Italian

Five Hidden Gem Italian Restaurants in “The Valley”

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1. Antonio’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant —  Antonio’s Pizzeria and its iconic sign have been a beacon of old-fashioned Italian dining on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks since 1957.  Families of at least two generations are regulars in the colorful, old-school dining room with red and white check tablecloths. , new items like Gluten-free pasta are part of keeping up with the times. So are Antonio’s co-owner/proprietors, the sister-brother team of Alex and Steven Lunardon.  

Location — 13619 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Follow them and on Facebook and Instagram. 

2. Domingo’s Italian Deli – Domingo’s Italian Deli has been San Fernando Valley’s mainstay for all Italian dishes since it opened in 1948. This restaurant retains its substantial old-world, friendly feel.  In addition to some of the finest Italian dishes made from scratch, Domingo’s is the place to shop for the finest imported Italian products with specialties arriving for all the holidays.

Location – 17548 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91316

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3.  Prosecco Trattoria — Located in Toluca Lake and near Disney Studio Facilities for decades, this restaurant serves the classics as practical prices. The decor is stately and elegant with dramatic, golden tone murals. Customers rave about its feeling of being the utmost professional in service and feeling like family at the same time. Elegant and yet cosy, it is the perfect place for a mid-week meal or a special occasion dinner.

Location — 10144 Riverside Drive Toluca Lake, CA 91602

Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

4. Noi Due Trattoria — Italian hospitality Noi Due Trattoria, the owner Antonio is well known among his customers for being hospitable. The menu features traditional south of Italy recipes, including a variety of excellent thin-crust pizzas.

Location — 29020 Agoura Rd Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Follow Noi Due Trattoria on Facebook and Instagram.

5. Grandi Italiani — 

Saving a best for last, Grandi Italiani is a hidden gem. The simple, authentic dishes and winsome personality of Aron Celnik alone are worth a visit. Grandi Italiani is the spin off of sorts of Andre’s at the Mart across the street from the Original Farmer’s Market. And it, too, was a sort of spin off to he original, formal and enormously popular Andre’s Italian Restaurant in Beverly Hills. . The more casual version was conceived as a simple idea: provide wholesome and gratifying Italian food in a relaxed casual atmosphere at prices every family could afford. The continuous lines proved it a success, never serving less than 800 happy customers on week-ends alone until it closed due to the shopping center remodel in 2021. //localfoodeater.com/andres-first-white-tablecloth-italian-to-go-casual-50-years-ago/

Location — 21730 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA 91303

Follow them on Facebook.

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Buon Appetito!

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Visit our website for all San Fernando restaurants — www.sfvalleyeater.com.

New Italian-inspired Brunch at Serafina Sunset in WEHO

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The skylight ceiling and open windows on the spiffy, comfy veranda provide panoramic views of the entire city on one side, mountains on the other.

(Gerry Furth-Sides)

Serafina Sunset now offers a new Italian-inspired week-end brunch menu.   Brunch from 11:30 AM to 4 PM at the breezy, very social  means Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (www.serafinasunset.com).   The opening of Serafina Sunset, fall of 2016, was the first California installment of the popular New York City-based Italian eatery that originated on Madison Avenue.

The day we dined at Serafina Sunset brought with it a gloriously clear blue sky in the midst of weeks of wintry rain.   The entertainment industry social hub also brought out families, couples and groups of guests of different ages this afternoon.  They dotted the spacious, comfy outdoor veranda, ingeniously  designed to make one or 100 guests feel just right.  Inside, the bar and tables anticipated a night crowd.

PIZZA ALL’ UOVO Sliced tomatoes, Prosciutto di Parma, one egg & mozzarella ($18.50) from the Big Plate Menu served brunch and dinner.

Although the name Serafina has come to be equated with wood-oven cooking and the signature pizzas of the Manhattan chain, regional specialties lend the menu a creditable air.

Serafina Sunset, across from the old Tower Records, is in a neighborhood filled with late night party-goers and tourists — all visible as tour bus after tour bus passed by.

 

STEAK & FABULOUS EGGS Eggs any style served with grilled steak, French fries or mix greens ($29).

