Chi Spacca Photos
CHI SPACCA ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like Chi Spacca
Recommended Reviews - Chi Spacca
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Took my son to a great meal while visiting LA . Great experience, highly recommend. Service was exceptional by waiter and all at restaurant. Food is very rich but so darn good. Focaccia was so unique and delicious. Tomahawk pork chop , presentation and flavor were both 10/10. Mashed potatoes, onion rings and salad also so good . Ambiance also fantastic . We ordered too much . A meal to be remembered. .
I've tried Chi Spacca while traveling years ago. This time, I dined at the chef's table. It was incredible! The service, chefs' precision, and the quality of food. Everything was on par. I ordered the bone marrow pie and 36 dry aged bone in steak. We started with the sourdough bread, with notes of garlic infused in it, paired with a delicious mozzarella ball. As for the bone marrow pie, the bone marrow was delicious and paired perfectly to the beef pie. For the steak- I loved watching the chefs prepare it. I ordered medium rare and it melted in my mouth. This experience reminded me of all the joy I experienced the first time abroad and added to it. Highly recommend!
This meat speakeasy has a cozy and intimate vibe. I loved sitting up at the counter and watching all the chefs in action! FYI, some of the items can take 1 hr + to be made (like the oxtail), so keep that in mind! Knowing this helped us make our menu selection. We ended up ordering the anchovy + butter, branzino, cabbage, and beef & marrow pot pie. Anchovy + Butter: I was astonished by how much butter there was! I ended up having to scrape some off. Once I had the preferred amount of butter, the anchovy + toasted bread + butter combo was packed with flavor and textures. Branzino: Prob my fav dish of the night. The branzino was cooked perfectly with its crispy edge. The bed of herb salad and charred lemon was a great pairing with the fish, giving the dish a nice acidic element. Beef & Marrow Pot Pie: I love pot pies so this was a no brainer to order! Its very unique and photogenic. There's a generous amount of beef inside. This dish is also served with a side of extremely creamy mashed potatoes. FYI, this dish takes longer to come out! Cabbage: Nothing too exciting, it was nice to have a veggie side. You feel very well taken care of here. There's plenty of metered street parking around (and after 6PM, its free).
Came to Chi Spacca with a group of 4. Reservations were made in advance. We arrived about 15 minutes early and were seated outside when I saw plenty of tables inside. The reason? Because we checked in early...I've seen a lot of other reviews about how reservation times weren't followed, so I think that may be the norm here. They really should add some shades on the outside dining, because as the sun sets, you're literally sitting in the sun. Moving onto the food, our group wasn't really impressed. I think the only dishes I loved were: -a few of the items from the Affettati Misti (like a charcuterie meat plate) -- The croquette trotter, 'nduja and rabbit pate were all good and paired well with their Focaccia di Recco. All the sliced meats were a bit too salty. -The Beef & Bone Marrow Pie, though it was a very hearty & heavy dish. -Grilled Octopus, this could've used more lime wedges, but I liked the cranberry beans that comes with this dish. The Hanger Steak was nothing to rave about (a bit over); the Glazed Lamb Ribs were okay, some pieces were fall off the bone, but the one I had barely had any meat on it; Short Ribs were also just okay and very oily. We ordered a wine that was around $75 per bottle, can't remember the name but their sommelier recommended. This was pretty good as it paired nicely with all the meat we ordered. Lastly for dessert, we ordered the Gelato with Olive Oil & Sea Salt. Too much sea salt, and their olive oil was likely a bit rancid. Nothing like what I had in Italy before, so that was a disappointment. We did notice a lot of parties picking up takeout pizza for their sister restaurant, so I wonder if that's any good...but I won't be visiting again for Chi Spacca. They have valet available, though I didn't see where. We were lucky enough to find street parking on a small street nearby (not monitored on Sundays).
It pains me to write this review. I have been coming for almost 10 years now on special ocasions. This is actually one of my wife's favorite restaurants. I fell in love with their Foccacia and their Tomahawk Pork Chop. Every year, service was excellent and good was great. Even our kids love it. However, on our last visit last week everything went downhill. We got seated on time at 6pm during our reservation time. We ordered pretty much everything immediately. Salad and Foccacia came within 20min but the entrees did not come until 8pm. We kept asking our server and manager for updates on our food and all we heard was "its coming soon" or "let me check on it". When the food finally came, the pork was EXTREMELY salty. To top it off, the lady in the table next to us was throwing up mid dinner which definitely added to the experience. Not sure if I would come back.
Loved this spot. Out of the 3 Nancy Silverton places that occupy this corner this one is probably my 3rd choice. I love Osteria Mozza, it's my number one and then Pizza is two. Chi SPACCA has a great intimate vibe. The service is very attentive. My only tweak would be its pretty tight quarters, the tables are small and then they're serving you huge portions to try to fit on your table. Not to mention EVERYONE is waiting. Chi SPACCA definitely has the longest wait times for the food out of the 3 cause the menu is so meat heavy. It's just a constant circling of servers and managers telling people, it's coming soon, it'll be a little longer. Stuff takes a good while here. Delicious though!
