Restaurant: Gallo
Location: Via Statuti Marittimi, 48/50, 76125 Trani BT, Italy. +39 0883 487255
Date: August 4, 2024
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Rating: Fancy for touring lunch
We were in Trani visiting and chose this place (after a bit of surfing).
Outside was booked.
Pomodoro.
A kind of pistachio pesto.
A different kind of blossom pesto.
An interesting “ball of pasta” seafood pasta.
Restaurant: Cielo Restaurant
Location: Vico Pergola, 9, 72017 Ostuni BR, Italy. +39 0831 305925
Date: July 1, 2024
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Rating: Wonderful and interesting
Cielo was our first dinner in Puglia. It’s located in the lovely town of Ostuni, inside a nice hotel and has a Michelin recomendation.
The 5-star Relais La Sommità will make your stay an enchanted one with stylish menus featuring seasonal offerings in our elegant Cielo restaurant.
It is a perfect balance between new and ancient, in an unreal atmosphere, told as if it were a century-old fairy tale set in the rocks that characterize the building.
The Chef offers sensorial journeys between tradition and experimentation, through dishes that play with shapes and colors, using local excellences and preciousness from all over the world.
We give you the opportunity to order à la carte or choose the 4 or 7 course tasting menu. To complete our dishes, a we choosed Apulian, Italian and international wines.
When you book, please view our menu and inform us of any intolerances or allergies, just to guarantee an experience that meets your needs.
From the restaurant of the Relais La Sommità, on the highest point of Ostuni, you have a suggestive view of the alleys and the dazzling Lime of the city walls which frame pictures of clear skies.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is one of sober elegance, even the background music can become a pleasant moment of personal silence.
During the summer period the scent of the citrus fruits of the Spanish Garden make the aperitifs of Relais La Sommità unforgettable at sunset.
They have a beautiful garden, but it was so hot (95F perhaps) that we ate inside the cellar dining room.
As usual for this trip, I wasn’t “allowed” to get the tasting menu because the “entire table” had to use the same format.
As amuse of fresh tomato pizza. I think this one was a gluten free bread.
This may have been the “real” (non GF) pizza. The red blob on the right was tomato jam.
Spherized puffs.
Leaf tacos.
A kind of cucumber like fruit.
The local bread was very good with an ultra crispy crust.
CABBAGE. in cold sauce, soft egg, lentil miso and yuzu.
COD. marinated and fried, caroselle of fennel in vinegar and parsley.
RABBIT. in porchetta, apple and green peppers.
Spaghetti Pomodoro.
SPAGHETTONE. smoked, garlic, oil and chilli pepper, green beans, strong
ricotta fondue and anchovies. This had a strong smoky flavor that was fabulous.
BRANZINO. marinated and grilled, helichrysum, zucchini and sweet garlic.
BEEF DIAPHRAGM. with padre peppe liquor, spinach, savory and black truffle butter. This sounded scary but was very tender and tasted great.
An amuse, I think plum flavored.
ARAGUANI CHOCOLATE. spicy, osmosis watermelon and liquorice parfait.
PEACH. three wines, liquid celery and lemon soda.
FIG. iced and creamy, crusco pepper compote and herbal cheese.
Petite Four.
Petite Four.
Petite Four (fabulous, actually).
Petite Four.
This was a very nice meal, certainly better than our first two in Venice. Quite elegant.
For more Italian dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Quadri
Location: za San Marco, 123, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy. +39 041 522 2105
Date: July 31, 2024
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Great meal
Our final meal in Venice was at Michelin 1 Star Quadri.
Quadri is actually located directly ON the Piaza san Marco. Seems like too touristy a location but it did have that Michelin star.
Interior is elegant without being stuffy. There is a decorative theme of stuffed (real) animals with angel wings.
They had lots of wine, of course.
The menu. They actually let me order the tasting menu while my wife went ala carte — only time this trip anywhere did — yay!
The amuses. Sadly I don’t remember exactly what they were, there were so many amuses this trip, and I wasn’t taking notes.
Lots of bread.
And even more bread.
Pomodoro.
AROMATIC HERB SALAD, BEET JUICE AND YELLOW DATTERINO TOMATO SORBETTO.
ITALIAN GARDEN. Red and green tomatoes, green beans, fava beans, ricotta and basil.
FRESHLY SALTED COD WITH MEDITERRANEAN SAUCE
GRILLED MACKEREL WITH GREEN TOMATO JUICE GREEN BEANS AND SEAWEED TARTAR SAUCE
ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH ZUCCHINI SORBETTO AND BASIL.
The first course of my tasting menu.
SOFT BRUSCHETTA WITH TUNA CRUDO BELUGA STURGEON SAUCE AND CAVIAR.
AROMATIC HERB SALAD, BEET JUICE AND YELLOW DATTERINO TOMATO SORBETTO. I really like these “salads with sorbetto”. Wonderful little combo.
LAGOON MURRINA CAPPUCCINO. This was awesome. Thick and creamy.
BEEF CARPACCIO DI MANZO WITH QUADRI SAUCE.
The second course.
FRIED RICE RAVIOLI WITH SMOKED EGGPLANT AND SPICY TOMATO SAUCE.
PACCHERI WITH RABBIT RAGU RICOTTA AND TARRAGON.
COLD SPAGHETTINI WITH RAW FISH AND SHELLFISH AND SEASHELL CREAM. Delicious pasta.
CUTTLEFISH INK RISOTTO WITH ITS LIVERS AND GINGER. Pasta AND risotto — living the dream.
ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH ZUCCHINI SORBETTO AND BASIL.
GRILLED MACKEREL WITH GREEN TOMATO JUICE, GREEN BEANS AND SEAWEED TARTAR SAUCE. I like mackerel.
GUINEA HEN WITH PLUM JUICE AND CHICKEN LIVER PATE WITH LARDO. Pork fat makes everything better.
VEAL SWEETBREAD WITH LIGHT SAFFRON BERNAISE SAUCE AND INCENSE RESIN SPRAY.
Chocolate Sorbetto.
DOGE’S CHOCOLATE LAYER DELIGHT.
PLUM PUREE WITH GORGONZOLA AND SESAME GELATO. Interesting.
WATERMELON WITH WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR HERBS AND MINT GRANITA. This was super refreshing and enjoyable.
COFFEE CANNOLO.
CHOCOLATE AND PISTACHIO PIPE. Neat format and delicious to boot.
Petite Fours.
This was a great meal, in no small part because I was allowed to get the “big” tasting menu — and because the 16 courses served as 4 courses format is a really good compromise. Serial 16 courses is too long with non food and wine people at the table. Huge kudos to the staff for being flexible. Additionally, the food was great. As usual, I particularly liked the primi, but this format helped offset the “blah Italian mains” factor that can really happen in a traditional Italian format.
For more Italian dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Alle Corone
Location: Hotel Ai Reali, Calle Seconda de la Fava, 5527, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy. +39 041 523 2222
Date: July 29, 2024
Cuisine: Venetian Italian
Rating: Good, but slightly stiff
This is the start of our late summer 2024 Italy trip which includes two weeks of meals in Venice, Puglia, and Naples.
First night in Venice. Because my work has grown quite intense again this year, I didn’t have a lot of time for research. Ferreting out the best less formal restaurants can be quite time consuming, so I leaned heavily on Michelin recommended and starred places.
Alle Corone is Michelin recommended and located inside a lovely hotel.
The menu.
Amuse. Fritter.
Amuse. Mozzarella and Tomato.
Amuse. Cabbage puree.
Amuse. Fried Mackerel.
Amuse. Crispy goat cheese and more chips.
They have so much good bread in Italy.
Raw Amberjack marinated with sour cream and raspberries.
Pasta Pomodoro – you will see a lot of these.