The straightforward, generously portioned Italian dishes we tried were nicely prepared with luscious, fresh ingredients.   The poached eggs we requested with our Steak & Fabulous Eggs were done beautifully- just firm enough- and the addition of shaved carrots to the small salad adding a subtle sweet touch. When there was a problem, such as the under-cooked steak when we asked for it “on the rare side”, it was quickly taken care of with a smile.

The Serafina version of Cappuccino Corretto adds dashes of  Pancracio chocolate vodka, Caffe Borghetti, Di Saronno Amaretto & macchiato ($16)

The service more than made up for this.  I mentioned I loved sipping  “caffe corretto” in Italy.  I think our server was as happy as I was when he brought me a cappuccino, thoughtfully placing the shot of grappa on the side so I could sample it first.

Special brunch cocktails include Bloody Mary di Sardi with Tito’s vodka, homemade Serafina Bloody Mary mix, and Morning After with Solbeso, Cointreau, passion fruit, and San Pellegrino aranciata.

//www.serafinasunset.com/serafina-sunset-la-italian-restaurant-brunch-menu/

Award-winner for his enhancement of restaurant service for half a century, Rayjean Fontaine added a festive spring touch to brunch.

 We have seen too many restaurants in Los Angeles open and close (90% according to the stats) so when a dedicated corporation brings a complete package we wish them the best and try to get the word out.
 Claiming the space of historic Mirabelle, the new Serafina Sunset restaurant arrives as a complete package.   Owner Stephen Belafonte brings the breezy outpost of the popular New York restaurant of the same name, including  the bold deco and appealing menu.  Polished service and an ample staff are also part of the package.

There are big shoes to fill at this now more open, cavernous space, most recently inhabited by Yellowtail and Akira.  The original was made up of more intimate rooms at the venerated family-run Mirabelle with its a half-century legacy. We have fond memories of private parties in their upstairs private room or on the side veranda, where we part of the group of lingering guests – many of them show business royalty –  who wanted to leave.

The restaurant chain founded in 1995 by Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato.  Serafina’s signature upbeat, energetic atmosphere ran true from morning to night.  After seven more locations opened in NYC, the brand expanded around the world. Alongside partners Mel B and Stephen Belafonte, Serafina Restaurant Group’s Assaf and Granato chose the Sunset Boulevard location because of its vibrant nightlife and the prime West Hollywood scene.

Open daily for lunch and dinner, Serafina Sunset features a spacious outdoor dining area, a second floor terrace used for private parties or events, and a large bar in the middle of the space. The décor is light and airy with art from Mr. Brainwash displayed throughout the restaurant. A beautiful fire pit in the patio gives guests a cozy, comfortable vibe.

Locals and NYC transplants approve Serafina’s homemade pastas made with pesto, hillside cherry tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, caviar, truffles combined with signature sauces. Favorites include Paglia and Fieno, Spaghetti Aglio E Olio “Al Pacino” and Tagliolini Di “Cortina” Al Pollo. Additionally, guests can choose simple marinated meats, fish and vegetables like Branzino Al Cherry Tomatoes, Grilled Fresh Atlantic Salmon, Chicken Breast Paillard and Veal Scaloppine Al Limone.  Serafina Sunset offers a variety of salads and vegan options including the immensely popular Vegetarian Platter made with spaghetti squash, mixed vegetables, pine nuts and tomato sauce. All of Serafina’s creative dishes come to life with the freshest locally grown produce and ingredients, while the delicious desserts and extensive wine list satisfy every craving.

The motto of the SERAFINA RESTAURANT GROUP is “Where Everyone Feels at Home.”  They certainly seem to back this up.

Serafina  Sunset, 8768 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, (310) 659-9130, www.serafinasunset.com, @SerafinaSunet #SerafinaSunset.

MONOGRANO FELICETTI’s New Way to Look at Pasta:

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(Roberta Deen) Monograno Pasta is made with 100% organic single-source ancient grains. It comes handsomely, elegantly packaged in richly textured white boxes with clear panels that allow you to view the beautiful pasta within. I admired the packaging and began to read the detailed information on the back of the boxes. //www.monogranofelicetti.  it/eu_en/flour-types.html

The history of the various grains and their sources is carefully explained. The penne lisce (long, sturdy quills) was made from matt, “a strong and rich variety of durum wheat” cultivated in Puglia and Sicily.

