Italian East Meets West at Scopa Italian Roots, Los Angeles

With so many great restaurants in LA, Scopa Italian Roots in Venice somehow slipped behind the scenes. Open for nine months now, the absence of a restaurant sign (and purposely done so) makes it is easy to walk or drive by without noticing it at first pass. Scopa relies on word of mouth and feels confident enough to do so.

An upscale Italian eatery, Scopa’s menu might look a bit generic at first glance. The food, however, is anything but. Their dishes carefully blend both bold and subtle tastes, creating layers and layers of flavors to discover. The team behind Scopa are no rookies. Their resume rhymes off places like Black Market in Studio City, Pour Vous in Hollywood, and Harvard & Stone. Their Chef, Antonia Lofaso,  has also made multiple appearances on Top Chef. The concept behind Scopa’s Italian food is East meets West. Chef Antonia Lofasa, having grown up in Jersey, combines her Cali influences with her Italian-American upbringing in Jersey.

To give you an idea of how much we enjoyed Scopa, a group of us all went there for brunch one morning, and then went straight back for dinner a few hours later! 

They have an extensive drink and wine list, offering pages and pages of cocktails, whiskies, aperitifs and more to choose from.

Here is my force rank of all of the dishes we had with the best dish listed first:

1. Veal Chop Milanese - "cooks garden" sorrel, dandelion greens, cress
2. Soft Eggs - Italian sausage, cavolo nero, peppers, onions, polenta
3. Manila Clams & Uni - toast, parsley, garlic
4. Scallops Oreganata - garlic, parsley
5. Chitarra Pasta - pecorino, black pepper
6. Roast Chicken - creamed polenta, kale, calabrian chilies, shallots
7. Fresh Oysters
8. Italian Hero Sandwich - copa, prosciutto, salami, salami, provolone, lettuce, olive oil, vinegar
9. Prosciutto and Burrata - olive oil, grapes
10. Italian Chopped Salad - salami, imported provolone, ceci beans, oregano, peperoncini, radicchio, artichoke, red onion, roasted pepper

The first five on the list are must have's! It was incredibly hard having to force rank them, but there you go. The veal chop is only available for dinner and the soft eggs are only available for brunch. Their pasta was a perfect al dente and the simple rich sauce just made it heavenly.

Italian Hero

Veal Chop Milanese

Prosciutto and Burrata

Chitarra Pasta

Roasted Chicken

Manila Clams

Scopa Italian Roots

2905 Washington Blvd

Venice, California, USA

Telephone: 310-821-1100

Read More

Flour + Water, San Francisco

It's been 3 years since Flour + Water first opened its doors, and the restaurant is still going strong.

Flour + Water was recently named one of the Best Italian Restaurants in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure and there are few folks, if any, that would disagree with that.

The chef and partner, Thomas McNaughton, trained and worked at top notch restaurants in Europe and San Francisco (Gary Danko and Quince) before opening Flour + Water. He also trained at a pasta 'laboratory' in Italy to learn how to perfect the art of pasta making.

Their Neopolitan style wood fired pizzas are excellent, but their main focus is pasta and they do an outstanding job of it. A 7-course pasta tasting menu is available for $65 if you want to sample their different hand crafted pasta dishes.

Corn Tortelloni with Prosciutto and Chives

Don't understimate the amount of effort put into the planning of their pasta dishes. They are really well thought out, with each type of pasta perfectly complementing the sauce it is paired with. Their menu changes often but their agnolotti dal plin is a classic favorite, and their cappellacci dei briganti is a nice ode to the forgotten Italian brigands that existed until the mid 19th century.

Cappellacci Dei Briganti with Goat Sausage, Rabe & Aleppo Pepper

Proscuitto Pizza with Summer Squash, Thyme, Lemon & Fior de Latte

Melon & Grape Salad with Pickled Shallots, Fresh Tarragon and Olive Sea Salt

Wood Oven Roasted Butter Beans with Padron Peppers, Lardo & Bread Crumbs

If you want to learn more about different pasta shapes and what sauces they pair well with, check out The Geometry of Pasta. If you're at the restaurant, ask to see their copy while you wait for your meal.

Earlier in the Spring, the partners of Flour + Water opened up Central Kitchen (California cuisine) and Salumeria in the same Mission District area.

Flour + Water
2401 Harrison Street
San Francisco, California, USA
Telephone: 415-826-7000

Read More

Scampo, Boston

People are like onions. At first glance, they may seem plain on the outside, but on the inside, there are layers and layers to be discovered, and sometimes they may make you cry. That's exactly how I feel about my friend JM, who I appreciate more everytime we meet. I didn't have a very good impression of him when we first met, but I was proved wrong as I got to know him. He is a sweet person, extremely creative, and secretly likes musicals! On my last trip to Boston, JM (who is local) and I met up at Scampo to catch up. It is a great Italian resto in Beacon Hill's funky Liberty Hotel.

Liberty Hotel was once a jail. After having gone through a major face lift, it now has a very grandeur feel with extremely high ceilings, oversized metal chandeliers, and granite wall murals.

