Brentwood restaurants

Divine Divino: The Boss is in the House

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Our charcuterie course while everyone arrived at Divino Restaurant owner-chef, Goran Milac

(Gerry Furth-Sides) I can think of restaurants that have good service when an owner is not on site, but I can’t think of a restaurant with an owner on site that is anything short of perfection, with old school hospitality. One of our new favorites is neighborhood mainstay, Divino in Barrington Court in Brentwood.

We were introduced to Divino by whirlwind international event producer, Orly Segal (seen here with Goran) by way of a media mailing list– press release.

Orly Segal of Tel Aviv Groove with DIVINO owner-chef Goran Milac

I can think of restaurants that have good service when an owner is not on site, but I can’t think of a restaurant with an owner on site that is anything short of perfection. Old school hospitality reigns. The service is extraordinary. Just as you realize you are missing a knife, you look up and it is right there.

And expect the unexpected Divino: like being an astonished guest of the “100-point” afternoon regulars.  Sam Plotkin, shown here opening the wine explains: “the atmosphere and the food Goran prides @divino is the 100 points no matter what the wine.”

The “100-pointer” regulars at DIVINO Restaurant in Brentwood

Chef-owner Goran on this day departs to the kitchen and brings back an offering of Charcuterie; salmon on a bed of leeks; tender beef with veggies on polenta; homemade pappardelle with a Bolognese sauce.

The cuisine is just as genuine, heartfelt Italian. As exuberant Milic tells it, he is from Montenegro, almost directly across the water from Pulia, Italy.  So a love of fish is naturally one of the shared traditions of coastal Italy and Montenegro on the Adriatic coast. 

The traditional dishes of Montenegro’s heartland region has a distinctly Italian flavor. Stuffed capsicums (Peppers), meatballs, Italian-style bread, cheese, soups, and stews have become traditions. 

Off the menu: Divino Restaurant Salmon on a bed of leeks
Off the meno at Divino Restaurant: Tender beef with veggies on polenta
Off the menu at Divino restaurant just for me: Homemade pappardelle with a Bolognese sauce

Rustic, white tablecloth DIVINO RESTAURANT to us feels like an old-school, European ski resort lodge, perfect for a formal or casual occasion. The front door opens right into the first dining room in a soaring space with a loft and oversize skylight. Photographs rim the main dining room too, in the words of the “remind guests of our European roots.”

The cozy, intimate size “Library Room” has walls lined with wine, a corner hutch, wall of wine and an overview of the open kitchen. Off to the side, the tucked away “Castle Nuovo” room with dramatic velvet drapes and mounted photographs, is set up and ready for a private party or business occasion.

DIVINO RESTAURANT, 11714 Barrington Ct., Los Angeles, CA 90049. Hours: Monday-Sunday, noon to 2:30 pm and 5:30PM to 10:00pm. To contact the restaurant please phone (310) 472-0886 or email: info@divinobrentwood.com

Inviting Il Piccolo Verde’s Crazy New Hours in Brentwood

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(Gerry Furth-Sides, all images courtesy of Il Piccolo Verde) Il Piccolo Verde, “A Little Green” in Italian,  is an inviting and engaging trattoria that adds up so more than the sum of its parts. The insane late hours alone and the live entertainment that blends right into the dining atmosphere, prove the dedication of its owner and staff.

This little almost hidden late night gem, open till 2 am, is easy to pass by on Barrington Place in Brentwood Village, a few yards from Sunset Boulevard, just a 1/4 mile west of the 405 Freeway.  No, it’s on Barrington Place,   not in Barrington Court on Barrington Street.

The inviting outdoor patio tucked into the front feels like a homey porch. You could hear the strains of guitarist David Marcus and his quartet seated just inside the door.  Otherwise we might never have left this seating area, filled with a happy guest energy,  to go inside.

The contemporary yet cozy, intimate interior turns out to be just as inviting. The lines are cutting edge clean and yet are as warm as only organic can be.  It still somehow reflects the old-fashioned neighborhood Italian restaurant serving authentic Napolitano and NY-style pizzas, pastas, antipasti, salads and tempting desserts.

In the open kitchen encased in glass,  Pablo Merida and his enthusiastic cooks toss pizzas and other Italian dishes.  The food is made-to-order, many items from scratch, all using fresh, authentic, high-quality ingredients.

Napolitano, “Pizza como una volta” (“Pizza as it once was”) baked at 800-1000 degrees for 60-90 seconds in  hand-crafted wood fire oven, imported from Naples.

The thin-crust NY-style pizza. A wide array of tasty toppings for both types is offered.

Artisan beer or wines by the glass and bottle, is offered and curated by a professional sommelier to pair with the Italian  menu.  The management acknowledged that they are “a little obsessed with beverage “best practices” and use the latest advanced technology to store, keep and serve our wines and beer so they’re always at their peak.”

The rest of the menu includes antipasti and salads, wide range of pastas, including homemade pappardelle, ravioli, and gnocchi, as well as fresh fish, meat and poultry, grilled, sautéed or roasted.

A special Verde Naturale menu was designed for the health-conscious.  It is comprised of a dozen tasty, guilt-free, low-calorie options made with organic, unrefined raw and cold pressed oils, organic, unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar, Celtic sea salt, gluten-free, organic grains (buckwheat, millet, amaranth, and quinoa) and a variety of leafy greens and colorful fresh vegetables.

Pappardelle Bolognese (image courtesy of Il Piccolo Verde)

Desserts include the traditional tiramisu and cheesecake to a little more unusual chocolate fondant wedge.  They are also perfect for after-hours because the food is rich and the portions generous.

Danesi Italian coffee is offered “any way you like it”.  And truly, the feeling in a visit to Il Piccolo Verde is that you are an honored guest there to have good food and be accommodated in whatever way possible.  And this is done with a refined  but totally fun and family way with a waiter from Italy.

Il Piccolo Verde is open 7 days a week, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner.

//(www.Il PiccoloVerde.com) l Piccolo Verde, 140 S. Barrington Place, Los Angeles, CA 90049.  (310) 472-4939..

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