Jame Enoteca UPDATE - El Segundo

Revisiting a local favorite, a legit fine-dining-level Italian pasta house situated in El Segundo's Main Street strip. 

The goal is to try new things, and although the menu has stayed fairly static for several years, much of it is new to me. 

My choice of Ospi's Crispy Provolone proves to be quite unwise as giant sandwich-sized blocks of mild, stringy cheese with a hard fried shell settle in the stomach with the lightness of a brick. The creamy vodka sauce is no standout, and this brick most bland needed something sharp.

The cheese is so heavy I can't fully enjoy the other items. A shame as both pastas are just amazing. The Tagliatelle al Ragu is deeply savory, a significant quantity of simmered meat that grips the ribbon strips and lingers very long.

It's first encounter with Mandilli, these floppy, pocket-squares of softer-than-al-dente sheets. The texture and the look, the way they flap and fold on the fork is enchanting, even more so as they're running with a silky jade-green pesto.

The apps are alright, and the sandwiches look fun, but the perfection is in the pasta. Just revel in the texture and savor all the sauce. 

Sunday Gravy - Inglewood

Any way you slice it, Sunday Gravy is sweet. A classy-casual, semi-diner serving Italian with some southern, even the name evokes something soulful to set the stage.  

Staples like Shrimp & Grits are substantial, and this one is all sorts of special. Looking like spilled tomato sauce over grits, this dish is the ultimate ugly-delicious. The shrimp are succulent, and the Calabrian chili collaboration adds a bit of sweetness, a dash of spice, and a whole lot of depth. 

Use generous slices of the city's best Garlic Bread to sop up the extra grits for a little extra wow. 

Beet & Citrus Salad is bland, but it serves me right for ordering it here. Pistachio adds an earthiness that falls flat without any acid. Labne has some tanginess but not enough. Even with oranges inside, the citrus is seriously lacking. There just needs to be a sharp squeeze of lemon on top to make it all more tolerable. 

The Ragu, however, is alright, a softer sauce with a tinge of tang. It's exact what you'd expect from a slow-cooked meat sauce, rich stuff that gets stuck in the little penne pasta grooves. 

Most memorable is their Crab Mafalda, crinkle-ribbon pasta so thick you'll need to use the tongs. The crab carries a breeze sting of the sea in an ample amount to add texture and adorn. 

A lovely meal. All rich and filling, heavy in a way that is heavenly. One of several interesting finds from Inglewood, this is one I wouldn't skip. 

Raffaello Ristorante - San Pedro

Need a place in San Pedro to feed out-of-town guests at 3 PM on a Sunday. 

Challenge. Accepted. 

Raffaello is up to the task, and judging by several other large tables of multigenerational parties, we're not the only ones in the know about this family-friendly, open-all-weekend, picky-eaters-welcome house of Italian hospitality. 

 

The Grilled Octopus is quite tender, simply seasoned with some citrus. 

The pasta is quantity over quality but the quality is still good. They even throw in a simple salad. 

And a plate of roasted peppers to start. 

Spaghetti and meatballs is quite nice and comes with some seriously savory tennis balls.

I do love this restaurant, but if I am to be honest, I didn't love the Manicotti alla Bolognese. It’s a tub of ricotta but it’s encased in a tube of pasta instead of a plastic tub. There is such a thing as too much cheese, and when the pasta to cheese ratio is 1:500, it’s too much of a good thing. 

Those who had entrees enjoyed them - I tried a bite of the swordfish special and found the unforgiving fish to be skillfully prepared. I may have enjoyed an entree more, but having so many dishes that kids can share with their parents is truly a blessing, and for that I love them. When in the area, would absolutely come here again with family. 

The Slice & Pint - Redondo Beach

I have been DYING to see if they'd live up to the hype. The El Segundo location has lasted on Eater LA's lists for years, and I'm finally able to try their praiseworthy pizza from Redondo Beach. 

For starters, I'm convinced they can do no wrong. Even the simplest things like their Fancy Marinated Olives are noteworthy. These are juicy, firm, rich salt-bubbles of varying size. The Heirloom Tomato & Burrata is so refreshing. Chewy cheese encases creamy cheese, and the entire salad tastes like a sunbeam. 

The Roasted Asparagus steals some thunder - flavorful and super savory thanks to the bits of prosciutto and shavings of parm. 

As for the pizza, who doesn't like a classic Pepperoni? Usually me, but it's quality, and I can't object.