Chi Spacca is such a gem in LA. I love coming here to enjoy their steak and wine. Came to celebrate an anniversary and the whole team treated us so well and gave us an amazing dinner. From start to finish, the meals were coursed out perfectly. Perfect for an intimate dinner and dinner with a group, Chi Spacca does well the accommodate. Our favorite here is definitely the Bistecca fiorentina, the 50z porterhouse. Definitely worth it!
This was my second visit to Chi Spacca, the smallest and most meat-centric of Nancy Silverton's 3-restaurant complex on the corner of Melrose and Highland. I came this time specifically for their smash burger, served only at the counter on Mon. and Tues. The counter has 6 seats, and everyone seated there ordered the burger The burger is the most economical dish on the menu. Chi Spacca is not a live fire place (although there is a wood-burning oven), so they have a grill and a flat top. At the counter, I saw huge chunks of meat (New York and Porterhouse) spend large chunks of time on the grill on all sides; an instant-read thermometer was used. The burger of course had a much shorter cook on the flat top. It has 2 patties, American cheese, Calabrian chili aioli, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions and pickles on a toasted sesame bun. The burger was fine. I did not really taste the chili aioli, and the bun did not hold up well, but overall pretty tasty. I started with roasted squash blossoms. These are of course stuffed with ricotta and served with a tangy tomato vinaigrette that had more punch than a traditional marinara, plus basil. Classic. I also ordered the onion rings. They were large, beautifully battered and fried, along with some greens (parsley?). Very crisp and light, but I couldn't really taste the onion flavour. They came with a nice garlic aioli, but I prefer simple ketchup, which they do provide without resistance. For dessert they offer vanilla soft serve ice cream with a choice of 4 toppings; I chose the saucy dates and salted pecans. Delish. Service was decent, but they somehow my burger order was not put in or noticed. I saw 3 guys who arrived after me receive their burgers and sides before me. They were receiving their 2nd round of burgers when I finally got my first, which I may not have received at all had I not asked. When I went to the restroom after the main course but before dessert, they cleared my seat, thinking I had left. Luckily they didn't discard my leftovers! Overall the burger experience is probably a one and done for me. Should I return, I'd probably get a savory pie or grilled meat.
Having been to Mozza, we wanted to try its sister restaurant Chi Spacca. When we arrived on a Sunday evening, all the street parking was full so we ended up using their valet. Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the hostess and taken to our seats. The dining space was intimate. The tables were almost a bit too close together though. We were hungry that evening so we ended up ordering a few more things that we could finish: the hanger steak, the octopus, the romanesco, the caesar salad, and the salted dates. We started our meal with bread and their Caesar salad. The bread was toasty yet tender, nothing too special. But the Caesar salad was delicious! The dressing was rich and creamy. The greens were crisp. The anchovies were briny, but the saltiness added the right amount of savoriness to the dish. What made the salad more special was the use of lemon and orange juice/zest that really brightened up the salad. After finishing most of our starters, we decided to add the salted dates due to our server's recommendation. We were a bit concerned that the dates would be too sweet, but we were pleasantly surprised. The dates were charred and salted resulting in bitter and savory flavors that helped balance the natural sweetness of the date. For our main dishes, we ordered the grilled octopus, the hanger steak, and the romanesco. The steak was perfectly cooked and paired very well with the bed of braised leeks. Unfortunately the horseradish flavor didn't come through enough. The grilled octopus was also very delicious. It was very tender and the beans and sauce really paired well with the octopus. Lastly we wanted a vegetable with our meal so we opted for the romanesco. The romanesco was cooked well and still firm. The bagna cauda brought the acid and savory flavors to the dish. All in all, it was a great meal and a great experience!
Amazing service and amazing food to make my birthday feel extra special. I enjoyed the handwritten birthday card. The open dining space that looks directly into the kitchen provided warm vibes. The parking was a bit challenging but was able to find nearby street parking.