Risotto cheese and pepper, raw red prawns and green apple sauce. Fabulous risotto with nice mix of textures.
Zoom!
Turbot Grilled, zucchini in bloom, and its mayonnaise.
Monkfish Carlina style with eggplant and friggitello pepper. Very nice. Monkfish itself had those big bones.
Great selection of Petite Fours.
And the gluten free versions.
Alle Corone was quite nice. It was a touch “old school” in atmosphere — white tablecloths and all — but the food was very good.
Restaurant: Il Pastaio [1, 2, 3]
Location: 400 N.Canon Drive. Bevery Hills, CA 90210. Phone: 310.205.5444
Date: May 1, 2024
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Superb
Liz Lee of Sage Society always puts on fabulous winemaker dinners. She focuses on making every element perfect from the location, food, wines and has some of the best winemakers in the world.
This dinner focuses on classic Burgundy Negotiant Maison Joseph Drouhin.
Il Pastaio has a nice private room — or maybe it was a section of the restaurant that can be closed off for special events.
Fried Zucchini Flower filled with Ricotta Cheese.
Crispy Rice Cake with Salmon.
The special menu.
Bread.
Langoustine Carpaccio with Yuzu Jello. Very nice, but of salt too.
Olive Oil-Poached Branzino with Celery Root Puree.
Breast of Duck in Orange Sauce with Potato Napoleon.
Pan-Roasted Ribeye Cap with Salsa Verde Grilled Mushrooms.
Short Ribs Agnolotti with Truffle Sauce. Really nice.
Cheese Course.
My notes.
This was a great evening with lots of really good wine. For such (on average) young Burg it showed really well.
The lineup.
As always from Liz and Sage Society an impeccable dinner. Lovely setting, and great classic LA Italian!
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Chef Celestino won the left and Paolo De Marchi in the middle.
Restaurant: Culina Modern Italian [1, 2, 3]
Location: 300 S Doheny Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310) 860-4000
Date: December 4, 2023
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Way downhill
Hotel restaurants are always rebooting themselves, and so it goes with the 4 Seasons Beverly Hills. I ate here twice in 2017 and had very good meals, so I was reasonably optimistic coming into this Krug dinner.
Sebastian and David Chhay put together this really fun night of awesome wines at Culina in the Beverly Hills 4 Seasons.
We had this private nook.
The special menu. It paired, but it wasn’t exactly large.
Caspian Queen Caviar. We all thought this was an amuse — but it turned out to be a course!
Yellow Tail Crudo. Tasty enough — if typical — but not exactly filling.
Charred Beausoleil Oyster. The theme continues. These had a nice bacony taste, but two small oysters is like 3g of food.
Chilean Seabass. And finally a larger course comes and it’s a dry and basically bland hunk of slightly over-cooked fish.
There was so little food that Seb ordered some focciacia!
Prime Brandt NY. Just fine. Nothing special.
This wasn’t another course, it was just the pescatarian option for someone who didn’t want beef.
Vanilla Gelato, Truffle Honey, Persimmon, Pizelle. Texture was a bit grainy.
The wines were incredible and the evening super fun — but the food was very light and not particularly exciting. Culina had much better food years ago under Mirko.
Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
Location: Santa Monica
Date: May 11, 2023
Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking
Rating: Awesome
Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. Tonight’s dinner was another Hedonist dinner featuring whole lamb.
Lovely night out on the patio.
Rocco and gen prepping.
Some big tomohawks at the ready.
Tonight’s special feature was a whole saddle of lamb on the spit!
Our menu tonight. Some new dishes and some old favorites.
Cozze con Guanciale. Mussels with Pork Cheek. The sauce on this mussel dish was essentially like a all’amatriciana except that it was also saturated with mussel-juice. Pretty awesome actually, particularly the crispy little guanciale chunks.
Tartra di Manzo. Beef Tartare. Very good straight beef tartare. I like the capers — classic.
Quaglia Ripiena. Stuffed Quail. Quaglia Ripiena su Polenta. Stuffed quail over polenta. Now this is a to die for dish. The polenta is nice and juicy and the stuffing is amazing.
Pasta all’ Oliva. Olive Pasta. This is like a Pasta Puttanesca without the anchoives. Actually it was one of the best olive pastas I’ve had. It had that fresh olive flavor, and lots of it, but it wasn’t offputting at all. The texture was perfect and the oily caponata-type sauce. Really good.
Yarom gets “just the sauce.”
Sella di Agnello a Legna. Wood-fired lamb saddle. Impressive, but I can’t say I adored this lamb. It was very smoky, but it had just a touch too much lamb “funk” for my taste and a texture more like steak. I really like roast lamb when its falling off the bone, more middle eastern style. These are nitpics though.
Bistecca di Tomahawk Cotta a Legna. Wood-fired Tomahawk Steak. Very rare! Great steak, but I’ve liked some of his other steaks a bit better. I like it a little more “medium rare” and a bit more bark. Plenty of salt though. Rocco does like his salt.
Midollo Osseo. Wood-fired Bone Marrow. The bone marrow was great for “juicing” up bites of steak and lamb. Too bad there wasn’t more.
Polenta. This stuff is always amazing. Lots of butter or something.
Aglio Broccolini Arrostiiti. Garlic Roasted Broccolini. One of my favorites of his vegetables. Really nice crunch. Salty though. Really salty. But tasted amazing.
Cannoli and Baklava’s Evil American Lovechild — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is Malibu Honey, California Pistachios, and house-made Gluten Free Honey Graham Crackers (almond flour and so good you can’t tell them from the wheat flour version)! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #GrahamCracker #pistachio
Pistachio Chocolate Fudge Gelato – a new high nut and no egg formulation with Pistachio di Bronte DOGC produces an intense pistachio base, mixed with Valrhona 70% Chocolate Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #pistachio #Sicily #nuts #Valrhona #Chocolate #Ganache
Snickerdoodle Gelato NSA — A cinnamon vanilla base, but this version is No Sugar Added and formulated with Allulose — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #snickerdoodle #cookie #cinnamon #vanilla #nsa #allulose
Rocco works my gelato.
Epic wine lineup.
The gang at the table.
Very fun night with an awesome (and typical) crew and great great wines. Food was really fabulous as always, and there was tons, although I’ve had Rocco’s meals where I liked the mains more. Tonight’s standouts were the clams, quail, and pasta.
First of all, the Borgese hospitality was awesome, the house lovely, and the food absolutely incredible. One of the best “home cooked” meals I’ve had. Maybe ever if you restrict it to chefs cooking in their own home kitchen. Just amazing. Every dish was great. Rustic but extremely delicious style. Superb homemade pastas.
Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Locanda Veneta [1, 2, 3, 4]
Location: 8638 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (310) 274-1893
Date: April 13, 2023
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: fun night w/ retro 90s Italian
I’m not historically a big fan of Locanda Veneta. It’s okay, and the owner is super nice, and execution on the food quite good, but the meal is always the same (maybe that’s Yarom’s ordering) and it’s very 90’s. I like a more modern style of Italian, frankly. This feels similar to Toscana or other good but slightly dated places. And we always end up eating steak — which just doesn’t feel that Italian — although actually it is in Tuscany — but I hate that kind of steak.
Anyway, last fall I decided after many years of rejection to try it out again — and somehow I got roped into AGAIN this spring.
The location is Los Angeles classic, Locanda Veneta, a Beverly Hills Italian with several decades of history. Above, Chef Andre in the kitchen.
A too narrow shot of the frontage.
Champ.
I need to spend more time getting shots of the interior. This one is crappy. And the people at the “other” table complained about being photoed (which they really weren’t) and so have taken on a demonic aspect.
Just a few Gayas!
Tonight’s menu.
Bread.
A “pesto” of parsley, olive oil, lemon juice etc. I ate it plain.
Bonus white I brought.