The rest are far more creative, like this spectacularly simple Cacio e Pepe. The cream sauce is cheesy and smooth, meshing with the melted mozzarella, with sharp cracked pepper to give it a little pop. 

The White Dog has nutty notes from pistachio pesto and drops of velvet texture from dollops of ricotta.

The Grand Ave is a surprise favorite, beautifully balanced. I've always loved white sauce, and roasted garlic makes it better. The leek adds an unexpected, almost-caramelized sweetness. Spinach freshens the creamy sauce, and chilis bring some heat. 

Gabagool has a vodka sauce with some snap and a capicola for some spice and sass. Pickled peppers and fresh basil only add to the attraction.

Their depth and breadth is very impressive - I rarely see so many things done well and even rarer still, this many things done this well. The pizzas are quite creative and distinct, and I appreciate the care and thought that goes into every item. The commitment to quality is clear, even in simple things like asparagus and like olives. Would absolutely order from here again, especially if I'm having guests. 

Eno Market & Pizzeria - Hotel del Coronado - Coronado, CA

A second visit to Hotel Del is better than the first. A few hundred dollars upgrades to a resort-facing patio complete with comfy chairs and cozy fire pit. Mental note to bring marshmallows and long sticks next time. 

Still no room service, but all the restaurants will let you order some takeout, though I suspect the food travels with varying levels of success. 

Eno remains the default due to online ordering, deli sandwiches, and food that is more portable by nature. 

None of the food will blow your mind or change your view on life, but quality ingredients are good enough for me. I'm digging this Grilled Stone Fruit Salad - I love charred sugar, and it's a filling, satisfying salad with good greens like bitter arugula and bright sorrel as well as meaty prosciutto and creamy stracciatella cheese. 

Did you like that salad? They put it on toast as well. The Seasonal Crostino has a fluffy focaccia spread with a seasonal jam, topped with a creamy goat cheese and everything else that's in the salad.

Hearth Baked Meatballs are super tender. Nice, juicy meat with a not-too-tangy marinara and wedges of focaccia for scooping up the sauce. 

The Napoli Verde is one of their many pizzas. The chewy crust is good, but I still just can't say I love their combinations. Jury's out on the peas but I love the lardons, and I can't say I complained while I ate it. 

The market also has a mortadella sandwich and a pretty good grilled cheese with tangy tomato bisque if you're looking for lighter or easier fare. 

After a second visit in under a year, I'm developing a fondness for Eno Pizzeria...probably because it remains one of few things you can try to eat in your hotel room and not hate too much. I think it'll be a lot longer before I come back to this hotel, but whenever I do, I won't be too mad about having to eat at Eno again. 

Jon & Vinny's Slauson - Los Angeles

I've been watching a lot of Top Chef lately. I don't know if it's increased my knowledge, but it's definitely increased my snobbery. 

So I don't know if that's why my review of the Slauson Jon & Vinny's is so lukewarm or if it's an issue with the location because I remember liking the one at Fairfax. Or maybe it was the Doordash, but something about Slauson just didn't sync. 

Starting with their menu, I don't remember it being so massive. It's a bit of a mess as you slog through the mire  - they seem to make every pizza, every pasta, with every imaginable combination of toppings and sauce. When you try to please everyone, you often please no one.

I love bruschetta, and I love ricotta on toast, but this Ricotta & Orange Blossom Honey Bruschetta is so very one-note. Loose cheese and sweetness, sugar and cream in desperate need of an acid.

The pizzas have a pretty good crust, chewy and airy. The White Bronco is a cheese-pool of caciocavallo, mozzarella, and ricotta. A lovely lake of textures ranging from stringy to chewy to creamy-smooth. With garlic and a a good oil, what's not to like?

Sadly, there's nothing super about Sarah & Shiri's Super Shroom. It's as generic a mushroom pizza as I'll ever get. The mushrooms are fresh, but I've had even fresher from the farmer's market. 

I think this will be the last time I order agnolotti. I have honestly never found one I liked, not at any fine dining establishment, not even at Otium. This Corn Agnolotti languishes in a lake of oil, and the supposed sage parmesan is overpowered by a tidal wave of butter. I'd call it one-note but it's more like no-note. 

The Wood Grilled Broccolini has stayed on their menu all these years, and it just might be the best thing they make. The char enhances the flavor of the best green veg ever grown. Raisins add sweet and goo, lemon brings the acid, and a chili vinaigrette turns on the heat. 

