My wife and I are big Italian food fans . . we know our pizza and we know our pasta. On Friday we were up in Santa Monica overnight to take in a concert at the El Rey Theatre in LA. But beforehand we intended to have dinner somewhere in Santa Monica. GREAT FIND ! My wife found this Italian restaurant online with fabulous reviews . . the house made pasta sounded perfect. BUT ! They didn’t take reservations so we decided to turn up close to opening time at 5pm. BONUS ! The Ambrose Hotel on 20th St where we always stay when in Santa Monica provided a Tesla house car with a driver to bring us here . . and pick us up. A friendly hostess named Bianca welcomed us warmly when we turned up and said she would be our server.
When we entered the restaurant I nodded at a guy wearing a facial mask behind the counter . . turns out he was Stefano the owner / chef. We were seated at a table with a direct view of Stefano who was working away behind the counter. Having recently returned from a 2 week vacation in New York where there is no shortage of fine Italian restaurants we were hoping this eatery would be up to scratch. AND ! After our first trip to Italy late last year we were looking at pasta & pizza in a whole new way.
The restaurant was not big but it had a certain coziness which we liked. There was also an outdoor patio. ALL NEW ! For our first dining experience here we leaned on our sweet server Bianca a bit to help us with our selections. FIRST UP ! I asked Bianca about their beer offerings . . and heard a few imported varieties I was not familiar with. After showing me a couple of different bottled beers I chose a Schonramer Pils . . a German beer which turned out to be very enjoyable. Bianca also brought us glasses of cold water. And then we ordered 1 x Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, 1 x Bresaola Arugula e Burrata ( thinly-sliced aged beef, arugula and burrata ) for our starters.
MAINS ! My wife couldn’t resist the Lasagna Classica al Ragu / Emilia ( classic beef ragu lasagna ) . . a lover of a great lasagna. Now there were some very interesting items on the menu . . I asked Bianca for something a bit spicy and her suggestion was Colonne di Pompeii / Vesuvio ( extra long fusilli pasta, arrabbiata – spicy tomato sauce ) and add the Burrata. We asked about the house made Focaccia which is not officially on the menu . . we will have it. While we were ordering our dinner I couldn’t help notice how quickly the restaurant filled up inside . . remember no reservations so the regulars know to arrive early. FAST SERVICE ! Our starters arrived faster than a speeding train thanks to Andrew the happy food runner . . and they looked amazing.
My wife loved her artichoke soup and I had to agree it tasted very flavorsome. My thinly-sliced aged beef, very fresh arugula and burrata was a tastebud masterpiece. It was nice that they gave us enough time to enjoy our starters. I happened to look at the meals our next door diners were enjoying and yes . . the guy was lapping up the Colonne di Pompeii / Vesuvio with Burrata ( what I had ordered ) and did it look good. I couldn’t wait for mine to arrive. WHOO HOO ! Next minute Andrew delivered everything to our table at once . . what a feast for our hungry eyes ! My wife thought her rich tasting lasagna was up there with the very best.
On the other hand I was literally amazed at the sheer size of the extra long fusilli pasta . . not to mention the delicious spicy tomato sauce. The creamy burrata took it into outer space ! So my wife and I agreed the house made pasta here was as good as it gets. Bianca had been checking in on us regularly without becoming a nuisance . . the sign of a very good server. DESSERT ! As we said to Bianca when we first arrived we want the total dinner experience. So a couple of Cortados, a Tiramisu and a Licorice Buddino will do us fine. We totally enjoyed our house made desserts. Before leaving I had a nice chat with Stefano the owner / chef. YOU WILL LOVE IT HERE !