Insalata di Cariofi. Finely chopped baby purple artichoke with chopped arugula and mixed baby green in a house vinaigrette, topped with shaved “imported” Parmigiano. Fine salad, although not exactly Gaja compatible so we had my Trebbiano.
Champ.
“Beluga” Sturgeon Caviar (1lb.) Sturgeon Roe (Imported Real Fine Black Caviar) served with Fresh Made Blini, Chopped Egg Yolks, Spanish Red Onion and Crème Fraiche. This wasn’t exactly Gaja compatible either! The caviar itself is middling, but it’s very tasty with the Crème Fraiche.
Carpaccio di Antilope. Very thin slices of marinated “Nilgai” Texas Antelope served with arugula in a lemon vinaigrette. The less carby option.
Risotto al Tartufo Nero. “Carnaroli” rice simmered with a shaved Tuscan Fresh Black Summer Truffles. This was good tonight. The risotto wasn’t quite creamy/buttery enough, but the truffles were great — and smelled great.
Gnocchi Bianchi e Neri d’Aragosta. Homemade black & white gnocchi sauteed with Fresh Lobster Meat and our Famour Lobster Sauce. Really a very lovely pasta. Gnocchi were soft and the sauce was perfect. However, it had these (proper) seafood notes that were totally a clash with the Gaja.
“Tomahawk” di Manzo. USDA Prime Beef Tomahawk charbroiled to perfection, rubbed with Kosher Sea Salt, Black Pepper and our Secret Fresh Spices. They served us three of these, cooked at different levels. This was more on the medium side. One was very rare. It’s a solid steak, but perhaps underseasoned, and it was cooked on gas and missing that charcoal taste.
Roasted Rosemary Garlic New Potatoes. These were as good as roast potatoes get, really tasty.
Garlic Green Beans. Overcooked and a touch mushy, but they tasted amazing because of all the garlic.
Roasted Carrots. Overcooked and a touch mushy.
Panna Cotta. Italian vanilla custard served on a strawberry coulis. Lovely and soft.
Flourless chocolate cake. Pretty much what you’d expect.
Cheesecake with berry sauce.
Cannoli and Baklava’s Evil American Lovechild — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Base crafted from Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta and Sicilian Toasted Noto Romano Almond Paste with a touch of the sugar subbed out for Sicilian Honey. Mixed in is Malibu Honey, California Pistachios, and house-made Gluten Free Honey Graham Crackers (almond flour and so good you can’t tell them from the wheat flour version)! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese #Sicily #honey #GrahamCracker #pistachio
Overall, a super fun evening. Food is a bit dated, like a throwback to 1998, but the place is very fun and cozy and the wines rocked. Problem is (as it often is) that we really needed either a menu crafted for all Niebbiolo instead of the same same menu or a split of half whites and half reds. All that Gaja was smashed into two courses and a lot went to waste. We even had the “dessert gayas.”
Our chef is super nice and a great host.
The kitchen.
Restaurant: Osteria Mozza
Location: 6602 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 297-0100
Date: February 6, 2023
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Strange meal, but some great dishes
This was a special Roscioli dinner hosted at Mozza by Nancy Silverton (shown below). While the food was very good, and it was a fun evening, it turned out to be a bit of a money grub. It was $250 and most of what is shown was shared between two people. The highlight was two plates of very simple pasta.
Roscioli is a casual but amazing trattoria in Rome that I visited last time I was in the eternal city.
A very crowded dining room.
Us and Nancy Silverton (shown here).
The very short fixed menu for tonight.
2014 Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. VM 92. Bright dark straw-yellow. Musky but subdued aromas of orange, herbs and lees. Gently floral and vinous on entry, then slightly dilute in the middle, showing a wild character to the saline orchard fruit and herb flavors on the medium-long, uncomplicated finish. Considering how wet the 2014 vintage was, this is a very successful wine. (Drink starting 2016)
Antipasti. This (and all the food except the meatballs and cannoli) were served for the two of us.
Selection of Salumi: Prosciutto, Salame & Capocollo. Good stuff, really as good as these particular meats get, but not exactly prepared here (other than being sliced).
Mortadella with Crispy Flatbread & Parmigiano Curls. Very Italian actually and I do love a good Mortadella (aka bologna). Very nice combined with the vegetables.
Mozzarella di Bufala with Cantabrian Anchoives & Zucchini “alla Scapece”. These marinated veggies and Mozzarella were really first rate actually. You rarely get these kind of classic Italian products here at this kind of quality level.
Traditional Eggplant Caponata with Dried Fruit, Pine Nuts & Pistachios. Probably the best Caponata I’ve had.
Fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Roman Oxtail Stew served with Cacio e Pepe Fonduta. Unusual version of this and richer and more complex than the usual ricotta stuffed versions. Yummy for sure.
1999 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino Ugolaia. VM 91. Lisini’s 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Ugolaia presents generous sensations of over-ripe jammy fruit and alcohol with great concentration and expansiveness on the palate and a sublime, long finish. Made in a powerful, seamless style, Ugolaia is clearly a wine crafted to impress, and indeed initially it succeeds, but upon closer reflection it comes across as somewhat one-dimensional in its expression. Anticipated maturity (Drink between 2013-2019)
Bigoli Cacio e Pepe with Pecorino, Parmigiano and Roscioli Pepper Blend. Probably the best Cacio e Pepe I’ve had. The noodles were delightfully thick and very al dente and chewy, the cheese bright, and the pepper very coarse and intense. Perfectly balanced.
Mezzze Maniche Amatriciana with Tomato, Guanciale, Pecorino & Parmigiano. Very classic Amatriciana. The pasta was very chewy and al dente. Absolutely adictive texture. The Guanciale was extremely rendered and very nicely crunchy like I remember at Roscioli. There was a pleasant pork and tomato blend to the sauce. First rate.
Traditional Roman Meatballs with Baby Potatoes. This was the worst dish by a mile. Just so so meatballs and some potatoes. The tomato sauce was excellent though and you can see the nice seperation in the photo. That this was the main in a $250 dinner was a little insulting.
Sicilian Cannolo with Ricotta, Chocolate Chips, Candied Fruit & Pistachios. Great Cannoli for American. The ricotta wasn’t anywhere near as good as in Sicily but the shell was nice and crispy and the candied orange fabulous. I would have liked the fruit inserted into the cannoli but when combined it was great.
So this was a weird dinner. It basically felt like a money grab as for $250/pp it was a couple cold apps, some very basic (if excellent) pastas, and 2 meatballs! That being said the pastas were best in class Roman pastas. But the ingredients are so cheap. We are talking pasta, cheese, water, and pepper (for the cacio).
Restaurant: Peppone Restaurant
Location: 11628 Barrington Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (310) 476-7379
Date: November 11, 2022
Cuisine: 1970s Italian American
Rating: Saucy!
Jeffrey was clamoring for months to visit Peppone in Brentwood for Old School Italian eats.
I, myself, hadn’t been in 15 or 20 years!
Not that the interior changed. It hasn’t changed since disco was king! This place opened in around 1971 and looks it. All the hot girls were there too (later) — just the girls who were hot in the 70s!
At the bar.
The petrified menu.
From my cellar: 2012 Borgo del Tiglio (Nicola Manferrari) Collio Studio di Bianco. 95 points. Borgo del Tiglio’s flagship 2012 Studio di Bianco is the most precise, sculpted wine in the range. Lemon peel, white flowers and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that take shape in a wine that deftly balances the richness and tension. As is often the case, I expect the Studio will need a few years in bottle to truly open up and show the full breadth of its personality. (Drink between 2017-2027)
Cheesy Garlic Bread with Marinara Sauce. I didn’t try these (avoiding the carbs) but people said they were pretty good. But they do start off tonight’s “sauce” theme, even if it’s a dipping sauce in that EVERY dish served was covered in a sauce.