Chi Spacca is a Michelin recommended restaurant by Nancy Silverton that focuses on meats cooked over open fire. The LA Times has it perennially ranked high on their top 101 restaurant list. The charcuterie is definitely worth trying as they cure their meats in house. I'm happy that they were willing to serve us a "half portion" of their charcuterie ($20 for half portion), which was a great value and shareable for two (assuming that you'll be ordering entrees). What's interesting about the charcuterie is that the sampling of meats has a variety of flavors and textures that you can't really appreciate unless you try them for yourself. The foccacia di recco ($36) is a recipe that took Silverton two years to master. The dough is kneaded out thinner than paper and the layers are filled with cheese. This makes cheesy bread with cracker-like consistency. They gave the option of pairing it with black truffle (which we did for a portion of the bread at a cost of $6/gram), and we also paired this flatbread with their charcuterie. I don't feel that black truffle is necessary as an add on to the thin, crispy bread, particularly if you plan to eat your bread with other things. If I were to come back, I'd honestly order different breads. The beef cheek and bone marrow pie ($68) is their most instagrammable option (other than their signature, dry-aged 50 oz steak). It has a really buttery crust, a rich and savory demi-glace sauce, and a very rich and savory beef cheek that's amplified by bone marrow. If, for some reason, you want even more richness, it's served with really creamy mashed potatoes that likely has a ton of butter. It's good, but it was far too rich, heavy, and decadent for my taste. If you want vegetable side dishes, I really enjoyed their roasted carrots ($17), which were flavored with harissa, yogurt, and dill. It was nice to cut some of the richness of the bone marrow. Our favorite bite of the evening was with their porcini rubbed short ribs ($68). The ribs were cut thin like LA-style galbi and heavily seasoned with the porcini rub, which gave some strongly savory flavor. Overall, I think it was a nice, albeit very expensive dinner. If you are a chase sapphire card holder, this restaurant qualifies for the bi-annual $150 credit if you book a reservation through OpenTable. My three-star review is absolutely not because this restaurant is lacking quality and flavor; rather, I feel it's because LA has a handful of places that offer better value for wagyu and prime beef cooked over fire. I realize that there's nothing value about Wagyu and many will disagree with me; therefore, if you have this on your bookmark list, then you should absolutely try it for a special occasion. Just make sure to be ready to splurge for some of those signature cuts of meat.
**SOLID ITALIAN IN LA** PARKING Valet is your best bet. If not, be ready to walk a few blocks and hope for street parking. AMBIANCE Small, dark, and moody in a good way. We sat at the chef's counter, hands down the best seats in the house. Great view of the action and adds to the experience. FOOD Focaccia di Recco - $34 Stracchino and extra virgin olive oil. This was the standout starter. Beautiful presentation, light and crispy with excellent flavor. Worth every bite. RATING: 5/5 Chicken Pot Pie with Roasted Carrots - $48 A large, hearty pie paired with buttered, creamy roasted carrots. Comforting and rich, definitely meant to be shared. Prefer more American traditional. We ordered too many dishes and couldn't finish the pie but was an excellent leftover. RATING: 4/5 Hanger Steak - $45 Cooked perfectly medium rare with braised leeks, Pecorino, and horseradish. Bold, balanced, and packed with flavor. One of the best dishes of the night. RATING: 5/5 Onion Rings - $17 Big battered rings with garlic aioli. Good flavor, but the batter was thicker than I prefer. Lighter would've been better. RATING: 4/5 OVERALL Excellent choice for a date night or special occasion. Undoubtedly request seats at the chef's counter. Service was fantastic, pacing was spot-on, and our waiter was friendly and professional. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Welcome back chi I missed how good you can be. Super attentive great service incredible ambience and the food! Each bite was better than the next. The squid was incredible The artichokes a treat I only wish the 36oz New York was fattier The carrots? Insane The mushrooms? Don't skip I love you chi I'm so glad the greatness has been restored I already want to go back
3 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
Pollo alla was great! I've never tasted chicken that good. It was the sauce for me. Loved it. Great vibe and service. read more
3 years ago
Parking: Valet at Mozza's or if you're grabbing dinner late, there is a lot of street parking on Highland and Waring ave. Just read the signs. You enter Chi Spacca through the Mozza take out. It's a cute little place that doesn't seat many. We ordered the focaccia di recco, aged culatello, lettuce salad, bone marrow pie, and cocoa nib caramel tart. The focaccia was amazing, it was very light, airy, crispy, savory and very olive oily...lol it went really well with the culatello, amazing combination, highly recommend it. The bone marrow pie was really good, it's big enough to share with at least 2-4 people, and it went well with the butter lettuce, it helped cut the heaviness of the pie. The bone marrow pie was very savory and the meats inside were so tasty. It also came with some potatoes. Everything was really good, we ended the meal with the cocoa tart which was really rich and delicious. read more
4 years ago
A wonderful culinary experience from beginning to end. We sat at the Chef's Bar and enjoyed watching the "grill masters" almost as much as the food. read more
