|
 Big Night in Los Angeles
Halfway between Venice Beach and Beverly Hills is a winning little
neighborhood restaurant - Giovanni's Trattoria
& Pizzeria - that has more than a touch of the 1996 film Big Night
to it. Like the restaurant in that movie, this one is run by two Italian
brothers - the Prinzos - with Giovanni handling the
front of the house and Angelo manning the stoves. The food is authentic and
good, reflecting, in this case, the cooking of the Campania region, where the Prinzo brothers
were born.
But unlike the unlucky lads of Big
Night, these brothers have a steady stream of regular customers. They
return for the friendly service, casual atmosphere and straightforward food made with care. The
pizzas are of the thin-crust variety - at once crisp and chewy; the fagottini di melenzane (grilled eggplant with pine nuts, ricotta
cheese and herbs) is delicious; the farfalle
with fresh salmon comes in a delicate tomato sauce that has just a hint of
cream. Entrees, such as the pounded breast of chicken with lemon and olive
oil, are served with garlicky vegetables and thick-cut potatoes that are roasted to perfection. And the tiramisu is
terrific.
Reprinted from Bon Appetit,
The Western Insider
December 1997, p. 198B
By Siobhan Burns and Anthony Head
|