water el Nagar better than I can.


I called up Sal and arranged for a custom menu for the night. He was incredibly nice and accommodating. I asked if I could bring wine and he suggested I send him a list of bottles and he would stage the food to match. I love putting my Sommelier skills to work, and given my recent certification in Italian wine I went for an all Italian slate.


We began the evening with the 1996 Dom Perignon. Parker 98 points! “The nose gives intense toasty, biscuity notes with an underlying fruit character of warm strawberries, golden delicious apple slices, oyster shells and chalk dust. Very crisp, fine, youthful and fresh in the mouth, the finish provides layers of minerals, citrus fruits and a pleasant creaminess in texture and flavour.”


Il Benvenuto. A trio of amuse. Sal may be a Neapolitan Italian American, but Il Grano is anything but old fashioned. It features a very Californian (and Italian) emphasis on first rate fresh ingredients, coastal Italian cooking, filtered through modernist techniques.


“Liquid Spinach Salad.” This is perfectly illustrated by this amuse. Spinach puree that has been spherized along with a dollop of goat cheese, olive oil, and a bit of fruit gel. The flavors of this deconstructed dish hit your mouth all at once.


“Maine fluke tartar, boysenberry, green almonds.” Three simple ingredients, but quite a flavor punch. The sweet berry paired perfectly with the subtle bit of sashimi.


“Pistachio soup, exotic fruits.” And my favorite of the trio. A bit of candied, or at least caramelized, fruits…


And then the addition of this wonderful “soup” of ground pistachio (and I suspect cream). There’s also a bit of chili oil at the bottom. Intensely pistachio — in a good way.


Bread.


Our second wine was the 2010 Castello Ducale Falanghina Sannio. This is a simple, classic, Italian coastal white from Campania. Crisp acidity, bright fruit, and a good bit of sapidity.


“Gamberone: Tomato gazpacho, santa Barbara prawn crudo, GGL cherries, sal’s 1st of season heirloom cherry tomatoes, yellow corn.”


To this already appealing pile of ingredients is added a bit of classic Andalusian tomato gazpacho. The soup itself tasted pretty much like the version we make at home, adapted from Jose Andres’ recipe. Some of us sucked the head dry.


Charred red snapper instead of the prawn for the non shellfish cadre at the table.


And with the gazpacho.


2010 Nugnes Falerno Del Massico Bianco Vite Aminea. Another white from Campania, this was quite different, with far less acid and a much more aromatic quality. Very, very interesting bouquet.


A trio of crudo.


“Wild big eye tuna & cucumber caviar.” This lovely bit of tuna is graced with cucumber in the modernist form. The caviar is a bunch of tiny balls of puree coated in calcium alginate. Pretty wonderful.


“Japanese snapper & blood orange caviar.” And so was this Tai, with a bit of fruit.


“Hokkaido scallop caprese.” But best of all was this scallop, drizzled in olive oil and with a bit of burrata and heirloom tomato. Incredible fusion of Japanese and Italian flavors.


The scallop is substituted with salmon in this variant.


2007 Montenidoli “Carato” Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The current release is, yes, five years old from the first Vernaccia to be aged in Barrique from a fine selection of free run grape musts, one can taste and feel the Leroy influence here. Deep minerality floated in creamy clouds. Grandiose, wild, and important. Here’s a pic of where this wine comes from. I discovered it last summer while Eating Italy.


“Zuppa di Porcini: Porcini soup, seared porcini, spuma al gorgonzola.”


The soup itself had a pronounced vanilla bean sweetness which made an extraordinary match with the mushroom and gorgonzola. The strongly aromatic Vernaccia only added to the mix.


“2008 Nugnes ‘Caleno’ Falerno del Massico Riserva.” The Caleno Riserva is a flagship rosso from Nugnes and, once again, it over delivers. This meaty, full-bodied red is produced from Aglianico and Piedirosso, two historic grape varietals that are thought to have originally been planted by the ancient Greeks.  The nose opens with dark fruits with layers of coffee, cigar box, and roast meats with hints of earth. The palate has sweet blackberries, plum, tobacco and a note of pepper. This is a wonderfully earthy Campanian red.