From my cellar: 2018 Azienda Agricola Valentini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. VM 92. Bright pink. Minerals, fava beans, pomegranate and violet on the bright nose. Then very harmonious in its acid-fruit-tannin profile, with lively balanced acidity nicely extending the flavors similar to the aromas on the long back end. Strikes me as a rather refined, sneakily concentrated Cerasuolo. (Drink between 2019-2025)
Jumbo Artichokes Venetian. Not only is this pretty hideous (and decidedly messy) but it was probably the worst artichoke I remember having. The sauce was just vaguely salty and the artichoke itself was very thick and heavy and it was difficult to scrape any meat off of the leaves. This is an easy dish and can be delicious steamed with butter, garlic, and a bit of salt — don’t complicate it.
Baked Zucchini Blossoms. Ugly as hell, but actually fairly tasty. The overall texture was much like an omelet as the blossoms were smashed flat and slightly soggy. A fairly tasty brown sauce of some sort was sort of drizzled over it.
Escargots. Another looker! Passible, but these shelled snails were drowned in this mysterious brown sauce. Straight French-style garlic butter escargot are much better.
Scampi Vesuvio. Nicely cooked shelled shrimp were soaked in the vesuvio sauce which seams to be butter, lemon juice, and some seafood “juice.”
From my cellar: 1965 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva. VM 97. Garnet-tinged red. Aromas of raspberry, red cherry, dried flowers, licorice and smoky spices complicated by white pepper and herbs. Suave on entry, then sweet but gripping in the middle, with harmonious acidity giving terrific definition and lift to the multifaceted flavors of red berries, minerals, iron and spices. A wonderfully creamy, almost fleshy Chianti with utterly silky tannins. Offers amazing vibrancy while saturating the entire palate without conveying any impression of weight on the extremely long finish. A great wine from a vintage that received mixed reviews at the time, with some producers liking it a lot, and others much less so. The general consensus, though is that it was inferior to both 1964 and 1966.
Would have been home on the original opening list!
Pasta Trio with Rigatoni with Italian Sausage, Fettuccine Alfredo, and Lobster Ravioli. Three “classic” pastas. The good one was the Rigatoni which was quite al dente and had a nice Italian American Sausage sauce. The Fettuccine was mushy and just tasted like cream. The Ravioli sauce tasted mostly like salt with almost no lobster shell (aka bisque) taste.
From my cellar: 2002 Romano Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta. VM 94. Dal Forno’s 2002 Valpolicella is a massively endowed effort revealing backward dark fruit, new leather, spices, herbs, roasted coffee beans and toasted oak on an imposing, tannic frame. Made in a super-concentrated style – even by Dal Forno’s standards – it will require several years of cellaring for the tannins to soften somewhat, although it is hard to imagine that will ever completely happen. Beginning with the 2002 vintage Dal Forno’s Valpolicella is made from 100% dried fruit, whereas in previous vintages the wine had been made only partially with dried fruit. (Drink between 2013-2017)
Sweetbreads Pompei, Sandabs in Padella, and Chicken Livers Flambee. These were all actually pretty good. The Sandabs were fabulous, albiet coated in another of those salty old fashioned sauces, but they were very delicate and moist (drowned). The Sweetbreads were also good, but hard to tell under the sauce. The Liver was my least favorite but it was still solid for liver of this sort as it was soft and not chewy or heavy.
From the ancient list: 1989 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi. VM 97. The 1989 Barbaresco Costa Russi is a thrilling wine that literally takes my breath away – and that comes from someone who usually isn’t the hugest fan of this particular wine. In 1989 the Costa Russi offers a touch more roundness and spiciness than the Barbaresco. The fruit here is super-luxurious and silky, while the tannins possess remarkable polish. The finish remains firm and full of life. Even 20 years ago Angelo Gaja and Guido Rivella were making wines most producers would kill for today. Simply put this is a magical bottle; I only wish I owned it. Wow. (Drink between 2013-2030)
Sausages Pizzaiola. This seemed more like sausages and peppers. But regardless the sausage itself was great, classic Italian America with a nice bit of fennel. Sauce worked well making it like a good street Sausage and Peppers. The old fashioned veggies lol. Steamed with maybe a bit of butter. Drowned in the sauce they were actually fine as they were still reasonably crunchy — but so old fashioned!
Vitello Saltimbocca. Hard to find the veal under all that sauce, and it was salty, but it was also tender and pretty delicious.
Lamb Osso Buco with Gnocchi. I usually expect Osso Buco to be vertical with more fat and collogen and this is more reminiscient as a cut to a Middle Eastern lamb shank, but the meat was delicious. The Gnocchi were a bit chewy, not the light fluffy ones that are best.
Sautéed Mushrooms. Ugly delicious for sure! Looks like a bowl of dog food, but these mushrooms, nearly invisible under the thick salty brown sauce were quite delicious. Certainly it was all about the salty mushroom (and maybe beef) sauce.
Yar! Ghostly skeletal praline pirates are marauding — Pecan Pirate Praline Gelato — An eggy Texas Pecan base layered with my creepy skull-shaped New Orleans style Vanilla Bourbon Pecan Pralines and Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Pumpkins — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vanilla #bourbon #pecan #praline #candy #halloween #spooky
We were joined tonight by the lovely and vivacious Lisa of LisaEatsLA. Plus her boyfriend.
Overall, the room at Peppone is gorgeous. The clientele consists of 1968 California Girls dolled up and ready to party — in 2022. The waiters have all probably worked here for decades and they were great. Very nice, very knowledgeable, efficient. Our meal did take mysteriously long. They kinda did that thing where they ignored us a bit until the bulk of the crowd (which had seated before us, even though we at at 7pm) thinned out.
Food was better than I thought, but OMG the hideous plating and all that sauce. Literally every single dish is drowned in a barely identifiable heavy sauce. The driest dish was the Garlic Bread (which also included a sauce). And it’s just poured over. And it’s all so 1970s. I love sauce but this was a bit much. And we aren’t talking a precise french Beurre Blanc or even a peerless Marinara but these heavy sloppy butter based “brownish” sauces. Plus the antiquated veggies. However, must dishes were pretty tasty in a salty buttery way. Pastas were weak. We didn’t try dessert.
They do have a pretty well priced big wine list. It’s poorly spelled and only sometimes includes vintages but we did manage to find a fantastic 1989 Gaja Russi for $349 (which is probably about retail).
Restaurant: Mother Wolf
Location: 1545 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028. (323) 410-6060
Date: September 27, 2022
Cuisine: Roman-style Italian
Rating: Really good, really salty, total carb bomb
Mother Wolf was one of LA’s most anticipated 2022 openings, being the first “post Felix” restaurant from pasta master Evan Funke.
Chef Evan Funke is a highly respected and accomplished chef in the culinary industry. He is known for his passion and expertise in Italian cuisine, particularly pasta-making. Funke has worked in some of the most renowned kitchens in the United States, including Spago and Rustic Canyon in Los Angeles. He also trained under Italian pasta masters in Italy, which sparked his love for traditional Italian cooking techniques. Funke is also the founder of the popular Los Angeles-based restaurant, Felix Trattoria, which has received numerous accolades and recognition for its exceptional pasta dishes. In addition to his work in the restaurant industry, Funke is also an author, having published his first cookbook, “American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta,” in 2019. He is widely regarded as one of the top pasta makers in the world, and his dedication to preserving the traditional techniques of Italian cooking has made him a beloved figure in the culinary community.
Mother Wolf is “Roman” themed — not ancient Roman, despite the obvious Romulus and Remus logo — but reflecting the food of the city. Most specifically his own take on those foods, particularly the pasta.
The interior is huge and gorgeous. It’s located right next door to Mes Ami (RIP) and part of the same management group.