Oh man, I used to love those guys, but their remaining establishment is a far cry from the icon that was Animal. Even Son of a Gun had a stronger showing for seafood, and I feel like Jon & Vinny's just isn't what it used to be. I know some quality gets lost in transportation with the distance of Doordash, but I don't think it'd lose that much. What I got was a sad representation of the dashing duo that helped shape the dining scene in LA.

Nonna Mercato - Long Beach

Lauded as one of Long Beach’s best restaurants, the line on a Saturday morning is proof that it’s at least a local fave. I don’t know if I was quite as enchanted as Eater, but I did like the apps a lot. 

In a cute cafe with an airy patio, Italian brunch and dinner are made from scratch, and the bakery churns out plenty of pastries and bread.

Spanish Milk Tea is a fantastic drink, a murky black with sweetened milk that finishes with floral notes and an aroma of orange peel. 

Bruschette should be basic but they make it their own with gorgeous wedges of heirloom tomato that carry such a depth of flavor. They taste like tomato but you didn’t know tomato could taste like this. I’ve only ever had savory bruschetta, but this one is sweet with creamy burrata, and threads of drizzled honey that make it absolutely divine.

I thought I’d tried all the cheeses, but the Tomino Alla Piastra is very new to me. It’s mild and smooth, slightly nutty, a salty/savory variety with a firm and rubbery (in a good way) rind. It’s an agrees with both sweet and savory pairing while still asserting its own unique profile. It’s a harmonious clash of sweet and tangy with acerbic notes of mustard that also mix with tangy-sweet dried apricot. I’ve never had anything like this, especially in this combination.

Floppy, folding Rigatoni tubes come with a tomato-based sauce with deeply cheesy notes. it’s beautifully rich but the sharper notes of rucola as a balanced finish that makes you just keep eating.

Pappardelle belts are impossibly long and wide, and the texture is the reason I’ll always order it if it’s there. The sauce is a meaty ragu, one that’s meaty and not much else. Too heavy and a bit crude, imo. 

Their bakery sure is pretty, with colorful croissants and every flavor of cupcake. The pink and white croissant has a creamy crust and is filled with the smoothest cream with just the right amount of sweetness and a breath of strawberry sunshine. A raspberry cruffin has a similar filling, and both taste more like dessert than a companion to your morning coffee. The matcha croissant just has the crust on top. The inside just has those airy, chewy layers, and I think it’s this simplicity I’m seeking. Like the ragu, they’re a bit heavy-handed with the bigger flavors.

S’mores cupcakes are a fantastic dessert later that night, and I may be biased because of my obsession with marshmallow, but these seem to be the perfect size to enjoy but not overindulge in, with just the right ratio of icing to cake. 

I liked Nonna Mercato but I can’t say I fell in love. The made from scratch concept is endearing, but their pastas could use more polish, and their baked goods try to be glam but venture into gimmick. If the 45-minute wait for a weekend brunch is any indication, there are plenty of people who don’t agree with my assessment, and in all fairness, even I’d be willing to eat there again.

Triple Beam Pizza - Santa Monica

Can't commit to an entire pie? Triple Beam is the place to go. Order your custom, craft pizza in quarters, each with of three "beams” of Roman style pizza. 

That crust is a Nancy Silverton signature, and it is incomparable. It finishes with an impossibly crispy crunch while the topping side retains a doughy chew. The toppings…The toppings are alright. 

The Pineapple, Prosciutto and Jalapeno is *chef’s kiss, a beautiful balance between salt, sweet, and heat. 

Roasted Mushroom and Shallot looks so good, with towering fungi and gorgeous purple rings, but the shallots are tough and the cheese is overpowering, a bit too creamy to let the mushrooms come through. 

Roasted Fennel & Sausage with Goat Cheese is better balanced, with fragrant fennel complementing the sausage and just a bit of cheese smooth out the texture. This one is exactly what you’d expect when someone says “gourmet pizza”. 

Fantastic crust, pretty good toppings. Not my favorite pizza place so far but it’s all good fun and I’d always be up for more. 

Pizzana - Marina del Rey

It’s quite the ordeal to order on DoorDash, with the expanded range fee and a high tip for the poor Dasher stuck in southbound traffic. 

But wow, is it worth every penny, even lukewarm by the time it arrives. 

The Funghi is smothered in fresh seasonal mushrooms. The mozzarella base is mild, allowing the earthy fragrance to float right through. Fontina adds a creamy richness, caramelized onion a bit of gooey sweet. The crust is a perfect chew, though I imagine it lost some crisp along the way. No matter, the dough is delightful. 