9 years ago
I was taken here for my birthday and knew nothing about it except that it was part of the Mozza group of restaurants. You enter through Mozza's take-out storefront and you're in an intimate, clubby room. My friends raved about the focaccia di reco as a started. Seeing it was $22, I thought it'd better be good. In truth, I've never had anything like it. It's more like flat puff pastry with melted stracchino cheese inside it. Our server told me that Nancy Silverton had worked on the recipe for two years to perfect it. Time well spent. We followed that with the spacca caesar which is a mound of escarole, shaved cauliflower and anchovy in an exquisite dressing. For the mains we ordered "pollo alla diavolo su crostone" or a roasted half Petaluma chicken which was incredibly juicy, resting on a bed of the piquant diavolo sauce. We also shared the roast half rack of lamb encrusted with black garlic and dijon. It's as mouth-watering as it sounds. For sides we had the roasted baby savoy cabbage served with a toasted caraway vinaigrette (delicious) and the grilled hearts of palm. The server told us proudly that they had "bought their own palm tree" for the dish. Personally, I think that was a waste of time. It was fairly bland and unremarkable. But that was the only off note in the meal and everything else was so great (including the service), they definitely deserve 5 stars! read more
Small is beautiful. Chi Spacca (from Italian for cleaver) is a small resto owned by the Silverton, Bastianich, Batali triumverate. Next to Chi Spacca is Osteria Mozza, a Michelin rated resto by the same owners. But I love Chi Spacca more. The restaurant is small yet huge on tastes and flavors. Amo una macelleria Italiana and while the formula here is "Sicilian" this eatery could easily be a steak joint in Emilia-Romagna from where Batali hails. The dishes we had were so impressive and craveworthy, my palate still remembers and am salivating. The salumeria sampler we had was 2die4 --fresh, made in-house and sparkling to the tastebuds. The Focaccia di Recco from a Ligurian recipe was something I've never had----baked on a copper pan, crisp like a crunchy lavash stuffed with the most delicious melty, soft stracchino cheese. Don't need Lactaid this time because this cheese is from Italy. Amore. I loved it so much I want to come back and have one to myself....... well maybe we can go halves. The crowning glory to the meal was Tomahawk pork chop with fennel pollen. The chop, in one word was, Perfection. We had the porcini rubbed short ribs with salsa verde in addition. That was very good but not as stellar as the chop. We brought an aged Brunello (di Montalcino), corkage is $30 for the first 2 bottles Service was stellar and attentive and super appreciated this. There is a bistecca alle Fiorentina on the menu to be savored for the next visit. Run and go check this out. Pronto! It's is amazing and memorable and it adds to the LA Dining Totem. Visits: 1 Tip: Entrance through Pizzeria Mozza (also very good pizze). Parking is valet at Mozza on the Highland side. If you don't like to valet, street parking 2 blocks north of Melrose off Highland. Park at your own risk in the streets around. read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
Try their focaccia!!! It's unbelievable!!! Was blown away by their mashed potatoes can't describe it. You gotta try it. Ordered the Bistecca FIORENTINA and the porkchop too. We spent New Year's Eve dinner here. Five stars! read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
Phenomenal service, cozy atmosphere, delicious food. Chi spacca has officially become one of my top recommendations for friends looking for a great restaurant in Los Angeles and out-of-towners who want a memorable meal while visiting. Thanks to the team, and we will be back! read more
This place was not only delicious but everything had really unique flavors and item combinations. Our dinner last night (Spago) was great - but tonight was PHENOMENAL. Had no idea this place was so small and intimate. We missed the bone marrow pie that we saw so many photos of. Our waitress low key told us the replacement (chicken pot pie) wasn't worth it. The focaccia is a yes yes yes. The short ribs - what the F. The octopus was amazing. The creamed corn - whoa. The burrata salad - check! But the butterscotch budino?!? We got two. We're all so full but SO happy. read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
Wow. Chi Spacca was one of the best meals I've ever had. Came here with my brother and sister in law as a last meal before flying out. We ordered the salad, roasted cauliflower, focaccia di recco and the tomahawk porkchop. The salad was rich in flavor and pretty creamy. It had acidic notes to it that helped balance the richness of the cheese. Definitely not as light as a normal salad but really good. Roasted cauliflower was amazing. It is literally just a roasted cauliflower bathed in their lemony bagna-cauda. Bagna cauda was delicious. The cauliflower tasted different based on the char but every piece went well with the sauce. Focaccia di recco... their signature dish! Stracchino, olive oil and a nice play on Focaccia. Definitely not a traditional Focaccia but this was delicious. The crispy, relatively thin and flaky bread and the rich stracchino cheese are a match made in heaven. Tomahawk porkchop was incredible too. Juicy, tender and well seasoned pork chop. Fatty parts would melt in your mouth. One of the best if not the best pork dish i've had. Definitely a meal I'll remember! read more
5 years ago
