Low Key Gnocchi at Pastina on Westwood Blvd.

The Fettuccine Alla Francescana caught my eye. It had Porcini mushrooms and peas in a light creamy sauce. My memory transported me to the meal I'd had at Sportello, Barbara Lynch's Italian restaurant in Boston. I wondered if the chef at Pastina would be open to making the dish with gnocchi instead of fettuccine.

Score! I had a huge plate of Gnocchi Alla Franacescana for dinner, with chunky sized, handmade gnocchi. It hit the spot and I was satisfied. The portion was so large I took it home and had it for dinner the following night too.

If you are really observant you will notice something odd in the picture. Care to guess?

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Pastina
2260 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 441-4655

Lobster and Chocolate at Il Piccolino

Great lunch purely by accident at this Italian patio cafe that left me yearning for a Euro vacation. The Lobster Cobb had so many big chunks of fresh lobster, a more than pleasant surprise. I shared that with my sister along with a Prosciutto and Mozzarella Panini grilled on a flat, delicate bun. Dessert was their house special, Chocolate Mousse served country style on a small plate with raspberries, blueberries, black berries and whipped cream. Service was tops. Before we knew it we'd been there for 2 hours. A perfect Tuesday afternoon.

By the way, we were going to have lunch at Petrossian across the street. There's a sign in the window that says they are closed for renovations until February.

Il Piccolino
350 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 659-2220





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Eating in the Zone at Melograno in Hollywood

Before I knew it, my plate was empty. I'd been in the eating zone, what happens when I get lost in great food. It all happened so fast. After the first bite of the baby artichoke salad (cuori di carciofo e ruchetta con parmigiano) I thought "this is OK, maybe a little too much dressing". By the third bite I was admiring the lemon flavor, thinking "mucho dressing actually works". It was good, damn good.

I'd wandered into Melograno on a cold rainy night last month. Dining alone, I sat at the bar in the back of the restaurant where I could see the behind the scenes action: drinks being prepared, waiters bickering with each other. It's also the place to get great service. I was sitting right in front of the action, having a beer and a quick bite on a Tuesday night.

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Melograno
6541 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-6650

Sportello, Boston

I've been craving the Potato Gnocchi I had earlier this month at Sportello, Barbara Lynch's new place in Boston. The gnocchi was just delicious, light and creamy. The half size portion had little porcini mushrooms and peas. It was so good I could have eaten a whole portion. The lunch menus has soups, salads, polenta, pasta, scacciata, and sweets. They allow you to order half portions, a great touch in this economy.


The restaurant consists of a large, white lunch counter that curves about the space, like a snake. The old school counter looks great in the modern space. White, globe light fixtures brighten the restaurant. On the other side of the counters are cases selling homemade pastries, breads, sauces and other delicious looking treats.

I've thought about this place a number of times in the past few weeks and wish I lived closer. I'll definitely return here next time I'm in Boston.

Sportello
348 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 737-1234



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e. baldi

This is a great place for long lunches. Their salads, pastas and fish are great. I typically order the fish Carpaccio (an item not on the menu but available for the asking), Ricotta and Butternut Squash Ravioli with crispy sage and browned butter, or the Branzino.

The waiters are Italian and friendly. They let you have leisurely meals and linger at the table, just like in Italy, without insinuating that you should leave quickly.

I've read some mixed reviews on the place, yet I've always had lovely meals. Funny thing, I typically notice many Europeans dining there.

e. baldi
375 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310/ 248. 2663

Osteria Mozza

What a delightful meal this weekend with Win, Andra and Avi. Good food is important, combine it with dear friends and it's a recipe for a delightful evening. I was surprised how packed it was; there was plenty of energy in the restaurant, partly from the wild, Mario-chosen music piping through the speakers. We ordered family style, sharing 8 dishes in all, 3 Antipasti, 3 Primi and 2 Secondi.

The Grilled Octopus was out-of-this world. It was tender, thankfully not chewy, and tasted like the best sausage I've ever had. I know that sounds odd, but it reminded me of the pulpo in Spain. There is a Mozzarella Bar on the Antipasti section of the menu with a variety of dishes made with the cheese. We had the Mozzarella Tasting; a simple dish with burrata, fior di latte & bufala mozzarella served with 2 pieces of grilled bread with garlic and oil. It was fine, just not any different from mozzarellas I get in stores. The third Antipasti was a trio of baby lettuces salad, also tasty.

The Fresh Ricotta & Egg Raviolo with browned butter featured a plate with a 3 1/2 inch ravioli in the center. Slicing through the middle an egg yolk oozed out. The ricotta inside was soft and creamy. It was a beautiful dish both visually and in taste. Andra and Avi loved the pasta that was a little larger than spaghetti with a tomato sauce and tuna flakes. The ultimate pasta was the Butternut Squash Mezzalune with amaretti . It was the best butternut squash pasta I've ever had, so sweet I didn't need to order a dessert. The Grilled Whole Orata, a light white fish, was boned and had greens in the center of it when we opened it up. I can't seem to remember what greens they were, a few drinks does that to me. The Duck served on a wooden cutting board I do remember. It was woodsy, tender and a lovely ending to a great meal.

