Ètra — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Took my friend out for his 21st bday here w another one of our close friends and I made the res for 8:30 on a Sunday I call saying we would be a little late arriving around 8:50 and the woman on the phone was nice but told me kitchen would be closing at 9 so we would need to order fast once we arrive the atmosphere is pretty nice and relaxed, we quickly order the tuna tartar, burrata bottarga, meatballs(specifically cause I read the reviews) I got the vodka pasta with prawns and he got the New York strip) and my other friend got a glass of wine the tuna tartar came out and we didn’t necessarily have time to read the menu carefully so we were a little confused when it came out with nothing to dip it in I won’t say it was bad just interesting we took a couple bites but did end up leaving half of it than the burrata came out on toast but the blended the burrata not too sure what that was about cause burrata Is a texture thing and if was topped with what looked like dried egg yolk me and my friend try it we are confused by it and my friend who ordered it asked what the stuff on top was and the waiter was giving her an attitude almost judging her just not a good vibe or attitude the resteraunt also did have a pretty odd vibe to it pretty intimate it was nice looking but it seemed off I don’t know kind of had a creepy vibe but maybe that’s just me anyways the burrata on toast was topped with bottarga which none of us knew what was and it wasn’t necessarily bad just extra like I’m fully Italian and I just personally don’t think those flavors mixed both two starters seemed like they were missing something or just were interesting and not good yet again the waiter took half of it back to the kitchen than the meatballs came out I was starving and the second I took my first bite I audibly moaned (they probably weren’t that great but it was the first bite of good food I had all night) my pasta came out and I didn’t even realize there was prawns in it until I started picking at my food they were such small pieces I didn’t even notice it was probably a single prawn cut into not even 3 pieces which were half a centimeter and the pasta was sauce looked good and looked picture worthy and I think it would be great but it litterly tasted like they put tajin on the top of it they kept adding stuff that did not need to be there and ruining dishes that could potentially be good but than again the waiter took HALF the pasta back to the kitchen cause it was my friends bday and I wouldn’t cause a scene or anything but I didn’t want to finish food I wasn’t enjoying his steak was also the highlight I had a piece and it was cooked pretty good and had a good sauce and flavor best part of the meal and he only ordered the New York strip cause the ribeye was 130 and he felt bad cause it was just me and one other person paying the bill for him and although we insisted on him getting it he wanted to ribeye all in all our waiter was alright and than 2 other workers gave my friend an attitude I was upset that I brought my friend here for his birthday knowing anywhere else would be better and the bill ended up coming out to about 220 with tip which is a little pricey knowing they give out very small portions which we...

Wonderful, hidden gem!

I don’t usually write reviews, but I wanted to share the lovely experience my guest and I had during our recent visit to Ètra in Melrose Hill last Sunday. It was exceptional! We don’t normally indulge in such a lavish dining experience, but our meal at Ètra was definitely worth it – a wonderful memory for sure!

We arrived a bit early for our reservation and had to wait only a few minutes until we were seated, but the Maitre d’ was extremely warm, friendly and attentive. She even made sure that the music was lowered so that my guest and I could converse without having to speak too loudly – although we really liked the music that was playing.

The restaurant ambiance was inviting and comfortable. We especially liked the warm wood décor. Our server, Juan, was very professional, courteous and knowledgeable. He reviewed the menu with us and patiently answered our many questions. Rebecca, the Assistant General Manager, was also very welcoming and checked in on us regularly to make sure everything was going smoothly.

There were so many items that we wanted to try!

For starters, we shared the Meatballs and Chicories plates. Both were excellent! My guest is Italian and a great cook herself who makes incredible meatballs, so we were eager to see how Ètra’s meatballs measured up. We were impressed by the texture of Ètra’s meatballs and were delighted by their taste! The sauce added even more flavor. They were simple, well cooked and delicious. We both agreed that we might get an individual order for each of us on our next visit so we won’t have to share them.

We were pleasantly surprised by the Chicories starter plate. This plate complemented the meatballs very well. It was light and refreshing, and I especially enjoyed the crunchiness alongside the smooth texture of the meatballs. The portion was generous and was enough to accompany the other dishes.

Additionally, we ordered the Hamachi Crudo. This plate probably didn’t complement the other starter plates, but the description peaked my interest. I was not disappointed. This was a delicate plate bursting with flavors. I really enjoyed it.

Next, we had the Rigatoni along with the Dorade and the NY Strip. The Rigatoni was cooked perfectly! And the sauce was delicious – subtle yet flavorful – a nice pairing with the Dorade and the NY Strip. The Dorade was also cooked well. The skin was crispy and the fish was moist and buttery. But, our favorite by far was the NY Strip. It was also cooked to perfection, and the flavor combination of the maitake and the seasoning of the crust made this dish our favorite. It was a mouth-watering delight! The NY Strip especially went well with the La Battagliola Lambrusco – Italian sparkling red wine – which was recommended by the Maitre d’.

We ended our culinary adventure with a chocolate salted caramel cake and a lemon posset topped with fresh berries. Both were delicious, but our favorite was the lemon posset. It was a very nice way to end such a wonderful...

We were excited to try ETRA, and arrived on time for a 7:45 reservation on the patio. Even though multiple two-tops were clearly visible, we were told we had to wait. Other parties of two came in after us with the same reservation time and were promptly seated. Not a good start. Our server, when we were seated 15 minutes later, didn't bother greeting us. Instead, she pushed one of the appetizers and was quite disappointed when we didn't choose it. We ordered, and ordered a bottle of wine. The sommelier brought it to the table, and instead of asking who would like to sample the wine, just poured it into my husband's glass, even though I had selected the wine. Of the five items we ordered, three were good. But the missteps were glaring.

The chicory salad with anchovies was beautiful -- but it wasn't chicory, It was bland, tasteless Belgian endive, which just doesn't hold up to a strong anchovy dressing. If you're going to serve Belgian endive, let the customer know so they can make informed choice. And the bucatini with clams was so, so oily it was like eating an oil soup. One-third of the oil would have been plenty for this dish.

After dinner, the server came up and pushed a dessert; when we said we weren't interested in that, she got a bit huffy (we had already decided on another dessert, which, given her response, we did not order) and asked if we wanted to take the remaining wine on our bottle home with us. We politely said we wanted to finish the wine at the table. She turned away, quickly brought our check, waited until we had paid, and then said, "Enjoy the patio" before marching off.

We'd read such good reviews and were really excited to go. But the experience was so off-putting and so disappointing that I am writing my very first restaurant review, just to give others the warning they should have before...