🌟 LA Italian Restaurant Nominated for a Food Oscar!

This restaurant is truly famous in LA’s food scene—not only was it nominated for a James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award this year, but it also ranked #8 on the list of LA's 101 Best Restaurants! 🏆 Opened by Chef Colby after leaving Chi Spacca, it radiates a warm, rustic Italian family trattoria vibe. The service and atmosphere are exceptional, and the interior is beautifully decorated. That said, the flavors weren’t quite to my taste—though maybe my expectations were just too high! 🍞 Focaccia: A bit too oily and salty for me, with visible salt crystals. Texture-wise though, it was great—crisp outside, chewy and moist inside. 🦆 Duck Liver Pate-Saba: Savory-sweet and tasty, but both the liver (too salty) and the grape reduction (too sweet, almost like brown sugar) were intensely seasoned. A little went a long way. 🧀 Whipped Ricotta-Pistachio Pesto: I expected a creamy, mild cheese, but the pesto dominated—more salty than sweet, not quite my preference. 🍝 Fileja with Goat Ragù: The goat meat was tender and not gamey, almost unnoticeable. The hollow, twisted pasta held the rich red sauce perfectly—chewy and satisfying. 🕊️ Foglie D’ulivo (Olive Leaf Pasta) with Squab: The pasta was soft, paired with fall-apart tender squab. Occasionally, crispy squab skin added a crunchy, almost fried texture. 🍰 Cannoli: Huge! Two were more than enough for two people. The shell was crispy (like an over-fried cruller), filled with sweet ricotta and dipped in dark chocolate and pistachio crumbs. 🧁 Torta Siciliana: My first time trying this dessert—layers of almond sponge cake, a thick ricotta center, candied orange peel, peanuts, and almond brittle. Extremely sweet—even as a sweet tooth, I found it overwhelmingly sugary. Not for the faint-hearted! #LALife #LosAngeles #ItalianCuisine #LAFood #LAEats #EatPretty #LAExploring #HiddenGemEatery