Can’t go wrong with Champagne!
Went to Pizzeria Sei a couple nights ago. The patate continues to be my favorite. Also had a margherita they had on special, which was just like their regular margherita, but they used higher-end, pricier ingredients (honestly, couldn’t tell much of a difference between it and the regular margherita.
FWIW, brought in Foillard Fleurie
So, I don’t have any orange wine or sparkling malvasia, and I was close to going with Champagne, but I had a 1999 Mayacamas Chardonnay that I’ve been looking to open with food, so went with that (even though I wasn’t sure how it’d pair). The Chardonnay was in fantastic condition and really great. I wouldn’t consider it a magical pairing, but it was a good pairing that I wouldn’t at all mind repeating.
The pizza was soooo good. The only negative for me was that the crust wasn’t strong enough to support the weight of the toppings and was a little soggy towards the center where the egg was. That being said, you do what you need to do to scoop it up and it’s such a wonderful interplay of different flavors and textures. Of course, the crust at the end is excellent as always.
Obviously, this doesn’t account for the numerous small businesses, mom & pops. I do think street vendors are thriving. Recently had fantastic al pastor at the Rowena & Hyperion stand.
My fav taco stand trend I’ve seen around town lately: charcoal grilled beef
Hit Etra last night really dig it. Immediately going into the rotation.
Beautiful room and vibe. Small wine list with an even smaller reserve list. The crudo was great, if you like meatballs these are pretty stunning. The pasta was good but perhaps the weakest link. The Dorade and Chicken were both excellent. Excellent hospitality. I realized I know the GM/Somm (who is also one of the three partners) from NYC.
Extra points for the insane table of LA people next to us that had 1000 allergies / food issues. They asked to order one meatball for a table of four! The server should be canonised as a saint for putting up with them! SNL needs to do a skit about people like this.
“And can you make it vegan?”
They could not figure out if they wanted one bottle or just glasses of wine! OMG the amount of brain damage that went into that decision hurt to watch. The tables were close so we heard it all!
Mounjaro is a hell of a drug.
Just wait til the same group is standing in line in front of you waiting to order counter service sometime, you can request joint sainthood. (Have had that happen a time or two and when you’re in a decent mood, it’s like watching the SNL sketch instead of living hell.)
just to close this circle … can you imagine them at Billy Goat tavern?!? 
In Italy, one meatball is big enough for four.
am i the only person in LA that doesn’t ever crave Italian food or want to go eat Italian food? At least in LA.
NYC has a major love affair with Italian food, too, which is fine but man there are so many Italian restaurants. My neighborhood in Brooklyn has several excellent places with fresh pastas etc. that are worthy; I’d kill for a great Thai place (we have at least five terrible ones).
That was after I talked my daughter down from 12 oz to 8.9 oz each.
Does that include pizza?
LA Italian food is hot or miss compared with NYC or Italy. I never choose it here, I get it 3 times a week when I’m in zNYC.
LA is currently having a bit of an Italian food resurgence. New openings: Etra, Donna’s, Prima Donna, Spina, Stella, Jemma, Capri, Best Bet (already closed), Amiga Amore (Italian with a Latin twist). We may not be the best, but we certainly have a demand.
I’m with you…Sure, I love pasta, but my enjoyment - much like ramen - increases as the temperature decreases… so I rarely find myself craving it.
Not since Osteria Latini closed many years ago have I craved going out for Italian food in L.A…
But, really, I’m not sure that’s L.A.'s fault as much as it is mine.
Other than pizza, Italian food very rarely excites me, at least on paper. Granted, things could be wayyyy worse if I’m eating perfectly al dente housemade pasta topped with shaved truffles.