Side note: Hello, Osteria Mozza was packed, no sign of the economic hardship in sight. We peeked in the pizzeria around 10 and it was hopping. I was pleased to see it filled with people waiting. A funny touch, the valet attendant left a postcard in the car advertising the company's services.

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323. 297. 0100

Newport Beach Dining at Modo Mio

Modo Mio in Newport Beach was hopping full on Saturday night. We had a cozy booth at the corner of the dining room. Service was attentive and the food was good.

Win and I split the Caprese. They were kind enough to split it in the kitchen without asking for it. The mozzarella was just so/so, luckily the tomatoes and basil were ripe and delicious. Kelly had the shaved artichoke salad with Parmesan. It looked so good. My first instinct was to order that one. Note to self: stick with my first instinct.

The pasta special sounded too good to pass up: artichoke and sun-dried tomato tagliatelli with tomatoes, asparagus and crab, a great flavor combination. The pasta itself was delicious. The shredded crab on top was good, with a slightly fishy tang. Fresher crab would have made the dish perfect.

Maggie had a delicious piece of swordfish, extra fresh, grilled to perfection then served alla checca. Win loved his cannelloni stuffed with chicken and ricotta. It was gone before I could have a bite. The tiramisu was fab: light, fluffy with delish chocolate cocoa.

They are having some challenges with the landlords. Apparently the Irvine Co. is not fixing a plumbing problem. All of this results in a stinky women's restroom with a putrid smell. Hope it gets fixed quick.

When I got home I checked the restaurant's website. It turns out I've enjoyed many great meals at their restaurant of the same name in Pacific Palisades.

Friday Night Dinner

On Friday nights after a busy week, I like to relax at home. Like most, I prefer a home cooked meal to take out, and I'm usually too tired to cook.

Tonight was different though. While driving home I remembered that jar of Crespi Pesto I'd purchased at Surfas, one of my favorite cooking supply stores. [Surfas, 8824 National Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 (310) 559-4770]

I'd never purchased premade pesto and did so an experiment. I remember looking at the label and admiring all the excellent fresh ingredients with no preservatives, a big plus.

I wish I had tried it sooner. The taste is absolutely superb. It is chock full of fresh basil, olive oil, cheese, pine nuts, salt, no additional seasonings are necessary.

I looked it up on the internet and apparently it is well known. One website states that many chefs use Crespi and claim it as there own. I see why. I'm all for cooking, I love it, but when you can buy a delicious pesto in a jar I say, save your energy for other things.

Dinner was so easy to prepare tonight and tasty. While the angel hair pasta was boiling (4 minutes) I prepared a new zucchini dish I made for a party the other night. This is a raw zucchini salad with the squash sliced so thin it takes on another taste when the dressing and mint is added. Today I left out the pine nuts and cheese and it was just as good. As far as I'm concerned, excellent olive oil along with frest ingrefients is the trick here. I get my olive oil from a private reserve my aunt and uncle make in Italy. It makes all the difference.

The Summer Squash Salad recipe is from one of my new favorite cooking blogs of the moment Simply Recipes. http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/002099summer_squash_salad.php

I sliced the zucchini by hand instead of using a machine. It is less of a hassle and somehow food seems to taste better when it is made by hand. When I made it the second time around I added a little more mint and lemon too. Both ways are delicious. Here's the recipe:

4 small zucchini or mixed yellow and green summer squash (1 lb total)
1/3 cup loosely packed mint leaves
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Pepper to taste1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (1 oz.)
Grana Padano, Parmesan or Asagio cheese for shavings
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

1 If you are starting with raw pine nuts, toast them first. Heat a small skillet on medium high heat. Add the pine nuts. Stir gently as the pine nuts start to brown. When slightly browned, remove from heat and let cool.
2 Slice the squash into paper-thin slices using a mandoline or other slicer. Set aside in a bowl.
3 Stack the mint leaves, roll them together lengthwise and slice crosswise to make very thin slivers. Add to squash in bowl.
4 Combine the oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk together. Whisk in the salt and pepper and pour the dressing over the contents of the bowl. Add the pine nuts and toss all together, gently, but thoroughly. Let mixture stand for at least 10 minutes to soften the squash and develop the flavors.
5 Transfer salad to serving dish or to four individual salad plates. Garnish with shavings of cheese made with a vegetable peeler and a few sprigs of fresh mint.
Serves 4.

In less than 7 minutes I was eating a delicious (mostly) home cooked meal. Surfas doesn't sell their pesto online so you can get it at Pennsylvania Macaroni Company. http://www.pennmac.com/items/2667