“Calmaro con caponata: Monterey Bay calamari, summer caponata, apricot-saffron emulsion.” The caponata had a bit of veal in it. The calamari itself was wonderfully tender.


“Vongole e piselli: boston steamer clams, English peas, green air.”


Tuna is substituted for the clam in this variant.


2004 San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo IGT. Parker 96! “The estate’s 2004 Percarlo (100% Sangiovese) explodes from the glass with a stunning array of aromatics that meld seamlessly onto the palate, where endless layers of fruit burst forth in a composition of exquisite balance and sensuality. Packed with sublime, expressive notes of black cherries, minerals, menthol and licorice, it is an utterly captivating wine in every way. The 2004 Percarlo is without question one of the vintage’s finest wines and shows the heights Sangiovese is capable of reaching. Though irresistible today, readers who want to experience this wine’s fullest potential may want to wait a few years.”


“Prosciutto di Quaglia: House made quail prosciutto, Murray Farms summer berries, taleggio.” Not your everyday Turkey Bacon! The combo of quail, fruit, and sharp cheese was a wonderful reinterpretation of classic carpaccio.


The no meat crew received asparagus.


With asparagus soup.


2004 Le Potazzine Gorelli Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Parker 93. “The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, from vines in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, is gorgeous, layered and elegant in its violets, tar, licorice and cherries. The finish is long and impeccable, but this is a somewhat ethereal style, with aromas and flavors that are already a touch forward relative to most 2004 Riservas. Ideally the wine is best enjoyed within the next decade.”


“Spaghetti con funghi, piselli e fave: Fresh egg pasta with our pancetta, chanterelle, pom poms, english peas and fava beans.” This wonderful pasta is in the “ham and pea pasta” family. A classic Italian variant can be seen at this restaurant in Modena. Of course everything is better with bacon, but Sal and crew add a smokey mushroom note and tone down the heavy cream / parmesan vibe. Really first rate.


The vegetarians, sadly, miss out on the bacon.


2003 Conti Boca, a new favorite of mine. “Shimmers on the palate with layers of fruit, mineral, and herbs. Stylistically the 2004 is a much more expansive, generous wine than the 2005, with layers of fruit that radiate with notable energy through to the mineral-laced finish. This fresh, vibrant and impeccably pure wine is a jewel.”


“Risotto alle Spungnole e fegato grasso d’oca: Acquarello organic carnaroli risotto, morels, shaved foie gras.” The “forest floor” and mushroom notes of the wine sung perfectly with this incredible risotto. Certainly it was one of the best risotto’s I’ve had in recent memory, up there with Roberto Cortez’s stunning coffee/Syrah version. The bits on top. Not truffles, but foie gras!


1997 Barolo Bartolo Mascarello. A stunning showing from this mature barolo. Parker gives it 94 points and says “I underestimated this wine from barrel, but now that the great old man of the village of Barolo, Bartolo Mascarello, has gotten it in bottle, it is an impressive, old style, heavyweight effort that will age for three decades. A dark plum/garnet color is accompanied by a striking bouquet of cinnamon, balsam wood, roses, tar, minerals, and cherry liqueur. There is good acidity, a broad, full-bodied, super-concentrated palate, and tell-tale truffle, leather, and dried herb notes. Powerful and long, this well-delineated, gorgeously pure, structured Barolo is a classic from the old school of Piedmontese winemaking.”


“Pappardelle al cacao con sugo di coniglio: Homemade cocoa pasta with hand cut rabbit ragout, apricots.” Sweet and savory!


Purple potato gnocchi with squash blossoms and butter sauce.


“Salmone: Copper River salmon sous vide, baby purple artichokes, suchoke puree.” This had that awesomely smooth sous vide texture. Medium rare, but even, and incredibly soft. Sal couldn’t stomach the idea of us pairing the salmon with my next wine (the Amarone) and threw in a round of pinot noir to match!