As an appetizer, JM and I split the caprese salad. The tomatoes in this dish were ok but they made sure it was fool-proof by sprinkling a generous amount of fleur de sel and by coating the cheese with a light layer of finely chopped red onions.

Caprese Salad

I ordered the special of the day which was a soft shell crab BLT sandwich with fries and coleslaw. The crab was delicious and I loved the idea, but the bread was a little too crispy for me to eat as a sandwich. I ended up breaking it up and eating the different parts separately.

Soft Shell Crab BLT

JM, who is Italian, wanted to try and critique the thinnest and lightest layered lasagna a la bugialli with cotechnino meatballs. JM was definitely impressed. Each layer was almost paper thing... I wonder how they do that!?

Thinnest and Lightest Layered Lasagna

For dessert, I had Lydia's tiramisu. It was awesome and the rock sugar and coffee beans added a nice touch.

Lydia's Tiramisu

Scampo (in Liberty Hotel)
215 Charles Street
Boston, Massachusetts
617-536-2100

Read More

G for Gelato & Espresso Bar, Toronto

Someone told me about this place so I'm simply passing on the good word. G for Gelato & Espresso Bar has GREAT gelato!!!

CK and I split the cappuccino, pistachio and strawbery rhubarb trio. The cappuccino and pistachio were really good but the strawberry rhubarb is a must try! Tart and full of flavor. It was a new flavor they just started making, along with yogurt stracciatella.

Cappuccino, Pistachio and Strawberry Rhubarb Gelato

It all started in the 50's in Italy with Gerardo and Giuseppina Polsinelli, who ran a small gelato business using their own special technique and serving only 3 basic flavors. They did very well and their refrigerator on a bicycle business expanded to a truck business that served many different flavors. In 1967, they left Italy to start a better life with their 5 daughters. Decades later, the Polsinelli daughters bring back the family tradition with G for Gelato, which opened in 2011.

I love places with a story.

G for Gelato & Espresso Bar
75 Jarvis Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 416-792-1761

Read More

Porchetta, New York City

I recently got back from a trip to New York City where I met up with a few old friends, met a few new friends, and ate myself silly!

One of my most memorable meals in NYC had to be at Porchetta, a super casual joint that specializes in one thing: Slowwww Roasted Pork.
I originally didn't want to come here because I was insanely stuffed. We had just eaten lunch across the street, and my friend, JM, insisted that I couldn't leave NYC without trying a porchetta sandwich. "All you have to do is take a bite", she says. "We'll walk around for a bit and before you know it, you'll be hungry again and can eat the rest later." I hate saying no to food, so I reluctantly agreed. Boy, am I glad I said yes!

Porchetta is a traditional Italian pork street food sold from a cart or truck. As defined on their website, porchetta is "roasted pork with crispy skin, highly seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices, garlic, sage, rosemary and wild fennel pollen. Typical plate of the Roman cuisine. Slow cooked Italian fast food."

Porchetta's pork is sourced from Niman Ranch, where the pigs are raised without the use of growth hormones and antibiotics.

Their sandwiches are served in a white ciabatta bun, and stuffed with pork 3 ways: lean loin, fatty belly, and crispy skin. The sandwiches are served without condiments, as they believe it should be good enough on its own. But, if you are totally craving for sauce, mustard and hot sauce is available.

I was pleasantly surprised when I took a bite. It looked a bit dry, but it was anything but. And they are totally right when they say the sandwich does not need condiments. The pork is so seasoned so well, you really don't want to taint the aromatic flavors by adding sauce.

Porchetta
110 East 7th Street
New York City, New York 10009
Telephone: 212-777-2151

Read More

Stella Luna Gelato Cafe, Ottawa

When I got ear that an independently owned gelato shop was opening up on Bank, I got excited. Only 3 weeks old, Stella Luna Gelato Cafe opened at the perfect time. The hot weather in Ottawa is still going strong, which makes it the perfect weather for something cold + sweet!

The story about how the owners met is a really romantic one. Twenty five years ago, when Tammy was 19 years old, she travelled to Italy to explore the sights and sounds the country had to offer. When she arrived in Rome, Alessandro, her now husband, bravely went up to her and asked her to the movies. Just 3 days later, in true Roman fashion, Alessandro proposed! Tammy packed her bags, moved to Italy, and spent a number of years there before moving back to Ottawa with her family.

Tammy had always dreamt of opening up a gelato place, so last winter, she headed to Italy to attend gelato University where she learned the art of making this sultry, luscious, velvety delicious dessert.

Stella has a very warm and open space. A great neighborhood hang out. There is plenty of seating so you don't have to worry about whether or not you'll be able to snag a seat to enjoy your food.

Using the freshest ingredients, and made in house, Stella serves one of the best gelatos in Ottawa. I find the gelato at Pure Gelato does not have enough flavor, and Truffle Treasures gelato a little too creamy, resembling too much like ice cream. Stella's gelato is lighter and packed with a lot of flavor!

