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Hollywood movies may have conquered much of the globe, but when it comes to cuisine, it’s Italian food that has conquered Hollywood. There’s a reason we eat Italian so often: nearly everybody likes it. Even those on low-carb diets indulge in the occasional plate of pasta or slice of pizza. But Italian encompasses much more than those traditional favorites —with palate-pleasing antipasti, soups, salads, fish and chicken, there’s always something “per tutti.” Here’s proof you don’t have to spend a lot of lire to eat great Italian in L.A. LA BOTTEGA MARINO (203 N. Larchmont Blvd between 1st and Beverly, Hollywood/Hancock Park, 323/962-1325; also in West L.A.) A much less expensive alternative to Marino’s, Hollywood’s old school Italian, La Bottega is run by members of the same family. Small though it is, I had no problem getting a table at the lunchtime peak. There’s also outdoor seating along lively Larchmont Boulevard. An extensive menu lists a dozen or so pastas plus risotto, chicken and fish dishes, salads, hot and cold paninis and pizzas. If you eye the deli case, you’ll want to pick your choice of assorted antipasti, or have your waiter select for you. I did, and was rewarded with marinated cooked carrots, stewed eggplant, cucumber, tomato and red onion salad, Italian tuna (tuna without mayonnaise), and my favorite, spinach sautéed lightly in garlic and olive oil. Entrees run in the nine-to-twelve dollar range. A generous portion of Pollo Piccata consists of two thin-pounded chicken breasts topped with a green, lemony caper sauce, served with browned-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside rosemary-roasted potatoes. Piping hot Rigatoni Bolognese combines thick-ribbed, chewy rigatoni with a miraculously light meat sauce. La Bottega doubles as a store for Italian gourmet goodies, so stock up on your way out; take-out is also available. IL TIRAMISU (13705 Ventura Blvd. At Woodman, Sherman Oaks; 818/986-2640) Classy, hospitable, father-and-son-run Il Tiramisu is upscale in everything but prices. Each item is lovingly prepared with fresh-tasting ingredients, yet nothing at lunch tops twelve bucks, and most items are less. Insalata al Salmone offers salmon encrusted with sesame seeds, presented atop crisp baby greens and arugula gently tossed in a light balsamic dressing. The menu says the salmon’s seared, but it came cooked through, which was fine with me. (Seared salmon eaters are probably cringing right now.) Entrees come with house salad — those baby greens — or soup. I opted for the latter, which that day was a large bowl of spinach lentil soup with a comforting split-pea-like consistency. Ravioli Maria is homemade, like most pastas here. The large ravioli are filled with ricotta cheese and spinach, served in a light yet creamy pink sauce. Thin, golden-crusted Pizza Vegetariana is topped with grilled red peppers, eggplant, and zucchini, the pizza crispy on the outside if a bit soggy in the middle. The signature dessert, a beautifully rendered Tiramisu, comes in a white and dark chocolate shell and is garnished with strawberries, perfect for sharing. FRITTO MISTO (601 Colorado Avenue at 6th Street, Santa Monica, 310/458-2829) Budget-friendly, the sparsely decorated but pleasant and bright Fritto Misto is a great place for a pasta fix. You can design your own, combining a chosen pasta (penne, cappellini, linguine, etc.) with a sauce (pink, marinara, pesto and more). If you like, you can add seared chicken. That’s what I did to my Rigatoni Basil Pesto, green, fragrant, and basil-icious. Not to be missed is the seasonal pumpkin ravioli, the striped pasta pillows tinted with dried tomato and black squid ink, stuffed with bright orange, sweet pumpkin. (You can buy many of the fresh-made pastas ready for cooking to take home.) Salads come in regular or mini-size: try the crunchy romaine Caesar sprinkled with parmesan, or mixed greens dotted with rich gorgonzola. Tuscan White Bean Soup is loaded with beans, carrots, and celery, and spiced with oregano, a soup that fortifies you for the afternoon. If you happen to come with a group, you’ll enjoy the namesake appetizer, Fritto Misto, a huge platter of breaded, fried seafood and veggies: succulent shrimp, chewy calamari, plus some odd choices like fried broccoli (perhaps a nod to the wholly American idea that just about anything tastes better deep-fried). |