2008 Latium Campo Leon Amarone. I thought a rich Amarone would pair nicely with the cheese, they are after all a bit port-like, the grapes being pressed after drawing on straw mats in the sun (into raisons).


Apricot sorbetto for pre-dessert!


“Il Formaggio: Rinconada Dairy sheep’s milk cheeses, black truffle soft pecorino, asiago stagionato, Carol’s dry fruit cake.” A very nice little cheese plate. I liked the peppery “jelly” in the middle.


2006 Terre di Pantelleria Khareb Muscat Passito di Pantelleria. This famous passito is from an island off the coast of Sicily and is like apricot nectar.


Fresh summer fruit: Apricots, berries, strawberry. I have to say these were some of the best fresh fruit I’ve had in a long while!


“Panna cotta alle cilege: Cherry pannacotta, cherry crumble, cherry spherification.” Wow. This wasn’t a super showy dessert in the usual sense, but instead a really nice showcase of the in season cherry. Really delightful.

I was really blown away by this meal at Il Grano. It was everything I like: showcasing bright ingredient driven flavors, with numerous standout dishes, impeccable and surprising combinations, and just plain tasty. Combined with the epic twelve bottle tasting flight (you’ve never seen so many glasses on a table), it was a fantastic meal and birthday. Really, on par with the top 2-star Italian restaurants I enjoyed last year in Italy like Osteria Francescana, La Frasca, or Arnolfo. Il Grano is less formal, but the food was just as innovative, and perhaps more reliably delicious. Sal and staff were impeccable hosts too. They really pulled out all the stops, even recovering deftly from some minor goofs (involving which special needs diner got what). I find the kind of grace under pressure and flexibility they demonstrated to be hallmarks of really great restaurant experiences.

We’ll be back soon. I’m sure Il Grano knocks a normal dinner for two out of the park as well, but if you can, go tasting!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long journey through Northern Italy.

Or more crazy Foodie Club meals.

Related posts:

  1. Ultimate Pizza – The Birthday
  2. Sicilian Style – Drago
  3. Sfixio – Strong out of the gate
  4. Capo Hits a Triple
  5. Eating Milano Marittima – Ristorante La Frasca
By: agavin
Comments (7)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Campania, Foodie Club, Gazpacho, Il Grano, italian, Italian American, Italian cuisine, Italy, Los Angeles, Prawn, Salvatore Marino, Santa Monica California, Walter el Nagar, Wine tasting descriptors

Quick Eats – Il Pastaio

Dec16

Restaurant: Il Pastaio

Location: 400 N.Canon Drive. Bevery Hills, CA 90210. Phone: 310.205.5444

Date: December 2, 2011

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent neighborhood Italian

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Il Pastaio is one of the Drago brothers many many excellent Los Angeles Italians. This is probably the flagship of brother Giacomino Drago’s collection of seven restaurants. The pastas in particular (the name does mean the Pasta Maker) are incredible. This meal, however, was just a quick lunch.


A lobster salad with marinated peppers and cucumbers. I’m a huge lobster salad fan and this was no disappointment. Look at all that juicy lobster meat!


Gnocci in pink sauce. A classic, but very good.


A spinach parpadelle with a meat ragu. I love this kind of hearty meat ragu. yum yum.


To avoid carb coma.


And parked outside was this totally whacky but cool chopper. If you zoom in you can see that every part of it from engine block to the seat is custom tooled!

Anyway, while this is just a mini glimpse at Il Pastaio’s cusine, it’s a fantastic place. I’ll have to come back and document a much more extensive meal.

Older brother Drago restaurant is reviewed here and Giacomino’s via alloro.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

For a 50+ meals in Italy, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini
  2. Quick Eats: Piccolo
  3. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini 2
  4. Quick Eats: Divino
  5. Quick Eats: Caffe Delfini
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Drago, Giacomino Drago, Il Pastaio, italian, Italian cuisine, Italy, Lobster, Meat

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Italian Market

Nov26

It’s Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving and we head down to the Philadelphia Italian market to channel our inner Tony Soprano.