The menu.
2004 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. VM 97. The 2004 Dom Pérignon P2 is precise and wonderfully refined, just like the first release. There’s a hint of reduction from extended time on the cork as well as a feeling of effusiveness that is so appealing. Readers will find a super-classic DP. Dried flowers, brioche, apricot preserves, sage, mint and chamomile are seamless in the glass. The 2004 can be enjoyed now or cellared for another decade plus. Some editions of the P2 series have been pretty austere in the early going; the 2004 is not among them. (Drink between 2022-2034)
PIZZA ROSSA. salsa di pomodoro, sea salt, olive oil. Gift from the kitchen. Nice texture and char taste to the dough. Chewy. Great for being such a simple pizza (I like them more complex).
SUPPLI AL TELEFONO. risotto croquette, guanciale, pomodoro, mozzarella di bufala, pecorino romano DOP. Classic Roman risotto balls (supplì). Cheesy center. Very temperature hot. Suppli are like the pizza flavored arancini. Basically a tomato soaked risotto and some melting mozzarella. It’s battered with egg and deep fried.
From my cellar: 2020 Capichera Bianco Capichera VT Isola dei Nuraghi IGT. Awesome high salinity Vermentino that I bought at the winery in Sardinia.
FIORI DI ZUCCA. squash blossoms, ricotta romana DOP, parmigiano reggiano. Very nicely fried and soft ricotta inside. Like many dishes at MF, this is a Felix transplant.
RUCHETTA. wild arugula, parmigiano reggiano, lemon, black pepper. Bracing and refreshing salad, perfect with all the fat and carbs.
2019 Paolo Cali Vittoria Mandragola. We bought this off the wine list at the Somm’s recommendation and I LOVED it — bought a case on my phone while we sat there.
LA MORTAZZA. mortadella di bologna, ricotta fresca, pistacchio di bronte, agrumato. A pizza version of a bologne sandwhich? Really good mortadella actually with a lot of nice very fresh ricotta. TONS of crust.
GAMBERI IN SALSA VERDE. blue prawns, green garlic salsa verde. Head sucking good. Salsa brightened things up. These are pretty much a Felix thing too.
SALSICCIA PIZZA. mozzarella di bufala, salsiccia, sweet peppers, spring onion, pomodoro, origano selvatico. This was pretty much my perfect classic sausage pizza. Great char and chew to the dough. Soft and chewy in the middle. Really liked the sausage and cheese offset along with the classic oregano vibe. Like a fancy version of those New Jersey pizzas.
SPAGHETTI CON BOTTARGA. aglio, olio, bottarga di muggine. Simple but perfectly al dente and with good botarga flavor.
1954 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo.
TONNARELLI CACIO E PEPE. pecorino romano DOP, black pepper. This probably would have been very good if we hadn’t also had the gricia (which was stunning and had that extra porky flavor). Pretty heavy but very al dente.
SPAGHETTONE ALLA GRICIA. guanciale, black pepper, pecorino romano DOP. One rarely sees this fourth pillar of the Roman pizza quartet and this version was absolutely perfect. Such seductive porky flavor! Insanely good pasta.
MEZZI RIGATONI ALLA CARBONARA. guanciale, egg, black pepper, pecorino romano DOP. Unusual pasta type but very “creamy” and incredibly rich. I liked it a lot but it was making me very full.
From my cellar: 2004 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 95+. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is powerful, deeply colored and still carrying a considerable amount of tannic heft for a twelve year old wine. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco, scorched earth and licorice give the wine much of its distinctive virile personality. The Madonna del Piano is one of the bigger, brawnier 2004s readers will come across. As such, it needs to be served alongside similarly rich, hearty cuisines. (Drink between 2016-2026)
RIGATONCINI ALLA VACCINARA. oxtail ragu, guanciale, peperoncino, pecorino romano DOP. Solid meaty rigatoni.
PUTTANESCA. sugo di pomodoro, pomodorini, acciughe, green and black olives, basil. This wasn’t Puta enough. It was solid, and perfectly cooked, but I couldn’t really taste the anchovy. I wanted to be bowled over by the pungency.
ARROSTICINI. new zealand lamb belly, insalata di cipollina, lemon. Interestingly middle eastern. The mint “salad” was really good for offsetting the fat.
The dessert menu.
TORTA DI CIOCCOLATO. letterpress chocolate, arancia candita, gelato di pistacchio. Lovely rich tart and I really liked the candied orange and pistachio.
MARITOZZO ROMANO. monterrey strawberries, crema chantilly. Like a nice donut with strawberries and cream. Hard not to like as it was very soft and fresh.
Our wines.
Overall, this was a great meal. It was heavy though. It didn’t seem like it exactly, but I slept terribly. Everything tasted great, but it was extremely well seasoned (aka salty) and between the massive carb overload and the salt it really through my system out of whack. But of course I have no one but myself to blame as I did the ordering. And do notice that with four people I ordered three pizzas (actually one was on the house) and six pastas! That’s half a pizza and 1.5 pastas each, not to mention the other stuff. But really I probably ate about 2.5 pastas myself. haha.
And Mother Wolf, like Felix before it, is all about the pasta. They were darn good, particularly the carbonara and the gricia. I was almost tempted to order all 9, but I had to draw the line somewhere. They make good pizza here too, very good, but not totally mind blowing. The pasta is better. And they do have all 4 of the sacred 4 Roman pastas: cacio e pepe, amatriciana, gricia, and carbonara. They are all Southern Italian. The appetizers and mains are fine, but more forgettable, and not even totally regional.
Too bad MF is so far from me and reservations are so hard to get. Six months later you can get them, but only for 9:45pm. lol. And it’s a big restaurant. I guess Los Angelenos don’t mind $25-30 rustic pastas if they are good enough! I don’t.
Restaurant: Somu Ristorante
Location: Piazza Ventaglio, 07021 Baja Sardinia SS, Italy. +39 349 120 0682
Date: July 4, 2022
Cuisine: Italian 1 Star
Rating: Very nice
For second Sardinian 1 Star and final meal in Italy we trekked 20-30 minutes to the town of Baja Sardinia.
The restaurant was a touch difficult to find, as it was tucked away down at the harbor piazza (where there was no parking).
Finally we located it.
The have this gorgeous sea-side patio.
So we had this table looking over the bay/cove.
Amuses. Crunchy rice crisps with tomato and basil. Delicious and looked like jellyfish.
Rice crisps with steak tartare.
Veggie “tartare.”
Rice crisps in various flavors like saffron and squid ink and tomato.
Pork Jellies. Cute little piggies.
Vegetarian bites.
Refreshing fruit and wine “soup” (cold).
Brioche like bread.
Butter and lard.
Mushroom butter.
The menus. We had a bit of an issue at first where they really wanted us to all have the same menu — and since some people were vegetarian/pescatarian that really wasn’t going to work. This was unusual for a Michelin starred restaurant. I think it was the particular person we had as a manager came over and completely changed the tune and was very accomodating.
Amuse of oyster with various flavors.
Vegetable creams with basil oil.
Crispy Sardinian Bread.
Grisini.
Bread.
Carne Salata. Strong meaty and briny flavors with sesame.
Tomato terrine.
Black Garlic Ravioli. Lovely pillow-like texture, nice pasta bite, and great flavor.
Egg yolk.
Gluten free version.
Green tomato risotto. Very interesting flavor and perfect creamy texture.
Spaghetti.
Kid pasta 1. Was almost sweet.
Kid pasta 2.
Red Mullet. No hint of fishiness.
Risotto with sweet and sour peppers (from identity menu)
Suckling Pig. Great texture.
Stuffed vegetable.
Pre-dessert.
Pecan.
Beans, oat milk, and citrus.
petite fours.
