Bestia - Los Angeles, California

Address: 2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Items Ordered:

• Pan-Roasted Chicken Gizzards: roasted beets. belgian endive. aged capra sarda
• Roasted Marrow Bone: spinach gnocchetti. crispy breadcrumbs. aged balsamic
• Salumi: chef’s selection of house-cured meats. pickles. mostarda. chicken liver bread
• Alla‘nduja: housemade spicy ‘nduja. san marzano tomatoes. mozzarella. wild arugula
• Cavatelli alla Norcina: ricotta dumplings. housemade pork sausage. black truffles. grana padano
• Spaghetti Rustichella: sea urchin. squid ink bottarga. garlic. calabrian chiles. breadcrumbs
• Spagetti Chitarra: calamari, clams, mussels, wild fennel pollen, chili
• Lemon tart with whipped cream and freeze dried marshmallows (?)

Hi friends!! I'm sorry I've been so MIA in 2014--what's my excuse? LAZINESS. I'll try harder for the rest of the year, BUT one of my New Year's resolutions was to spend less money, so that means less awesome eating adventures. I had to share this one with you guys though--Bestia!

I've decided that rave reviews on restaurants in L.A., won't really bring me there, but if my friends personally recommend a restaurant, then I'll visit. Bestia on a Sunday night was packed so it made visiting the sketch area of downtown a little less scary. We ordered a bottle of Italian wine to start, an Old Fashioned, and Aromatic #2 all of which were great drinks. As far as the food, I think the appetizers were actually my favorite dishes of the meal. Please try the fatty and luxurious bone marrow mixed with spinach gnocchi--it is truly heaven on a plate, and the best preparation of bone marrow I've had to date. The chicken gizzards were surprisingly beefy tasting and the chef's salumi plate (half portion) was amazing. I liked our choice of pizza, but the whole pie is a little soggy so just be forewarned, this isn't a crispy slice that you can eat with your hands; it is definitely a knife and fork affair (perfect for Bill de Blasio, no?). I don't love uni, but my dining companions loved the briny and creamy Spaghetti Rustichella. I think the Cavatelli was my pasta winner for the evening, and the squid ink pasta with seafood was definitely my least favorite. The seafood tasted gritty to me, like the shellfish hadn't been cleaned properly. Lastly, dessert is probably passable. The lemon tart was frozen and kind of sloppily presented. Overall though, Bestia really does Italian food right. I would definitely return for more appetizers and pizza. It's a great place to dine, laugh, and enjoy with friends.

-y

Drago Centro - Los Angeles, California

Address: 525 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Items Ordered (DineLA menu):

• tagliolini pasta, seafood ragout, spicy marinara
• buffalo mozarella, tomatoes, basil, balsamic crumble
• diver scallops, garlic risotto cake, watercress, zabayon
• sausage stuffed quail, shaved fennel, garlic aioli
• vanilla panna cotta, black mission figs, rosemary puff pastry
• chocolate and olive oil terrine, salted caramel gelato, almonds

I was unbelievably excited to finally try Drago Centro during DineLA last week. Last minute reservations on a Saturday night were easy to come by, the valet parking was free, and the restaurant decor was absolutely gorgeous. So many things going right for Drago already! The wine pairing during DineLA was $22 for all 3 courses, but they also have reasonably priced carafes of which I selected a lone Sangiovese. Probably my favorite dish of the evening was the seafood pasta. Seasoning was spot on, shrimps were bursty, and the calamari had a nice bite. Just from this pasta starter, I can tell their pasta dishes are probably the stars of the menu. The plating of the buffalo mozarella was so artistic, and I loved running the mozza/basil/tomato combo through the balsamic dots. As for the mains, the scallops were huge and plump, and the garlic risotto cake while deep fried managed to taste light and buttery at the same time. I did enjoy my crispy skinned quail, but stuffed with sausage, it was just a little too heavy for my tastebuds. It wasn't a badly executed dish, but having shared 3 plates of food by this time, my friend and I were already too stuffed to stuff ourselves with any sausage-stuffed quail. Miraculously though, my friend and I managed to find a 3rd stomach for dessert, and we were not disappointed. I wish I had a better picture of the panna cotta, because it was also beautifully plated. It's probably the best version of this dessert I've ever had. The rosemary crisps played really well against the sweet panna cotta. Unfortunately, the chocolate and olive oil terrine was a little mushy, and the salted caramel gelato had melted by the time the plate was delivered. I will let that slide though b/c it was DineLA weekend, and while our server was extremely busy, he still managed to be courteous the whole meal. I really loved the whole dining experience at Drago Centro, and I will surely return for a nice lunch, dinner, hot date, birthday, Wednesday, you name it.