Sarcone’s is home to stunningly good old school Italian-American deli sandwiches. All bread is baked fresh at the adjacent bakery.


Even Danny DiVito gives it the vote of confidence.


The low key (but crowded) interior.


Random stuff inside the display case.


Spicy pickles!


And what we really came for, the “old fashioned Italian” with the works. Notice, NO MAYO. Olive oil and vinegar, roasted hot long peppers, onions, sharp aged provolone, etc. This is a GREAT hoagie.


The “modern Italian American” has slightly more whitebread meats.


Even the tuna is good.


And the sweet and spicy pepper relish is fantastic.


Here’s the birthplace of the bread.


This is the corner two blocks away at the heart of the Italian market.


In case you need some deer brain, fresh rabbit, or wild boar.


Then on to get some cheese at Di Bruno’s.


Cheesy!


And some completely old school sausage at Fiorella’s. They only make 3-4 kinds. Each has only 3-4 ingredients: pork, salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic or red pepper.


And one of my favorites! From Isgro Pasticceria.


Stuffed to order cannoli! Fresh fresh ricotta cheese with chocolate chips in a pastry shell. Almost as good as in Sicily except no candied fruit.


Even my three year-old loves them. I pitched it as a “cheese cookie.” I had him at “cheese.”

For more ThanksGavin dining, click here.

Or check out eating across Italy itself, 50+ Italian meals.

Related posts:

  1. Bibou – ThanksGavin 2011 Prequel
  2. ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event
  3. Quick Eats: Italian-Iberian Snack
  4. Piccolo – A little Italian
  5. ThanksGavin in Review
By: agavin
Comments (5)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: cannoli, Cheese, Dessert, hoagie, italian, Italian American, italian deli, Italian Market Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Sarcone's, ThanksGavin, thanksgiving, Tony Soprano

Sfixio – Strong out of the gate

Nov20

Restaurant: Sfixio

Location: 9737 Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA.90210. 1 (310) 385-1800

Date: November 13, 2011

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent new Italian

_

Sfixio is a brand new Italian in downtown Beverly Hills with a modern Tuscan slant. It’s owned and by a husband and wife pair: Chef Massimo Denaro in the kitchen and his wife managing the front.


The location has received a chic modern update too (it used to be Da Vinci for the last 30 years).


The brushed aluminum bar.


I brought this wine from the vineyard in Tuscany. Parker 93. “The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a beguiling wine laced with all sorts of black cherries, minerals, spices, licorice and menthol. All of the aromas and flavors are layered together through to the exquisite, refined finish. The 2006 shows a level of richness and density this bottling has lacked in some previous vintages. Today the tannins remain a touch austere, but another few years in bottle should do the trick. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.”


They had good bread, particularly the raison.


An extensive menu.


And a live jazz band (who were quite good)!


“Insalata di Spinaci (Fresh baby Spinach with Walnuts, soft Tuscan Pecorino cheese, pears olive oil and balsamic Vinaigrette Reduction).”


“Burrata con Pomodorini (Imported fresh Burrata caprese with organic heirlooms tomatoes).”


“Tartara di Branzino. Fresh wild Seabass from Greece Tartare dressed with a fresh grapefruit orange, lemon sauce, topped with tiny diced veggies.” Very nice, a bit like a cerviche.


“Pappardelle al Cinghiale (Homemade Pappardelle pasta with Braised wild boar in Chianti wine flavored with Juniper berries).” I had this dish all over Tuscany this year. This one was good, probably in the top 75% of those I had. Not as great as this one say, but very good.


“Crespelle alla Fiorentina (Homemade Crepes with Ricotta Cheese and Spinach topped with Tomato Sauce and Melted Reggiano Parmesan).”


“Branzino e Verdurine (Fresh Wild Seabass from Greece cooked on Flat Iron with sautee seasonal veggies).”