Delicious food. Decent price. The serving is a little pretentious. Overall a great spot to have dinner. Our reservation was a 6 and they said they had to get us out by 8.... Hmmm okay. What if I wanted to sample the whole menu? No one wants to get rushed. read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
The food here is amazing. You probably heard to come here for the meat and you heard correct, however, the focaccia and the squash blossom (if it's still on the menu) is amazing! I wouldn't recommend trying to come here with more than four people. I think the menu is designed to share plates with four people. The dining area is very intimate and I think they largest table (they only have one) can accommodate 6. Even then, dishes like the Bone Marrow pie can't really be split that many ways. I made the mistake of coming on my birthday and they were very kind to accommodate 10 of us crowded around their largest table. read more
Chi Spacca is every meat eaters dream come true! Like it's website says, 'An Italian steakhouse on steroids.' It's located right around the corner from Osteria Mozza. Same owners too! What I will say, to begin with, is that these folks know how to knead perfect dough! From the pizza at Mozza and Triple Beam to the Focaccia di Recco here at Spacca, it is finger licking good! The Focaccia is stuffed with Stracchino, an Italian fresh cheese. It is a gooey goodness! In addition to the Focaccia, we also ordered the entire menu, lol, jk. But we did have the Grilled Octopus, Beef & Bone Marrow Pie, Little Gem Salad, Warm Roasted Squash Blossoms, Affettati Misti, and Bone-in Porterhouse. Not to go into too much detail on every dish, just know that you should come here very hungry cause you're gonna leave very satisfied! If you aren't the type to order like I do, the least you can order is the Focaccia di Recco, Affettati Misti, and Bone-in Porterhouse (look at pics for reference). Can't wait to see what the Mozza team has planned for their next debut! read more
The Focaccia di Recco was one of the best things I have ever eaten it was amazing. It is not what you imagine focaccia (light and fluffy bread) but it is an incredibly crispy cheesy airy salty magical delight. It is made to order and takes some time but it's absolutely worth it I would come back just for this. I love the story behind Nancy bringing this recipe to this restaurant and the space was beautiful inside. We sat at the chefs counter which I highly recommend if you are a party of 1-2 as you get to watch the chefs work their magic. The staff is wonderful and kind absolutely recommend. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
TL/DR; There's a lot of places hyped as "must-sees" or the next Michelin starred restaurant in LA; this place isn't it. Venue: It's a small restaurant that can kind of feel claustrophobic. There's the dim lighting that is usual for LA - probably so you don't see how much each entree is costing you. There's not a lot of street parking (but you might find some!) but your'e more likely probably going to have to valet for about $7. Food: The items that they're known for that will take you about 1-2 hours to wait for while they prepare aren't going to revolutionize the way you see food. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that the items that aren't "to die for" are pretty delicious. We got the bone marrow which was pretty underutilized. There was no bread or anything to eat the bone marrow with. The pot pie that they served it with was just that ,a pot pie that felt pretty under seasoned and oversaturated with wine. The Focaccia di Recco took about 45 minutes to wait for and it didn't blow my mind. It was limp and didn't really have a lot of flakiness or flavor. Very underwhelming experience The Butterscotch Budino was not what I would consider a good dessert or a good palette cleaner. It was overly salty which is unfortunate. Overall a lackluster meal especially given how much we paid. Pricing/Value: This place is touted as being one of then next big things but I found it to be completely underwhelming. I had an enjoyable meal but it wasn't worth the time or prices that I was given. If you have the means, then yeah it might be a fun venture but if you're like me trying to dine and ball on a budget and this is your reward for saving for the month, I'm sorry to say it won't blow you away. Service: Service warrants 3 stars- they were very attentive and helpful. Otherwise, "meh, I've had better." read more
5 years ago
7 years ago
I decided to bring my dad- who was visiting me from Korea- here because I heard so many good things about this place and I was not disappointed! Ambiance It's a small place and you can very easily walk past it if you're not paying attention. So pay attention! Once you go inside, I thought the place had a similar overall vibe of Pizzeria/Osteria Mozza except it's much smaller. It's the dimly lit, but has an open kitchen which makes it more fun! It's got a very intimate/casual vibe which I think my dad really appreciated. The place doesn't demand 'jackets required' vibe but delivered an upscale quality of food. Service Attentive, average service, but nothing exceptional. I knew about the $30 corkage, so I brought in my own wine. The server opened it up and aired it out for me when we sat down which was nice. Food We started with the small affettati misti because... well, wine and because I absolutely heart charcuterie!! I have to say that the bread they served was a pleasant surprise! I got so full from it that I couldn't finish my entree :( For our main, we got the short ribs and the rack of lamb. Oh, boy. The lamb was truly amazing! I was just sad that I couldn't eat a whole lot of it because of that damn, delicious bread they served beforehand! I thought the lamb was much better than the short ribs. I'm not sure why Dad opted to order the ribs, but maybe he was thinking Korean food? I'm not sure. But the lamb was delicious! It was soft and marinated perfectly that it didn't overwhelm the palate, and just like a perfectly cooked lamb should be, didn't have strong odors that's unique to lamb dishes. read more
