 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Pecorino Restaurant just opened its doors at the end of 2004 in this, one of the nicer areas of Los Angeles with a fine view of the Veteran's Administration across the green sward of open space at the beginning of San Vincente Boulevard. The chef is Raffaelle Sabatini, brother of co-owner Mario Sabatini, and straight from Abruzzo region of Italy. The cuisine has yet to be Americanized which comes as a refreshing change. It is hard to pinpoint any exact region of Italy to identify the style, but it is very much northern with a light, fresh and modern approach. The tastes are all Italian from the excellent bread, marvelous olive oil, velvety wines from Piedmont and the dishes which will have something for meat, chicken and fish lovers all. While the à la carte menu has prices for main fish and meat dishes in the $25-$28 range and pastas $10-$16 range with antipasti from $6.95 for a mixed green salad to $14.95 for a "Tartare" of Ahi tuna, at lunch there is also a very reasonable prix fix menu with 3 starters, 3 main courses and a sorbet for just $16.95 - a real steal!
Pecarino occupies the restaurant that used to be Zax's and is little changed, not did it need much of a change. With its part mullioned windows, ivy covering the exterior, sand blasted red brick walls inside, dark table with white napery, wrought iron chandeliers and dark wood floor to ceiling wine rack, they restaurant is a perfect setting for light but authentic cuisine. Owners Mario Sabatini and Giorgio Pierangeli were waiters and managers at the long-standing Toscana across the street but despite that have not lost their rich Italian accents which adds to the authenticity. They are warm and friendly so you always feel welcome. The introduction was delicious with some tangy bruschetta of stewed cherry tomatoes and spicy "Ricotta pecornia forte" which set the tone of the rest of the meal.
I found the prix fix offered just what I felt like. I chose the Mixed green salad with Cannellini beans, arrugula, purple onion and celery lightly dresses with some shavings of Parmesan. I could have had the Carpaccio Marinato con rucola e Parmigiano or the hearty soup Pasta e Fagiolo but the day was warm and sunny, more salad weather. I chose the Pollo alla Diavola with sautéed green beans, carrots, zuchinni and turnip done to perfection with a tad of balsamic vinegar from the other choices of a salmon stuffed with spinach with a potato crust or the Tagliiolini with a tomato and basil sauce. The chicken was especially interesting since not only was it thoughtfully removed from the bone but baked skin side down with the exposed area based with a mixture of Italian mustard and finely ground herbs. Quite a different flavor. The sorbet was a good tart lemon version for which owner Mario Sabatini, apologized saying their gelato maker has not yet arrived! Despite drinking the red with chicken, the Masi Campofiorin from the Piedmont region was mellow and enjoyable.
Linda launched into the à la carte menu with an excellent start of the Ahi tuna "Tartare" with a cap of paper thin sliced radishes and a palate cleanser salad of arrugula and alfalfa sprouts freshened with lemon juice and shallot dressing. It was good but could have used a skosh more lemon. Her grilled wild salmon was well prepared and sat on a bed of the same sautéed green beans, carrots, zuchinni and turnips that my chicken arrived with. And of course yet more of the arrugula salad. As good as the salad is, I think the chef needs to find a greater selection of side ingredients. Linda chose the peach sorbet which was stuffed into a hollowed out, frozen peach and was very good. We look forward, however, to when Pecorino makes its own sorbets. We also split an excellent dessert of three 1/2" squares of dense and bitter chocolate each accompanied with a dollop of whipped cream formed into an egg. Other desserts include the obligatory Tiramisu with amaretto, a creme brulée, a mousse of chocolate with mint, and, more interesting, a gratin of pear with almonds as well as the list of sorbets and a chocolate tartufo all priced at $7.00 . This is a nice breath of fresh air on the taste scene. But I think and hope that in time, they will make the plates and desserts a bit more interesting. The chef is clearly capable of doing so. Pecorino Restaurant |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