An osso buco special on mashed potatoes. Certainly an excellent meaty rendition of this dish. The meat was not only tender, but very flavorful.


The dessert menu.


“Tortino al cioccolato con Fragoline (Chocolate cake with strawberries).” Very very “dark” and chocolaty. A little too dark and dense for my taste, I prefer creamier and sweeter, but it was certainly well done.

Overall, Sfixio was very good. LA is full of Italian restaurants, and there wasn’t anything radical here, but this is certainly a chef operating at a high level, with a good palette, excellent ingredients, and really solid execution. So I recommend, and we’ll go again.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Comparison with real Tuscan joints here.

Related posts:

  1. Sicilian Style – Drago
  2. Eating Staggia – Pozzo dei Desideri
  3. Eating Montalcino – Le Potazzine
  4. Piccolo – A little Italian
  5. Fraiche Santa Monica
By: agavin
Comments (4)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills California, Brunello di Montalcino, Burrata, Dessert, italian, Italian cuisine, Italian Food, Italy, Los Angeles, osso buco, Restaraunt, Restaurant Review, Santa Monica Boulevard, Tuscany, vegetarian, Wine

Quick Update

Oct19

Today’s post is just a quick update to my entry on Drago. We went there again last weekend and I added three or four new dishes.

Click here if you are itching for more Italian.

Or for all the LA Restaurants.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Updates
  2. Quick Eats – Palmeri
  3. Quick Eats: Piccolo
  4. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini 2
  5. Quick Eats: Pizzeria Mozza
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Uncategorized
Tagged as: Drago, italian

Capo Hits a Triple

Sep18

Restaurant: Capo [1, 2, 3]

Location: 1810 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, Ca. 310-394-5550

Date: September 14, 2011

Cuisine: Italian with Cal influences

Rating: The food here is really very very good.

_

Capo is an occasional favorite of mine and I’ve reviewed it before HERE and HERE. They have a particular high end (but not formal) blend of California style (Farmer’s Market ingredients) and Italian tradition. But it’s not a strictly traditional Italian, more interpreted through a vaguely Tuscan / California vibe.


The intimate dining room.

They have very good bread at Capo, particularly the crispy things.


Capo always puts out this little humus-like spread. I suspect it’s fava beans. It’s addictive though.

We settle down to examine the MENU, which is big, and always a difficult decision because there is so much great stuff on it. They have an odd menu format, in which each item is identified by only it’s principle ingredient, forcing you to guess or ask how it’s actually prepared. Plus they have “fill in the blanks” on the menu which are filled in by a separate sheet of daily specials. No big deal, but it’s kind of bizare. Doesn’t matter though, as the food is great.


I got this 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva at the vineyard in Tuscany. It was just released as it’s aged for 5-6 years in old oak. “From vines in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, is gorgeous, layered and elegant in its violets, tar, licorice and cherries. The finish is long and impeccable, but this is a somewhat ethereal style, with aromas and flavors that are already a touch forward relative to most 2004 Riservas. Ideally the wine is best enjoyed within the next decade. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.”

It’s worth noting that Capo has a peculiar corkage policy (I rant on it here). In short, you can bring one and no more than one bottle, and that it must not be on their list.


The amuse, a cone of tomatoes. Essentially like a tomato bruschetta — in a crispy cone.


“Heirloom tomato vegetable salad.” Very fresh Farmer’s Market vegetables.


The same salad, but with Burrata. Which, like bacon, makes everything better.


“Burrata black truffle bruschetta.” Besides the shaved vegetables and the bread underneath this is a big blob of burrata, fresh truffles, and a whole poached egg! It was pretty good, but decidedly rich. In some ways similar to my special eggs, in some ways like the famous Melisse truffle egg.


“Steak tartar.” The fries and aioli are obvious. The meat was delicious! There was a lot of pepper in there, and olive oil. But mostly it just tasted of wonderful raw beef. One of the better tartars I’ve had. Maybe a little shaved parmesan would make it even better!