LA. Dinner review. Focaccia di Recco (Stracchino, olive oil) - 5/5 Roasted Cauliflower (Crushed lemon bagna cauda) - 4/5 Beef & bone marrow pie (Beef cheek, Cippolini, funghi) - 5/5 Roasted half rack of lamb (black garlic, dijon mustard, garlic) - 5/5 Overall, "as good as it gets." Note: Come back to try the tomahawk pork chop (ran out) read more
I came to visit the fat man again who knows his food well. Located adjacent to sibling restaurants Osteria Mozza and Pizza Mozza on the corner of Melrose and Highland is Chi Spacca owned by celebrity chef, Mario Bitaly and La Brea Bakery founder, Nancy Silverton. This Italian influenced steak house is no other. I'm not big on steak unless it has some unusual flavors/characteristics. In fact, we didn't have steak here, there wasn't enough of us to really order. With the 4 of us, one was on a diet (go figure) and another that doesn't eat beef/pork/seafood (most Yelpers know who this is). As a starter, we had the focaccia di recco. Served like a pizza, it has stracchino and olive oil in the middle. The stracchino is an Italian cheese with a soft and creamy texture. Found with a flat focaccia, it's almost like a pizza. Love the salty and mild cheese flavor served fresh from the brick oven. Great appetizer to choose from that's not heavy. Chi Spacca has their own beef and pork in whole and butchers to suit their menu. We ordered the Tomahawk porkchop. This thing was massive and something like 35 oz with the ribs. A little fatty as expected and the overall flavor was delicious with the fennel pollen and cooked perfectly. We also ordered the beef and bone marrow pie. This dishes was just okay. Thought it was overly greasy. Beef cheeks were tender and the Cipollini onions and funghi gave some nice flavor. The pie leaked grease from the marrow which I didn't care for. It did come with mash potatoes that were pureed and very good. Very rich as so were the creamed corn which seemed blended and mashed. Also very good and very buttery. The roasted cauliflower with bagna cauda and a sprinkling of lemon was also very tasty. Cauliflower was roasted perfectly. Now on to dessert! The butterscotch budino was very good. Love most things butterscotch to begin with. The sea salt accentuated the butterscotch and caramel flavors. I could eat this all day. The cocoa nib caramel tart with cream fraiche was also pretty good. Love dark chocolate but too bitter for me. Still pretty good. Our waitress was very sweet and patient with our party. Service was great. I'd definitely come back again with others who want to try a huge steak and the porchini rubbed beef short ribs.. #nodiet #meatlovers This restaurant lives up to it's reputation. read more
For my 200th review Chi Spacca you're the one. This place is just phenomenal. Definitely the place to be if you're a carnivore. Their meat dishes will leave you wanting more and more. I do recommend coming with a small group of people, so you'll be able to try more dishes. Reservation is a must since the restaurant is so small. PARKING: Street or valet. Finding street parking and be a challenge and valet is $10. SERVICE: Very professional and friendly. The service fantastic from start to finish. FOOD : Affetati Misti Charcuterie : This was excellent . Just a delicious cuts of cured meats. Focaccia: This was very light and tasty. Rocola: This was a good start. The salad was very refreshing. Beef Bone Marrow Pie : This was the dish that get me wanting to come here. WOW!!! The dish was super rich and flavorful. The beef cheeks was super tender and just melts in you mouth and don't forget that marrow. Mmmmm. Lamb Head: This was their special of that day, so it was off the menu. If you'er adventurous this is the dish it had the cheek and the tongue included. The lamb was perfectly cook and season and it didn't had that gamey taste. If it did I wouldn't mind it anyways since I love lamb. Tomahawk Pork Chop: Definitely worth getting. You get two of both worlds here. You get the chops and the pork belly in this dish. The tomahawk was well season and cook on point, moist and tender. SIDE: Roasted Cauliflower: Excellent! What an outstanding dinner. Can't what till our next visit. read more
We came here on a Sunday night (Superbowl Sunday) for my boyfriend's birthday. This place is a very intimate place with the max capacity of around 40 people max. The entrance is inside the Mozza 2 Go. We ordered: 1. Beef & Bone Marrow Pie 2. Roasted Cauliflower 3. Butter Lettuces 4. Affettati Misti 5. Porcini Rubbed Beef Short Ribs 6. Bistecca Fiorentina (Dry aged Bone-in porterhouse) 7. Fruit Slab 8. Butterscotch Budino 9. Seasonal Gelati & Sorbetti I think my favorite is the roasted cauliflower and the Affettati Misti. Favorites: Affettati Misti - is basically cured meat, pork butter, chicken pate with burrata cheese. It is soooo good and especially with their in-house baked bread soaked with olive oil. Cauliflower roasted is another of my favorite. It is roasted with anchovies and olive oil. Roasted to quite a perfection. Meats: Beef & Bone Marrow pie - this is a fan favorite. The beef is tender and soaked with juices. Oh so yum Bistecca Fiorentina - dry aged bone-in porterhouse. Have to admit this is very very filling. There's a lot of meat and it's cooked and prepare medium raw to rawish. It has that cheese butter taste to the meat and I was definitely quite full after the first few bites. Thankfully we have some men in our table to finish it off. Porcini Rubbed Beef Short