The chiocciole (an oddly shaped, textured tube) is made from Khorasan-type durum wheat known as kamut,”the ancestor of our modern grain…easier to digest than other grains.”

And the linguine, a rich, textured whole wheat brown, is made from spelt which “has been around since the ancient days of the Celts, Egyptians and Etruscans. It is a soft wheat…that has a higher protein content and is richer in vitamins. There are 250 varieties. The Felicetti family uses one specific variety from…Umbria”.

I chuckled a bit and thought how the packages read like wine labels with “scents of hay and dried coconut, scents of hazelnuts and cooked eggplant, white flowers and freshly peel fruit”! There was the nose. Then came the flavor profiles – “pine and macadamia nuts with hints of edible flowers, stone cooked bread, butter and bamboo shoots, hints of peanut butter and red dates”. I took these descriptions as a challenge to see if they held true.

When I cooked them I chose to go very simple – water, a generous pinch of Fleur de sel salt and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil. I cooked about 4 ounces of each pasta until just a bit past al dente ( I am a very old school American pasta eater. I like it done.) As it cooked, I wafted the rising steam directly to my nose and there it was – the penne lisce made with matt gave off notes of green hay overlaying the dried coconut.

The Khorasan kamut released the gentle scents of white flowers blending with back notes of fresh fruit. The farro linguine emitted the fragrance of toasted hazelnuts with the palest hint of eggplant.

I drained the pasta, saving some of the cooking liquid for the finish with real butter and just a touch of freshly finely grated Parmegeano-Reggiano over the top.

From the first bite, I was enchanted. All of the pastas were toothsome, sturdy, fragrant (except that the farro linguini is a bit fragile if over cooked.  It needs to stay al dente.) They would all take to any type of sauce and any style of salad. All of the flavor notes were there except that I was unable to find the peanut butter and red dates in the farro linguine. But, just the butter and Parm were more than sufficient for me. What more could one ask than fully flavored and fragranced pasta that could stand on its own.

Just as an introduction to letting the pasta be the star, I suggest the following recipe.

Pasta Nona Rustica

Per person as an entrée:

1 nicely ripe Roma tomato, charred, peeled, seeded, and diced

5 Italian black olives, pitted and slivered

5 small to medium basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

Finishing salt (lightly smoked or pink Himalayan would be a good choice)

2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (other hard, sharp

cheeses such as aged goudas would work as well)

2 ounces dried pasta such as the Monograno Matt penne lisce, kamut

chiocciole or the farro linguini

boiling water

salt

extra-virgin olive oil

1 top of a stem of basil for garnish

Cook the pasta in a generous amount of boiling water seasoned with salt

and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil for 8-10 minutes.  Reserve 1 tablespoon

of the water the pasta was cooked in and drain the pasta well.

Return the reserved water to the pot, add the pasta back and toss well.

Add the tomato, olives and basil and toss again. Season with a few grindings

of pepper, a pinch of salt and toss lightly again.

Place the pasta in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the pine nuts.

Generously dust with the Parmigianino and garnish with the basil top.

 

 

Italian Pizza Maven Moves to the Suburbs

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Unknown-1Allow me to introduce you to pizza maven, Tonino Morra Is being honored by GOURMET magazine as “making the best crust in America” enough of an recommendation?Now Toto’s magnificent pies are at Tonino’s Place in Calabasas and in Westlake Village.

UnknownHe’s partnered with Tonino “Tony” Boniovanni, who adds his own family’s Roman-style dishes recipes to the menu.   With wife Linda, Tonino’s Place combines the  very best of Italian food in authentic surroundings.The Tonino's Place Special

Here is the story: A primal eater by choice, I would have had to live under a rock (or east of Lincoln) to ignore the culinary history being made by Ed LaDou at Spago in the early ‘80s. Ed, ever the intellectual, took pizza making very seriously. His pizza was authentic thin-crust Neapolitan style with scattered toppings, minus heavy sauce. Then Ed established his own fun twist of esoteric, contemporary toppings. I was hooked.

Unknown-2Why? I’ve learned to recognize, in this “best pie” accounting, the elements that make the crust softly spongy yet crisply charred, ever so faintly sweet, even more faintly sour. Not to mention that is requires a superlative and intuitive talent to prepare the handmade dough that involves secret ratios and rising times, maybe a special kind of flour and usually a searing hot oven.