--y

Bice Ristorante - San Diego, California

Address: 425 Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Items Ordered (pre-fixe menu):

• Endive, arugula & radicchio w/ pine nuts & shaved parmesan in a lemon dressing
• Chicken scaloppini in dry vermouth & caper sauce with mashed potatoes
• Salmon scaloppini in white wine sauce over creamy barley risotto
• Tiramisu
• Espresso panna cotta w/ salted caramel sauce

The pictures of the nicely presented dishes above look kind of nice right? Well, that may be the only positive  thing I have to say about the food we were served at Bice. Firstly, I asked for my salad dressing on the side, and turns out the dressing is just pure lemon and nothing else! After squeezing just a tad on my salad, it was already way too tangy, and made me think the entire salad was not very imaginative. Just vegetables w/ some parmesan shavings and squeeze of lemon? An 8-year old might be able to make this dish. Secondly, the chicken scaloppini was definitely oversalted, while the mashed potatoes were extremely bland. Maybe, the chef thought the extremes in seasoning would balance each other out? Unfortunately, the salmon scaloppini did not fare much better--the fish was flavorless and overcooked, and the barley risotto was a watery mess. Not at all like the creamy, rich risottos of my dreams. The only thing, I kind of enjoyed was my tiramisu, but it probably was not made in-house, so I can't give any credit to the chef there =/. I don't think I've ever had a worse meal AND at $75/person for the prix fixe options, the whole experience was severely overpriced. I would never go back to Bice and hope you don't have to suffer through the same dining experience.

--y

Scarpetta at The Montage - Beverly Hills, California

Address: 225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Items Ordered:

• Sunday Brunch
  

I blame my lackluster Scarpetta experience on the breathtaking scenery of the Beverly Canyon Gardens. The food was doomed to failure against such an amazing backdrop. The quality of the food was impeccable (think fresh fruits, veggies, seafood) but the taste and selection was just not up to par for the $70+ dollar price tag. The shellfish was a little too cold, the meats a little too dry, the vegetables a little too soggy, and the desserts were hit or miss. In fact, I much prefer the brunch buffet at M Resort in Vegas which provides flavorful food items at a reasonable price including drinks (try it!). I might visit Scarpetta again, but only for the tomato-basil spaghetti, which in accordance with popular belief can do no wrong. Toothsome and flavorful, it was the only item that garnered repeat trips to the kitchen. I wouldn't steer you away from visiting Scarpetta--it is a pleasant experience--but so is being $70 richer!

--y

Vivolo's Chowder House - Pacific Grove, California

Address: 127 Central Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

Items Ordered:

• Clam chowder in bread bowl with garlic cheese lid
  
• Spinach cobb salad
  
• Garlic cheese bread

Touted by some as having the BEST clam chowder ever, I was super excited to try Vivolo's on a recent trip to Monterey. The clam chowder was super creamy, just the right level of thickness and the seasoning was spot on resulting in one delicious bowl of chowder. Additionally, the garlic cheese lid and bread were both toasted so that the bread bowl managed to be both crispy and soft (and delicious). The ingredients in the cobb salad tasted fresh, and made me feel slightly less guilty for my cheesy, chowdery, bready indulgence. The verdict? Having lived in San Francisco for a few years, I can still say with confidence that Vivolo's has the best clam chowder in a bread bowl I've tasted thus far. I hope you get a chance to try it sometime so you can judge for yourself :). Don't forget the garlic cheese lid!

--y

E Tutto Qua - San Francisco, California

Address: 270 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Items Ordered:

• Ravioli alla Fiorentina: ricotta & spinach filled ravioli in a basil & tomato sauce
  
• Paccheri Ripieni: tube pasta filled with spiced meat in a tomato/mozarella sauce
  
• Spaghetti Neri: squid ink pasta with mixed seafood in a garlic white wine sauce
  
• Tiramisu

I liked everything about E Tutto Qua. The decor was festive with lights hanging on the walls and the waiters had Italian accents, which was charming and even makes your food taste more authentic :D. The vegetarian ravioli and Paccheri were plump and generously filled with meats or veggies, and both sauces were good to the last drop. Someone ordered the squid ink pasta, which was new to me, and actually very tasty. The birthday tiramisu had the right texture and amount of bitterness. Overall, great restaurant to check out if you get the chance.

--y

Pascucci - Santa Barbara, California

Address: 729 State Street, Santa Barbara, California, USA 93101

Items Ordered:

• Marsala Risotto - Italian arborio rice, smoked chicken, broccoli, portobello mushrooms, marsala & cream
• Tre Formaggio - Italian sausage, fontina cheese, smoked mozzarella, & parmesan, penne
• Garlic Bread

I've come here to eat and have eaten take out from here so many times. It's on the top of my list when I came to Santa Barbara in the past to visit my cousins that were at UCSB, and now just when I want to take a day trip to the city! I can easily say its my favorite Italian restaurant - I especially love these dishes, coupled with the delicious warm garlic bread. The dishes look small, but they are so filling. A wonderful blend of cheeses, sauces and meat. Located on the lively State Street, it's just a short stroll away from the beach and all the shopping options. Yum!

--v