Over 20 flavors are served daily, and my favorite flavors so far are Sicilian Pistachio, Chocolate Amaretto, Ricotta and Caramelized Figs, and Roasted Almond. The coffee one is pretty darn good as well! What I love is that the true flavors of the nuts and coffee come through in Stella's gelato, providing a nice intense flavor.

Sorbets and unique fruit flavors are also available such as Mandarin sorbet, Ruby Peach Lavendar and Raspberry Cranberry Hibiscus.

If gelato isn't your thing, there are lots of other options such as granitas, paninis, desserts, coffee, crepes, and waffles.

Stella serves two types of granitas which alternates: lemon and coffee. The day I went, they were serving the coffee granita. It was nice. Creamy and not too sweet.

I also tried their roasted cherry tomato panini, dressed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, fresh arugula and Fontina cheese on Kalamata olive bread. The tastes were there but I felt it was a little sparse. Maybe not enough toppings? Maybe not packed tightly enough? I couldn't put my finger on it but that little something something was missing.

They've just brought a Cordon Bleu graduate on board to oversee the lunch menu so perhaps it was too early to judge.

This is a great hang out place with great food and service. As you can see, I have been here many times already!

They also have a blog highlighting what's new for the week. It's a great blog detailing the ins and outs of the business, the family, and the ideas brewing in Tammy's head. Reading their blog almost makes you feel like you are a part of their exciting journey somehow.

Stella Luna Gelato Cafe
1103 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-523-1116

Read More

Tennessy Willems, Ottawa

CK and I celebrated our be-lated Valentine's dinner at Tennessy Willems in Hintonburg. We're huge fans of Pizzeria Libretto in Toronto, so when we heard that Tennessy Willems had a connection to the place, we were all over it. I've been disappointed with Ottawa's attempt at Neapolitan-style wood fired pizza, but this one I had to try.

CK and I started with a mackerel plate: Whalesbone smoked mackerel on top of an apple beet slaw + lemon Crème Fraiche, served with fresh bread. This was delicious. The fish was perfectly smoked, and it was just the way I like it. The mackerel was a bit too fishy for CK...which meant more for me :)

Mackerel Plate

CK and I both ordered a pizza each. We were handed a big bottle of chilli oil, and it was happy eating from there. The thin crust, one of the most important elements, was chewy and charred in all the right places.

I ordered the bianco: pear, walnuts, fresh smoked prosciutto, fiore de latte, and Gorgonzola. This one is highly recommended.

Bianco Pizza

CK ordered the simple margherita: fire-roasted tomato sauce, fresh Mozzarella, and basil. The sauce was a bit acidic, but a decent margherita overall.

Margherita Pizza

For dessert, we shared the lemon tart. A shortbread pastry crust covered with a creamy, runny lemon custard. The custard was fresh, and you could tell it was made with love.

Lemon Tart

Tennessy Willems
1082 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-722-0000

Read More

La Roma, Ottawa

If you are from Ottawa, then you are likely familiar with the construction happening on and around Bank and Preston Street. The streets are being teared up, and a large portion of the streets have been closed since April. There is no doubt that this is affecting businesses around the area, and for that reason, my friend R and I decided to head to La Roma on Preston Street for an Italian dinner.

La Roma recently renovated and completed their semi-private CinCin rooms, which are suitable for large group functions. They are located on the 2nd floor of the restaurant and the decor is elegant and contemporary. The rooms combined can accomodate up to 60 people. If you are worried about the large parties affecting regular dinner service, don't be. La Roma was hosting a large party while we were dining there, and the service was attentive and uninterrupted.

Our meal started with fresh bread and a small plate of olives tossed in herbs.

Olives Tossed in Herbs

For appys we ordered two deep fried plates: deep fried calamari, and deep fried smelts. The batter here is quite thin, and out of the two dishes, I preferred the smelts.

Deep Fried Calamari

Deep Fried Smelts

My main was the Linguini alla Pescatore: linguini pasta tossed with a tomato sauce that was mixed with baby shrimp, scallop, and crab meat. Surrounding the pasta were fresh, tender mussels that were cooked perfectly. I really enjoyed this dish, and would recommend it. If you aren't a tomato sauce fan, they also offer this dish with cream sauce or olive oil.

Linguini alla Pescatore

R ordered the uccelletti scappati: stuffed veal 'birds' with ham, baby shrimp, mozzarella, fontina and parmigiano cheese. They were covered in a cognac cream sauce and were served with vegetables & potatoes on the side. This was an interesting dish, but I much preferred my pasta.

Stuffed Veal 'Birds'

For dessert, I had to order the budino alla panna. It was labelled as an exclusive La Roma specialty, and it is a unique Italian variation of the crème caramel. Compared to crème caramel, the budino alla panna was richer and starchier. It was neat to try but I prefer the smoothness of crème caramel.

Budino alla Panna

R ordered the crepe Alaska. This was a baked vanilla ice cream crepe, topped with chocolate sauce and almond slices.

Crepe Alaska

La Roma
430 Preston Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-234-8244

Read More