Ribs - it's a tad sweet and tangy and it's pretty good. My boyfriend loved it and it's rubbed all over with porcini. Veggies: Butter Lettuce is seasoned well with lemon vinaigrette. Some people will like it because it's mixed in with celery leaves and dill. Dessert: Butterscotch Budino - this is soo freakin' good. It's caramelly and butter. Great for sharing. We were so full towards the end Fruit Slab - we thought the fruit slab is fresh fruit but it's not. It's basically fruit tart that is filled with blueberry, raspberry and fruit jam. A side of ice cream included. Seasonal Gelati - includes olive oil ice cream (very interesting), mint and chocolate chip ice cream, and tangerine sorbet. It is quite refreshing and can be shared! Parking: There is street parking that is free on a Sunday night. Metered during the week and Saturday. Valet parking is available for $14. Overall: It's a great experience. The meats are the unique and quite tasty. However, it might not be of my taste but will come back for the cured meat platter and roasted cauliflower! read more
Located adjacent to Chef Battali's Mozza to Go in LA, this charming, rustic and"not so easy to nab an 8pm reservation" restaurant was well worth the effort! I arrived just in the nick of time for my 8pm reservation on a Sunday evening but there was still a short 5 minute wait for my table, so I took the opportunity to peruse the evening's menu. Moments later, I was seated at a four top adjacent to the chefs table, which allowed me the perfect vantage point to all the culinary action behind the counter (minus all the unnecessary smoke). The menu is rather small so I wasted no time in ordering my dishes. However, be warned that portions here are humongous, and I mean " starving caveman gargantuan" humongous portions. That being said, I recommend you bring, at the very least, a party of four to enjoy a meal here comfortably. Or you can leave on a stretcher or wheel barrow in a food induced coma if you decide to dine alone or even as a duo. Now onto the food shall we? Fried Pork cake (Trotter Friti) - served nice and hot, the crispy fried exterior gave way to a smooth, warm, rich and creamy center that melted on my tongue. The whole grain mustard that crowned it added a perfect touch of acidity to this marvelous treat. Affetati Misti Pate with oregano - fragrant with a velvety smooth texture, I savored it long after I placed in on my tongue. Absolutely fantastic! Oregano salami - perfect balance of salty unctuous flavor and texture in a thinly sliced meat Fennel Salami - a tad bit milder than than it's oregano counterpart but equally satisfying White prosciutto candy cane - a little on the salty side this one wasn't my favorite and the breadstick tasted mildly musty and stale. Coppa - perfectly fatty with a beautifully peppery finish. A very nice cut! Pickled vegetables were a splendid accompaniment to my delicious charcuterie plate. They added just the right amount acidity and cleansed my palate perfectly. Lamb Neck - with a beautifully crispy seared crust, the inner flesh was fall off the bone tender with a home spun flavor that will have you melting in your seat just savoring each and every bite. The addition of the fresh mint and olives brightened the flavor profiles of this comforting and earthy dish. Bone Marrow Pot Pie - Served with silky smooth buttery mash that would give Joël Robuchon's acclaimed mash a run for it's money, this massive pie with a giant bone marrow plugged in its core was not only a visual spectacle but the most decadent slice of pot pie ive ever had the opportunity to indulge in. The golden flaky crust only added to the sheer pleasure of this remarkable dish The garlicky roasted cauliflower was no also ran IMO. It exhibited beautiful color and an intensely fragrant aroma that had me drooling before I even ate it. I could drink that entire plate of sauce I tell ya and don't judge! By the time I got through the the entire lamb neck, charcuterie plate, creamy mash, roasted cauliflower, and half of the gigantic pot pie, I realized I stuffed, I mean really stuffed. So, unfortunately I had forgo dessert. With all things considered, however, I still feel had a fantastic meal minus the sweets, of course. Would I come back? Absolutely! But next time, I'm arming myself with a band of hungry diners so I can sample more of the restaurant's belly busting favorites! Til then, Happy Eats! read more
12 years ago
Celebrating my better half's birthday who is a meat lover like myself, I couldn't have picked a better place. Reservations were made way in advance to get a reasonable dinner time slot. They welcomed us and my two kids in tow with smiles and settings all prepared for our evening. Feeling special, my husband was spoiled rotten with birthday greetings from the moment we walked in until we left. We started off with their charcuterie as that should not be missed. Did you know they cure their own meats in-house? They do and it's certified by the board of health. Best way is to get the AFFETATI MISTI ($24) which allows you to try all their offerings: speck, salame de capra, calabrese salame, oregano salame, butcher's pate, and trotter fritti. As much as I enjoyed all of them, I can't help but play favorites. The TROTTER FRITTI was an amazing way to kick off my palate. It's fried pork cake with crispy breading topped with mustard, while the inside was lusciously creamy and delicious. Butcher's pate came in 2nd. FOCACCIA DI RECCO ($18) was well-loved by everyone on the table especially by our girls who devoured this huge serving on a pan. Imagine a quesadilla, but instead of tortilla, they use very thin and flaky focaccia bread with melted stracchino cheese in between, plus olive oil glistening at the