Sweet and spicy dominate the Diavolo, with long slices of salami with sass and spunk. A sweet drizzle of honey makes it hotter, and the charred shallots finish with just a little hit of bitter ash to ground it. The sauce is toasty and roasty, more smooth than it is tangy.

I really didn't expect to like it this much, but wow, I am in love. Their operation seems a bit more casual and a little less upper crust, but their crust is hardly inferior, and I think their toppings can compete with even the likes of Pizzeria Bianco. Would absolutely pay all the fees to feast on this stuff again. 

Colapasta - Santa Monica

Casual Colapasta, a sidewalk cafe serving scrumptious pasta. 

The Squid Ink Bavette fits the beach vibe, with long murky strands mired in a tangy-fresh tomato. Cushions of crab add some sea-sting, and it's a simply lovely combination. 

Our server described the Casarecce al Pesto as a salad, and I don't disagree. The double tube texture holds onto the garden-fresh basil, a pesto pureed so finely you think the pasta itself is green. Cherry tomatoes are popping bubbles of sun-soaked tang, and mozzarella pearls add a supple silk. 

Silkworm shells of Malloreddus alla Campidanese are a savory, sausage-saturated texture of creamy-cheese tomato sauce, with saffron to make the flavors linger. 

Casunziei is sauced tableside, brown butter sizzles on a saucepan and settles into every crevice between the sweet beet-filled ravioli. A better dessert has never existed. 

I don't have much to say about Colapasta - the food speaks for itself. There is something about what they do here that transports you, and for the entire time that pasta touches your tongue, you actually believe you're on a patio in the Italian countryside, twirling your late lunch a fork, watching vineyards as far as the eye can see. The sauces are simple and the flavors so straightforward, yet the sheer skill required to cook so captivatingly clean is anything but. 

Mother Wolf - Los Angeles

The dining room is abuzz, even on a Tuesday night, and I think Vanessa Hudgens is sitting diagonally behind us. The decor is pure luxury, like an Italian villa if it were owned by Jeff Bezos. This place wasn't started on a shoestring, and the menu full of fine ingredients is written proof. 

But I am pleasantly surprised at the sweet simplicity of these small but hearty starters. The Suppli Al Telefono are simply breaded croquettes filled with risotto in tangy tomato dotted with savory guanciale specks.

You can see and feel the shreds of juicy oxtail in the Polpette di Coda. The tomato is smoother and more subtle here.

Even their signature special, La Mortazza, is spectacular yet straightforward. A chewy pizza crust doubles over like a pita to pocket paper-thin ribbons of supple mortadella atop a creamy ricotta cheese. The pistacchio adds some crunch to the cream, and lemon agrumato adds a lifting splash of citrus.

The Filetto is what a food critic would describe as a "sleeper hit". The description doesn't sound like much, and it's "just" a cheese pizza. The result, however, is an incredibly satisfying slice. The cheese has stronger, nuttier, slightly pungent notes, and the tomatoes are the sweetest, most sun-kissed I've ever tried. 

Onto the pastas. The cream sauce of the Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe is more like a solid, a shawl around each individual strand. The black pepper is prominent and perks up a heavy base.

Rigatoni All'Amatriciana is floppy folds of textured tubes. A little tomato, a little cream, a little spice, spotted with the crispiest, most fantastically fatty hits of guanciale.

Rigatoncini All Vaccinara; littler tubes covered in shreds of oxtail ragù, a super savory sauce. 

A simple Tagliata Di Manzo makes a simple entree, the most tender and juicy ribeye cap you’ll ever have, full of flavor upon a bed of the most perfectly fried potatoes. These may be the only memorable potatoes I’ve had to date. 

Desserts are not a necessity but they are a delight. Tiramisu features a dense mascarpone and a dark dusting of Madagascar chocolate. 

Limone Gelato is a shocking standout, the sweet citrus of Meyer lemons fully realized. 

Despite the obviously upscale vibe, the Mother Wolf menu maintains a mantle of approachability. You know you're surrounded by millions of dollars of decor made to make you feel rich and fabulous, but there is something about these platters of comfort food with their simple presentation and straightforward assembly that still makes you feel you can gather and talk as you spoon up a smattering of delights. And the best part is, all that food added up to a measly $80 per person as each dish ideal for sharing. 

If I am to compare, I do think I favor flagship Felix for the intimacy and variety of pastas, but I did thoroughly enjoy Mother Wolf. I would still recommend it for those looking for a little glamour with their gastronomy.