With authentic Neapolitan pizza, the crust is thin and hand-tossed cooked in a wood-burning oven instead of gas or electric, so the taste is simpler and the pizza is healthier, even more so because toppings are sprinkled about, not “piled on.”

Years later I met Ed’s esteemed colleague, the low key, congenial master, Tonino “Toto” Morra.  His is also the stuff of authentic thin-crust pizza, with homemade dough, hand tossed Napolitana style.

Unknown-3Tonino’s Place is a plain wrap, food-driven place with practical prices and generous portions. Wife, Linda Boniovanni, is such a firecracker at hospitality that when you telephone Tonino’s, you think it’s a major dining establishment. Actually there’s just enough seating inside and plenty of outdoor seating for those who “want to eat it hot.”

Also on the menu: a Soup of the Day, Salads, Calzones, Pastas, Entrees, Paninis and a Kids Menu. Traditional Pizzas include the Traditional Cheese (18” for $16.95). The Gourmet Specials list starts with Tonino’s Pizza with Mozzarella, olive oil, fresh tomato, arugula & shaved parmesan; and the standard bearer, Pizza Margherita, (each 12” for $14.95).

Representative of the “Lighter Side” low-carb menu, is a succulent Grilled Chicken Limone ($13.95) with lemon sauce, served with sautéed spinach and arugula salad. Insalata di Pollo ($8.95chock full of chicken breast, arugula, celery, carrots, chopped tomato, arrives on a bed of greens with a simple olive oil and simple balsamic vinegar dressing to tie it together.

Warning: Even when baked as a loaf, Toto’s textured dough is so crispy and chewy (it has “teeth”) and full of flavor it’s easy to polish off an entire little loaf, especially with the irresistible authentic balsamic reduction dipping sauce. ($1.75)

Tonino’s Place, El Camino Shopping Center, 23351 Mulholland Drive, Woodland Hills, CA 91364, 818-591-0600 (www.toninosplacepizzeria.com)

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The legacy of quiet superstar Ed LaDou lives on at Caioti Pizza Café, 4346 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA, (P 818-761-3588)
(www.caiotipizzacafe.com)

Italy’s Slow Wine Editore 2016 on World Tour

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slowwineeventbrite

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Slow Food International and Slow Wine Editore debuted their new and updated edition of the Slow Wine guide during the 2016 Slow Wine US Tour. The show on the road for this fifth consecutive year world tour featured the Slow Wine editorial team, along with the winemakers recommended in the guide, with stops in Asia, North America and Europe. (www.slowwinemagazine.com)

Winemakers were on hand to serve and present their wines —the best expression of the Slow Wine Guide’s raison d’etre—producers who make quality wines with respect for the environment, biodiversity, traditional grape varieties, and their local areas.

Slow Wine travels to the US because they offer their comprehensive  English-language edition of their guide to Italian wines whose qualities extend beyond the palate. Covering over 400 of Italy’s best wineries, Slow Wine critiques wine through the perspective of the Slow Food philosophy, believing that wine, just as with food, must be good, clean and fair – not just good.

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This annual Slow Wine guide adopts a new approach to wine criticism, taking into consideration the wine quality, adherence to terroir, value for money and environmental sensitivity. In our English version we review more than 2,500 wines, offering a comprehensive guide of Italian wines (also available in German and Italian).

The Slow Wine guide publisher, Slow Wine Editore, and a delegation of its top wineries started the year by holding tasting events for press and trade during their annual multi-city US tour the first of 2016, visiting Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin and New York City,  which added a consumer event to the bill of fare.

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“At Slow Wine, we take pride in recognizing small-scale winemakers using traditional techniques, working with respect for the environment and terroir, and safeguarding the incredible biodiversity of grape varieties that are part of Italy’s heritage,“ said Giancarlo Gariglio, editor of Slow Wine. “We are excited to return to the US with the newest edition of Slow Wine and continue promoting wine, not just a product of a winery but fruit of a certain soil, a specific climate, and a farming philosophy.”

wine-farmer-italySlow Wine recognizes that wine is an agricultural product, and has an impact on the lives of those who produce it and the environment. The guide uses three symbols to evaluate each winery (see above):

The Snail, the Slow Food symbol, signals a cellar that has distinguished itself through its interpretation of sensorial, territorial, environmental and personal values in harmony with the Slow Food philosophy.