Gluten free petite fours.
Chocolate cannelés.
Liqueur soaked pastry balls.
Passionfruit jelly.
Chocolates.
Overall, a fabulous fancy Italian meal. Not quite as approachable as ConFusion, as Somu was slightly more complex and cerebral, but really good. Lovely setting too.
Restaurant: La Pergola in Giardino
Location: Costa SMERALDA, 07020 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 0789 931620
Date: July 3, 2022
Cuisine: Sardinian Italy
Rating: Lovely
Sigh, for our second to last night in Sardinia, we headed back to the Porto Cervo marina to a place we had scoped out last time we were there.
The marina is quite pretty.
Pergola is attached to a snazzy boutique hotel.
The menu.
Breads.
2021 Capichera Vermentino di Gallura Vign’ Angena. 91 points.
Amberjack marinated with raspberries and glasswort. Nice soft crudo texture. Interesting sweet and herbal notes.
Plain pasta for the boy.
Spagheti all’oro. Not too different than the plain.
(Gluten free) Burrata filled ravioli.
Seafood fregola. Little chopped pasta bits. Really delicious, like a classic risotto marinara but pasta.
Filet of sea bass with squash blossoms.
Turbo filet with Sichuan Peppercorn. Very light numbing flavor, but very good.
Biscotti.
Overall, this was a nice place. It’s a touch more modern/international than a few of the others while remaining solidly Italian. I tend to like my food updated and they had a tight kitchen as everything was very tasty.
Restaurant: Renato Pedrinelli
Location: Piazza degli Ulivi, snc, 07021 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 339 649 5114
Date: July 2, 2022
Cuisine: Sardinian Italian
Rating: Tasty
Another night in Sardinia, another Italian restaurant.
Renato Pedrinelli was well rated and conveniently located only a mile or two away from our hotel in a large ritzy shopping plaza near the Porto Cervo marina.
As usual for summer dining in Italy we ate al fresco, coperto be damned!
The menu.
They bring by a selection of barely or recently living sea creatures for your perusal.
Sardinia usually features crispy breads.
2018 Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna Cerdeña. Gotta drink local.
Burrata pugliese e pomodorini. Burrata with cherry tomatoes.
Half lobster Catalan style. I was a bit apprehensive given all those raw tomatoes, but somehow with the acidity and the onions it was pretty awesome.
Classic penne pomodoro.
Paccheri with fish ragu, bottarga and courgettes. Cheesy and a bit fishy. Nice bite.
Sea Bream with tomatoes, olives, and capers.
Filleted.
Overall, while nothing spectacular, this was a solid meal. Everything in Porto Cervo is a bit focused on a tourist set — not necessarily American tourists (we didn’t see many of those) but mostly mainland Italians or other Europeans.
For more Italian dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Ristorante Osteria Macchiavello
Location: Bastioni Marco Polo, 57, 07041 Alghero SS, Italy. +39 079 980628
Date: July 2, 2022
Cuisine: Sardinian Italian
Rating: Tasty
We drove across Sardinia to visit the lovely town of Alghero.
Picked this attractive lunch spot just by feel and menu.
The menu.
They always have solid bread in Italy.
Burratini con petali di pomodori marinati, basilico e zenzero. Burrata cheese with marinated tomatoes, basil and ginger. As you can see, Sardinians, like other southern Italians, love their tomatoes (and they are some of the best tomatoes in the world)!
Simple pasta with the obligatory pomodoro sauce.
Culurgionnes di Oliena con pomodoro e basilico. Home made Sardinian egg pasta filled with potatoes, pecorino cheese, and mint served with basil and tomato sauce.
Spaghetti lla chitarra neri. Home made cuttlefish ink pasta cooked in parchment paper with mussels, clams, red prawns, scampi, small crab, octopus, squids, in a sauce of basil, cherry tomatoes, and a dash of chili infused olive oil.
Delicious with a strong briny flavor, a bit of sweetness, a hint of heat, and lots of seafood. Crab and shrimp shells were soft enough that they could be chewed through. Pasta was very thick and al dente. The shellfish stock cooks down with the tomatoes into a wonderful blend.
Overall a nice local meal in a great setting.
For more Italian dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Clipper Ristorante
Location: Via della Marina, 10, 07021 Porto Cervo SS, Italy. +39 0789 91644
Date: July 1, 2022
Cuisine: Seafood Italian
Rating: Solid (this is Italy) but nothing amazing
Online various people seemed to insist that Clipper was the best restaurant in Porto Cervo and “quite a scene.” Not sure I trust “those people” too much anymore.
The outside was cute enough.
They specialize in fresh seafood like many restaurants all over the coast of the Mediterranean basin.
Inside is cute but casual. They had a fairly bustling bar.
The menu.
Something fishy about these plates.
2020 Capichera Isola dei Nuraghi IGT. We ordered it again. After I tried some other Vermentinos I went back to ordering Capichera!
Crispy Sardinian bread.
They had gluten free bread (and crackers) but it was all packaged. A far cry from Confusion, but still they had it.
DOP Buffalo Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and EVOO.
Plate of Sardinian cheeses.
Antipasto of fresh seafood, including various shrimp-like creatures, clams, oysters, etc.
Sauces for the crudo.
Simple Spaghetti pomodoro.
Linguine all’astice with half a live local lobster. Very fresh tomato sauce. I was to have this basic dish a bunch of times in Sardinia and it was delicious every time. Really nice straightforward Italian pasta.
Spaghetti with tomatoes, fior di latte.
The other half of the lobster grilled with potatoes and beans.
Random packed cookies and candies.
A free degistivo.
Confusion was a much better “deal” at 2x the price of Clipper. But Clipper was enjoyable enough. Just basic good local Sardinian food done for the higher end tourist audience. Not fancy exactly, but perhaps a bit International. Like most decent kitchens in Italy it was totally enjoyable, if not exactly exciting. Not totally sure why this place was considered by so many online as “the best” though.
Restaurant: Gucci Osteria
Location: 347 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (424) 600-7490
Date: May 5, 2022
Cuisine: Modern Italian
Rating: Amazing — and foamy!
Over a decade ago I had an amazing meal at Osteria Francescana in Modena, one of the most respected and highly rated restaurants in Italy. So, I was very excited, but cautious, to hear that Chef Massimo Bottura partnered with Gucci (of all things) to open a restaurant in Beverly Hills.
It has it’s own door right next to the store on Rodeo.
Here’s the main Gucci store. I can’t help but visualizing Al Pacino demonstrating some loafers.
The dining room is upstairs above the store and has a lovely and stylish greenhouse vibe. It’d be great for power lunch as well.
This is all serious tasting menus. We got the “Chef’s Experience” but added SEVERAL signature dishes off the other menus.
Erick proudly sporting the menu.
Truffle and Cheese Foam Tart amuse.
One “problem” at Gucci Osteria is that they don’t allow any corkage. But it turns out that their “regular” wine pairing is actually all interesting Italian wines, which I do love. They also have a premium pairing which has some nice Italian wines, but is corrupted by a bunch of French (fine but not necessary given how many great wines Italy has) and — gasp — new world wines. Why would they do that? Anyway, we got the (almost) all Italian set.
NV Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige Brut. VM 91. Pale straw-yellow with a strong mousse. Bright, perfumed apple and pear aromas and flavors. Closes long with very good lemony cut and bright floral lift. One of the freshest, prettiest versions I can remember of the Cuvée Prestige, a sparkler that in my experience is often a little too heavy on sweet dosage. Disgorged fall 2017. (Drink between 2018-2023)
Lavash bread and raisin/fruit bread.
Normandy style butter.
Whipped Ricotta. Really light and delicious. Cough, cough: foam!
American Breakfast. Eggs, potato foam. Really smooth and luxurious. Notice the foam / velouté thing going on, you will see it again.