We killed the first bottle (from my cellar) and bought this one off the list. It makes a horizontal of sorts, being another 2004 Brunello Riserva. It was good, but not quite as good as the Potozzine. “The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino comes across as lean and powerful in its expression of red cherries, tobacco, spices and earthiness. The aromas aren’t perfectly clean and the wine’s structural components seem to have the upper hand over the wine’s density and richness of fruit, suggesting the tannins will ultimately dominate the wine’s overall balance. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018.”

“White corn ravioli.” You can’t beat fresh pasta in a butter sauce.

This is “buccatini with lamb ragu,” and it’s one of the best pastas I’ve ever had.  I’ve come back like three times for it. I love a good ragu, and the buccatini (spagetti with a tiny hole in the middle) is perfect. The dish is rich and meaty, divine. I always order it.


Capo has an impressive wood fire in the corner that they cook a lot of the entrees on. The prices are pretty punitive, but they’re good. Plus the fire lends a wonderful wintery smell to the whole dining room.


Bronzino, grilled, with vegetables.


Dover sole.


Veal chop, nice and rare.


This is the “chocolate soufflé,” an excellent implementation of the classic. You have to preorder it at the beginning of the meal.


And they add a big dollop of fresh whipped cream.


The “chocolate volcano cake,” also with whipped cream, also preordered.

And this. This was to die for. “Meyer lemon semifreddo,” with a blueberry or blackberry sauce. Everything about this was spectacular, one of my all time favorite deserts. The cold-soft texture, the bright lemon flavor, and the tart sweetness of the berries. OMFG!

A nice plate of little petit fours, not so usual at American Italians, more french. In Italy sometimes you’ll get treated to little almond cookies and shots of grappa or sambuca.

So to conclude, Capo is hands down delicious. The food is VERY VERY GOOD, and the service is top notch. The intimate little atmosphere is great also. It’s just very expensive — definitely not a good value — perfect if someone else is paying :-).

Two other Capo meals HERE and HERE.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for a legion of great eating in Italy itself, here.

Related posts:

  1. Capo Valentines
  2. Food as Art: Capo
  3. Sicilian Style – Drago
  4. Fraiche Santa Monica
  5. Palmeri again
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brunello di Montalcino, Burrata, Capo, Cooking, Home, italian, Italian cuisine, Los Angeles, Melisse, pasta, Poached Egg, Restaurants and Bars, Santa Monica, Santa Monica California, Truffle (fungus), Tuscany

Pecorino – No Sheep is Safe

Apr13

Restaurant: Pecorino

Location: 11604 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, CA 90049. 310.571.3800

Date: April 9, 2011 & August 7, 2016

Cuisine: Abruzzi Italian

Rating: Unusual, tasty, very slightly over priced.

 

Pecorino is one of the twelve or so Italians on San Vicente in Brentwood. It’s relatively new, and replaced a good new American called Zax at the end of the street. One might ask why the street needed another Italian. Well it didn’t but Pecorino does offer a different (and good) take on the boot. The place specializes in the rustic cooking of Abruzzo, which is not only interesting and good, but certainly underrepresented.

The facade. Inside is cozy and stylish.

The menu.

Pecorino has a number of premium wines by the glass, which is nice. They are a little pricey, but I still like the option. I got a glass of Brunello followed by one of Amarone.

The bread.

And they serve it with this chickpea paste, which is tasty.

Caprino. Warm goat cheese “Crouton” served on a bed seasonal greens with hazelnuts.

1A0A0147
Special burrata and tomato and avocado tower.
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Baked onion. Whole big onion filled with eggplant, pinenuts, raisins and pecorino cheese with a touch of balsamic vinegar.
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Sweet and sour.
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Carbonara. Spaghetti with beaten eggs, crispy home made bacon, pecorino cheese and black pepper.
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Pappardelle al Pesto. Fresh wide noodles in a pesto sauce with green beans, peas, fava beans and grated pecorino cheese.
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Classic penne pomodoro.
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Gluten free tomato pasta.