 The Bottle, allocated to cellars that show a consistently high quality throughout their range of wines.

The Coin, an indicator of great value.

The 2016 Slow Wine US Tour started in San Francisco in late January, featuring wines from over 50 winemakers from over 15 regions, at Terra Gallery.  The tour then traveled south to Los Angeles at the and to Austin before its final event in New York City. For the second year in a row, Slow Wine  partnered with the Italian Trade Commission to host joint trade and consumer events in New York. Over 65 Slow Wine producers representing 15 regions of Italy showcased the best of what Italy’s wine landscape has to offer.

**Slow Food International is a global grassroots organization that envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet. A non-profit member-supported association, Slow Food was founded in Italy in 1989 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and to encourage people to be aware about the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

The Slow Wine Guide, published by Slow Food Editore (the publishing arm of Slow Food Italy**) adopts a new approach to wine criticism and looks at a variety of factors to evaluate wineries in their entirety, taking into consideration the wine quality, typicity and adherence to terroir, value for money, environmental sensitivity and ecologically sustainable viticultural practices. Slow Wine was conceived to give a realistic snapshot of the current Italian wine landscape. The guide features reviews of 400 different wineries, each one visited by Slow Food experts. It is available for purchase on Amazon.com, as well as in select bookstores.

This year we’ve added two new stops to the tour: Austin, a city that we’ve found to be full of young, passionate wine lovers, and Stockholm, with its restaurants, wine clubs and sommelier groups.

The stops in Stockholm, Tokyo and Hong Kong were organized in collaboration with I Vini del Piemonte, a consortium that gathers some 160 Piedmontese wineries with the aim of promoting and communicating the rich diversity of quality Piedmontese wine.

Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu at Celestino Ristorante

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2014-03-06 16.10.222014-03-06 23.44.30The legendary Celestino and family (pictured here at a charity event honoring them), inspired the Pasadena restaurant of the same name. name that translates into a  gold standard restaurant on the westside, ever since he opened his first place, Drago.  

Seasonal menus demonstrate this perfectly.  The Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu is broken up into three categories: Morel Mushrooms, Porcini Mushrooms and Fresh Quercetti Truffles form Italy. Each dish highlights the differences in taste, texture and complexity of their respective “gifts from the earth.”

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Morel Mushrooms, most commonly found in their dried form, are only available fresh for just a very brief period each year. The rich, meaty flavor and texture of these fresh honeycombed mushrooms are portrayed with simplistic elegance in dishes such as Tagliolini with Fresh Morel Mushrooms & Pecorino Cheese.  Early spring flavors can be savored in the Veal Scaloppini with Fresh Fava Beans & Fresh Morel Mushrooms. Chef Drago’s famed Risotto with Baby Scallops & Fresh Morel Mushrooms, combining the best of land and sea.

Specialties include Porcini Mushroom Soup with Black Truffle; Risotto with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms;   Homemade Wide Pappardelle with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms and  Roasted Rack of Veal with Porcini Mushrooms.

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Fresh Quercetti truffles arrive from Italy for the season.   Known for its unique mushroom shape, these delectable truffles make an appearance in a myriad of dishes on the Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu including the Risotto with Shaved Fresh Quercetti Truffle, Gnocchi Stuffed with Mushroom in a Quercetti Truffle Cheese Sauce and the Tortellini with Meat in Zaferan Percorino & Black Pepper Sauce with  Quercetti Truffle. Other dishes in this section featuring these truffles also include Chef Drago’s Filet of Sole with Mixed Vegetables & Shaved Quercetti Truffles and the Veal Carpaccio with Shaved Quercetti Truffle & Pecorino Cheese.

gnocci stuffed with mushroom

For those who want to take luxury to an even higher level, Celestino Ristorante & Bar boasts the incredibly rare White Truffle on hand. Availability is very limited.  Those “in the know” know to ask their server for the daily white-truffle specials.

Celestino Ristorante is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and for dinner from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm Monday through Thursday, 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm on Friday, 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm on Sunday. The Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu is available through the end of December 2015. For information or reservations, please visit www.CelestinoPasadena.com or call Celestino Ristorante directly at please call 626.795.4006.

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