2020 Passo delle Tortore Fiano di Avellino Bacio delle Tortore. Fiano is a super dry and acidic white wine from the more volcanic coastal regions of southern Italy (in this case, Eastern Sicily).
From Japan & Italy to LA. Shigoku oyster. Nice oyster.
Prosciutto consommé. Cold and mild and porky. Not my thing.
2018 San Michele Appiano (St. Michael-Eppan) Sauvignon Sanct Valentin. VM 92. Bright straw. Aromas and flavors of passion fruit, green fig, sage and rosemary. Fresh and juicy with glyceral sweetness giving an impression of residual sugar. Closes long and focused with lingering hints of gooseberry and sage. A lovely Sauvignon Blanc. (Drink between 2019-2025)
Fish Tartare – Smoked and Crispy. Rock fish, potatoes, shiso.
2016 Cantine Bonacchi Brunello di Montalcino Molino della Suga. 92 points. This Sangiovese is starting to mature- pale garnet in the glass with thick legs (14% ABV). Pronounced aromas of cherry, leather and strawberry with hints of clove, rooibos tea, garigue and dried herb. The palate is dry and quite tannic. I get lovely crushed cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, strawberry coulis and earthy leather. This wine has juicy acidity and a full body- it’s just now starting to become drinkable. It is a very young wine with great structure and potential for aging that will allow tertiary flavor development. Right now it is still relatively primal. Delicious stuff that has a long finish and rather astringent mouthfeel right now. It will drink beautifully till 2030 and pair well with Italian fare, grilled ribeye or game. 93 points from me for this $40 wine makes it a 5 star effort.
Welcome Home. Polenta, taleggio, beef ragu. Super “creamy” and delicious. More foam!
2017 Monteraponi Chianti Classico Baron’ Ugo. VM 92. The 2017 Chianti Classico Baron’Ugo is a dark, potent wine. A rush of aromas and flavors hits the palate as this full-bodied, heady Chianti Classico offers its substantial richness and pure power. A wine of density and volume, the 2017 screams with character. Red cherry, spice, mint and blood orange saturate the palate. In 2017, warm, dry weather pushed ripeness to the edge. The Baron’Ugo is decidedly eccentric in 2017, and yet all the elements are so nicely balanced. (Drink between 2022-2037)
Risotto Camouflaged as Pizza. Tomato, Basil, Stracciatella. Incredible bright pizza Margarita flavor.
Bowl licking good.
NV Dante Garuti & Figli Lambrusco di Sorbara.
Tortellino Truffle. Parmigiano Reggiano sauce. This is a Gucci Osteria classic.
2018 Cascina Fontana Barbera d’Alba. 94 points. Rich, complex aroma with elements of black fruit, dried leaves, and red hots. Sappy flavors of huckleberry and fresh oregano up front, burst of acid laced cherry fruit in the finish. Smooth by Barbera standards, but with firm acids underneath. Lovely and distinctive wine.
Cod as Milanese. Farmer’s market tomato terrine.
2016 Giorgio Pelissero Barbaresco Nubiola. VM 88. The 2016 Barbaresco Nubiola is a powerful, dense wine. Black cherry, spice, menthol, licorice and leather are all amped up in this potent, concentrated Barbaresco from Giorgio Pelissero. Nubiola is typically a bit more refined, but in 2016 it is especially powerful and clenched, with huge tannins that need cellaring to soften. Time in the glass brings out the attractive floral upper register that is typical of Nubiola, but the textural richness and depth remain. (Drink between 2021-2031)
Bollito. Wagyu, apple mostarda, warm zabaione. Again creamy and rich. Woah, more foam!
2016 Val Delle Rose Maremma Toscana Aurelio. 88 points.
Chicken Skin Fries.
Balsamic Mayo for the fries. Super aioli texture.
Pastry chef Tamara Rigo chats with us.
Mini Me. Beef ribeye, cotechino, salsa verde, balsamic mayonnaise. Super yummy mini-burger.
Chibi Zumo ‘Little Sumo’ Junmai Geenshu Sake, Hyogo Prefecture.
Cool Vibes. Pistachio gelato, lime, mint, sake.
2014 Azienda Agricola Prà “Passito Bianco Delle Fontane”. 88 points. A lot of white flowers. Acacia being the most dominant. Orange peel, overripe apricots, nectarines, yellow peaches. Full bodied; but some lift to it.
Honey comes in this cool bee!
Milk & Honey. Milk, honey, coriander.
Puff Pastry, Passionfruit Jelly, Chocolate.
The bill — for 1 — gulp!
We closed them out.
Then hung out in the kitchen with two of the chefs! They were super nice. The chef on the right is pastry chef Tamara Rigo (she’s Italian — and yes Italians can be redheads). Not pictured is Chef Mattia Agazzi who has garnered a lot of press.
Overall, this was an amazing meal. It’s really the only meal I’ve had in America that reminds me of my many many 2 and 3 star meals in Italy. Now, that being said Italy, and to a much lesser extent LA, has tons of lovely more “casual” or “homestyle” Italian restaurants. In fact it’s hard to go wrong in Italy and casual places are amazing. But these fancy places have a style unique all to themselves and Gucci Osteria really delivers on that. Its particular style is rather rich and opulent with an incredible bounty of foams, veloutés, and fatty emulsions. I happen to love these kind of smooth textures, and I can handle very rich, but not everyone does. Still, to my taste it was delicious.
Service was amazing also and I actually really enjoyed the creative and offbeat Italian wine pairings. Italy has so many stupendous wines in every possible style, so there is no reason to eat Italian food with wine from anywhere else.
The idea of going back again leaves me “foaming” at the mouth!
Restaurant: Piccolo
Location: 2127 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 314-0144
Date: April 14, 2022
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Excellent neighborhood Italian
Piccolo is the latest restaurant by Chef Antonio Muré. I’ve been to a lot of his places around the west side over the years including the original Piccolo.
The menu.
From my cellar: 2003 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate. 91-3 points. Incredibly well settled out and integrated, lovely fruit with cranberry and black rasberry undertones, not sweet but good viscosity, aftertaste of licorice/anise and earth.
Bread.
Insalate Crescione.
Beet Carpaccio.
Beef Carpaccio with Fondue and Truffles. The Truffles! Really good, albeit light.
Butter pasta.
Orchetti with Red Sauce.
Pici alla Melanzane.
Twisty noodles with tomato sauce.
Branzino.
Lamb Chops.
This was just a quick family dinner but the food was very good. Very typical of chef Muré.
Restaurant: Heroic Deli and Wine Bar [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Location: 516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 490-0202
Date: March 15, 2022
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Awesome wines and time
In Spring of 2022 friend Jeffrey, owner of Heroic Italian, hosted a series of old wine dinners. This one is old Spanish. These things are immortal!
To complement Jeffrey prepared an almost ludicrously rich and copious amount of food. Pay careful attention as the plated courses are INDIVIDUAL.
The street view.
We situated ourselves in the back of the main dining room.
In honor of the old Spanish wine Jeffrey brought in a whole pig!
He also has this interesting water pulled out of “thin air” by a machine. Quite good too.
1970 Bodegas Tradición Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Oloroso Anada. 95 points. Intense and very complex nose, nutty, dry fruit, a hint of luxurious cognac. Very rich and round, strong acidity and mineral and a long deeply toned nutty finish. My guess is an old sherry. It could also a dry style Madeira. With air, incredibly complex, sweet cognac nose. This will go incredibly well with aged comte or parmesan.
Amuse of Cinco Jotas Jabugo on Toast with Crushed Tomato.