Spaghetti with lobster. Chopped Maine lobster in a light garlic sauce with lobster juices and parsley. This is a really nice pasta. There’s a lot of lobster meat in here too.

Penne. In a tomato and basil sauce with green onions, cherry tomatoes and shaved pecorino cheese.

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Risotto Primavera. Rice creamed with mixed season vegetables and parmigiano cheese.

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Lamb “Casserole”. De-boned Rack of lamb with pecorino cheese and artichokes “Chef’s Hometown recipe. This is an unusual, rustic, and delicious dish. It’s mildly cheesy, with big chunks of lamb and lots of artichokes.

Pecorino is a very good place, and it’s nice when an Italian gets away from the same old litany of dishes. It is however, mysteriously a bit more expensive than some of the others of fairly equal quality (like say Palmeri down the street). There’s a good amount of price variation in the Italians, and I’m not sure I get it. Still, the food’s very good.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Caffe Delfini
  2. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini 2
  3. Quick Eats: Divino
  4. Piccolo – A little Italian
  5. Sicilian Style – Drago
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Amarone, Brentwood, Caprino, Cook, Crowned rack of lamb, Food, italian, Italian cuisine, Italy, lamb, pasta, Pecorino, side dishes, vegetarian

Quick Eats – Palmeri

Feb25

Restaurant: Palmeri [1, 2]

Location: 11650 San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (310) 442-8446 ‎

Date: February 13, 2011

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great, and good value.

ANY CHARACTER HERE

Palmeri is one of Brentwood’s vast array of Italian restaurants. It’s one of our favorites though as the food is very good, the prices are extremely reasonable, and the service is very very friendly. Italians in LA fall either have a decent kitchen or they don’t, with only about 25-30% being having any real culinary knack. Palmeri is very solid this way. Everything is tasty and well executed. It’s not the most innovative place in the world, or the best Italian in town, but it serves very good modern Italian at very good prices.

From my cellar. Parker 95. “The profound, dense ruby/purple-colored 1999 Montiano (2,500 cases of 100% Merlot aged in 100% new French oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered) offers a smorgasbord of aromas, including melted chocolate, espresso, blackberries, cherries, currants, and smoke. Full-bodied, with terrific purity, a multilayered texture, and surprising freshness for a wine of such depth, it can be drunk young, or cellared for 10-15 years. For technicians who care about such things, it has a whopping 37 grams per liter of dry extract.”

Palmeri has very nice bread, including the ever popular homemade grisini.

And best of all, they have this “amuse” (with the bread) of marinara sauce and ricotta baked. With bread, pretty much like pizza.

Barbiatelli, beets, goat cheese, a bit of nuts and fruit.

Carpaccio. Raw “piemontese” beef, thinly sliced, topped with arugula, Parmigiano cheese and mustard. A solid carpaccio, very beefy.

Artichoke soup, vegan.

Penne pomodoro, for our toddler.

Pizza Margherita, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. With some extra mushrooms thrown in. They do a very nice very crisp Neapolitan pizza. They have a real pizza oven.

Salade Invernale. Endive, baby frisee,  radicchio, grapes, gorgonzola dolce, almonds, prosecco vinaigrette.

Mussels and clams in a garlic tomato broth.

Pizza Fornarina. Mozzarella, St. Daniele prosciutto, argugla, parmigiano reggiano and truffle oil. I’m particularly partial to this pizza. The dough is very tasty and thin but chewy. The salad like combo of toppings top notch, and the bit of truffle oil lends a little extra zing.

The owner, Octavio — always extraordinarily warm and welcoming.

For a second review of Palmeri, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Divino
  2. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini 2
  3. Quick Eats: Pizzeria Mozza
  4. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini
  5. Quick Eats: Piccolo
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cook, Endive, Food, italian, Italian cuisine, Los Angeles, Marinara sauce, Mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pizza, Restaurant, Salad, side dishes, veg, vegan
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