1986 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco. VM 98. Bright yellow-gold. A hugely complex bouquet evokes dried pear, peach nectar, orange marmalade, honey, marzipan and chamomile, with vanilla and smoky mineral notes in the background. Stains the palate with sappy, deeply concentrated citrus, orchard and pit fruit flavors, plus suggestions of brown butter, shortbread and orange zest. This wine is fully mature but there’s no sign of it slowing down anytime soon. Finishes with superb persistence and energy, leaving peach liqueur, buttered toast and honey notes behind, eventually. This is one of the most remarkable white wines that I have ever had, from anywhere. (Drink between 2022-2031)
Scallop Bruschetta with Uni and Caviar. Buttery and delicious.
Foie Gras “LH” Bruschetta. Larry (LH) loves foie, so Jeffrey prepared not 1, not 2, but 4 liver courses!
House-made Vegetable Fritatta.
Served with perfect Garlic Aioli. It’s a great frittata and the intense garlic punch really knocks it up.
From my cellar: 1968 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia. VC 95. I cannot recall having crossed paths previously with the ’68 Tondonia Gran Reserva, and given how beautifully this bottle showed, I do not intend to wait a long time until having the next bottle of this brilliant wine. The bouquet is deep, pure and perfumed, as it soars from the glass in a beautiful mélange of cherries, orange zest, cinnamon sticks, lovely soil tones, a touch of nutskin and a distinct topnote of rose petals. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and spicy, with a fine core, great length and grip and still a bit of tannin to resolve on the long and palate-staining finish. A great, great bottle of Rioja. (Drink between 2008-2030)
1959 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. VM 95. Upon opening, with just a quick decant, I am blown away by the wine’s depth and overall intensity. Bright red cherry, cedar, tobacco, sweet vanillin and incense are all so wonderfully alive, with bright acids playing off the natural intensity of the fruit. Sure, there is a bit of volatile acidity, but not enough to detract from the wine’s immense pleasure. Even though the market for Rioja has changed dramatically over the last 10-15 years, older vintages still deliver exceptional value in the world of fine, ageworthy wine. Readers lucky enough to own the 1959 can look forward to another twenty years of magnificent drinking, maybe more. Longevity will ultimately be driven by the integrity of the cork, as the wine itself is basically eternal. (Drink between 2020-2040)
1954 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia. JG 54. The 1954 Bosconia Gran Reserva is at its absolute apogee and is drinking beautifully well. The bouquet is deep, complex and very refined in its mélange of raspberries, red currants, orange rind, nutskins, lovely spice tones and a fine base of Rioja soil. On the palate the wine is medium-full, round, focused and quite spicy in its personality, with lovely mid-palate depth, bright acids to keep the wine bouncy from attack to finish, and excellent length and grip on the complex backend. 1954 is a great vintage in Rioja, and the Bosconia Gran Reserva is a fittingly fine homage to the quality of the vintage. (Drink between 2008-2025)
1952 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 99 points. extraordinary and special wine, which managed to amaze me.
1948 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Reserva Cuvée Especial.
Foie “ Hoff” Gras Agnolloti with black truffles. A “light” little foie and truffle pasta to satisfy the foie monster at the table. No butter or cream here either… look away… move along…
Garlic bread. Great crunchy bread. Not that we needed extra carbs but I smeared aioli on for even more garlic.
En Croute…
Salmon en Croute with Farmers Market Asparagus. This isn’t a light dish either and this is a single person portion! Between the pastry and the beurre blanc…
Pan Seared Foie Gras “Estilo Hoffman”. More foie!
Classic Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese. Oh and this is a single portion of a giant hunk of cow leg with a huge pile of to-die-for classic risotto!
Then there is a whole pig.
Whole Roast Pig with Liver Sauce. With creamed spinach and liver sauce. Haha. A light finish to the savories.
1994 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage. JG 94. The 1994 vintage of Taylor is a huge and powerful wine, but it does not possess quite the same vivid freshness of my very favorite vintages in the last several decades. Perhaps this is just a stage that the wine is in today, but amongst the fine troika of vintage Taylors from the 1990s, I have to give a slight nod to the remarkably refined and hauntingly brilliant 1992 Taylor over the larger-scaled 1994. The very powerful bouquet on the ’94 offers up a mix of intense cassis, plum, chocolate, licorice, tar, and a huge base of earth. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and quite closed on the attack, with a huge, rock solid core of fruit, firm, well-covered tannins, great soil inflection, and an impressive brightness on the finish that is not evident on the nose today. If this is simply a dumb stage for the wine, then my score will prove to be conservative. (Drink between 2025-2075)
Pecan Tart with Irish Coffee & Whisky Gelato and Baileys Irish Gream Gelato.
Baileys Irish Gream Gelato — New stabilized 13% Bailys Irish Cream recipe, with a touch of seasonal coloring! — Designed to pair with “Irish Coffee Gelato” — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #expresso #whiskey #baileys #StPatricksDay #cream #green
Irish “Coffee” Gelato — Tullamore Dew Irish Whisky blended into a Coffee Custard Gelato base with (optional) layers of Crushed Oreo — Designed to pair with “Baileys Irish Gream Gelato” and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #expresso #whiskey #custard #oreos #irish
This was an epic dinner. Not only were the wine’s crazy good — these last forever — but there was so MUCH food. Look at the size of those individual portions and then there is all the foie, the osso bucco, en croute etc. Wow. I’m still full half a year later writing it up.
Restaurant: Angelini Ristorante & Bar
Location: 1038 N Swarthmore Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. (424) 238-5870
Date: March 31 & May 4, 2022
Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Great for the Palisades
Angelini Palisades is finally a second decent restaurant to join Rick Caruso’s Palisades village. The other one, Blue Ribbon Sushi, while not super exiting, is also “solid” (if pricey).
Angelini is a “branch” of the Hollywood Osteria Angelini which has been one of LA’s best Italians for years.
The new Palisades version has a nice “Caruso-style” build out.
With a semi-outside bar and patio.
And a swank interior.
Menus on two different days. Minor differences only. The menu is a bit small.
Bread.
Insalta Angelini. Cannellini beans, avocado, cucumber, toasted pistachios, parmigiano.
Insalata Tricolore. Endive, radicchio, arugula, shaved parmigiano.
Insalata di Aragosta. Fresh Maine lobster, golden apple, mixed greens, pomegranate seeds.
Burrata and Prosciutto. San Daniele 24 month aged prosciutto, Italian Burrata cheese, arugula.
Gluten free alla Nerrano. Zucchini, basil, parmigiano.
Spaghetti alla Nerano. Zucchini, basil, parmigiano.
Linguini Ricci di Mare. Sea urchin, shallot, chives. This is an Angelini classic.
Risotto Frutti di Mare. Riso Acquerello, cuttlefish, lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams.
Lasagna Verde “Nonn Elvira”. Homemade spinach pasta, beef & pork ragu, béchamel, parmigiano.
Branzino al sale. Whole Mediterranean branzino, roasted in sea salt, aromatic herbs, served with sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes.
Sogliola Romagnola. Except this sole was prepped with the branzino prep: aromatic herbs, served with sautéed spinach and mashed potatoes.
Torta Caprese. Soft chocolate cake, almond flour (GF).
Bread Pudding. Brioche, butterscotch sauce, vanilla gelato.
Tiramisu. Mascarpone cheese cream, layered lady fingers, soaked in espresso. Pretty good Tiramisu. No Zabaione, but otherwise “correct.”
Vanilla, Chocolate and Pistachio Gelato, made at Hollywood branch. Gelato was good. Very classic, not as intense as mine, and boring flavors, but proper gelato.
Angelini might not be cheap (it certainly isn’t) but it is now hands down the best Italian in the Palisades. This is a pretty low bar as Palisades Italians have always been either extremely dated or terrible, but Angelini is quite good. The location and setting is very nice too. The only problem is really the limited menu and the fact that it’s not particularly innovative, still, I’ll take it (2 min from home).