bottom. This paired beautifully with the cured meats. BEEF & BONE MARROW PIE ($48) was the very one thing that lured me here. This ginormous plate is best shared by two or more people. I loooooove the buttery and perfectly crisp exterior crust while the braised beef cheeks and mushrooms inside was pleasantly rich and savory. We wanted more of the marrow inside the bone. It was a tad overcooked which dried up and shrunk most of it, thus leaving us hanging. Served with a side of uber creamy mashed potatoes, I will have to agree with Kent D that this would give Joel Robuchon's acclaimed mash a run for its money. Too bad our server forgot to pack our leftover. What a letdown! Their ROASTED CAULIFLOWER ($12) has turned my world upside down. It didn't look appetizing to me but I was so drawn by its fragrant aroma from all the garlic. I must say, the lemon was a stunning and remarkable touch that my taste buds will remember this dish for quite some time. Sealing the night with something sweet, we picked their COCONUT PANNA COTTA ($10) with passion fruit caramel and short bread cookies. Can I say, yumm?! The flavors were refreshingly clean and tropical. It's like having a slice of paradise. Service started off great. We were very much cared for until our server had to take care of other tables and somehow forgot about us. I had to flag someone else down that we were ready for dessert and I'm quite disappointed about our leftover mashed potatoes not making it home in our to-go bag. Would've been an easy 5 star review without these 2 mishaps. read more
So...if I'm ever asked what I want for my last meal on earth, It will definitely be several of the amazing items from Chi Spacca. Every dish is extremely rich and has so much flavor. It's incredible. We had a party of 4 and none of us had ever been here. Our server did a great job explaining the menu to us. I also had an idea of what we should order based on the reviews and photos that were shared here on yelp. We started off with the complimentary bread, next came the Rare Roasted Squash Blossoms. the Squash Blossoms were just okay, not my favorite. The cured salami was good, but i didn't think it was particularly unique and any different than other places. Now I must comment about my 3 favorite dishes: 1) the Muscles & Clams are fantastic. It's a must order item. The juice/soup makes my mouth water. I wanted a loaf of bread so i could dip it into the sauce left often. Every bite made me want another. The Grilled Octopus is another life changing dish. So juicy and tender. Overwhelming in a a great way! Bistecca Fiorentina (Black Angus) was extremely delicious, served rare and juicy. The Butter Lettuces and Cream Corn are to die for. I really can't get over how amazing all the food was. We also had a bottle of red wine. Don't quite remember the name of the bottle. This would have been a 5 star experience if the place wasn't full of smoke. They seriously need better ventilation. We all left smelling like smoke, every part of me. Don't plan on going out to any bars or clubs after dining here...it's just not appropriate when you reak of smoked bbq. Not sure on their parking situation. I walked over from my place. Very close and convenient. I look forward to coming back with friends and family. read more
So yummy!! I heard about Chi Spacca from my friends who dine here pretty regularly and rave about the bistecca and I was lucky enough to come here for my birthday dinner, courtesy of the bf :). Had reservations for a Friday night at 8pm, we got there right on time and were seated right away. FOOD: I don't eat beef, so our eyes were on the tomahawk pork chop! The meat dishes take about 45 minutes to prepare but the wait was very worth it! Tender and fatty (some pieces are basically pure fat), and really flavorful with the fennel pollen. They leave the belly meat on the bone so you can cut pieces off to eat with the meat that they've already cut for you. - focaccia - I had heard that this was one of their signature dishes, but we weren't sold until our server told us more about it. Boy, were we glad we ordered it! One, it helped tide us over until our meat came, and two, it was DELISH! Not like the thick, doughy focaccia you might be used to, this is thin, crispy and filled with a thin layer of cheese and salt on top. Really great flavor combo - roasted cauliflower - super umami and roasted until fork-tender. Good to have some veggies with the meat lol - spumoni cake - not a huge fan of this dessert, a little too cold and hard to eat with our forks, we should've gone for one of their signature desserts. SERVICE: Truly excellent! My bf had told them it was my birthday so the hostess and our server wished me happy birthday, so awesome! Our server was friendly and knowledgeable and I love the open kitchen and seeing everyone move around the small restaurant. VENUE/PARKING: The place is small, so I think reservations are definitely key! Cozy feel, but lively with people seated pretty close together and with the open kitchen. Located on the same corner as Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza, you enter through the Mozza to Go door. They have valet, but street parking in the surrounding blocks isn't too hard to find. Really really happy we got to eat here and experience the meaty goodness! Would definitely come back! :) read more
12 years ago
I'd imagined this would be my 700th review instead it's timing is perfect for my 800th :) Absolutely looking forward to returning to chi SPACCA! I've been waiting to dine here for quite some time now. Completely by a stroke of fate (ok, my mani/pedi taking longer than usual isn't exactly fate, rather more of a norm) and scheduling we landed here last night. We had a rez around the corner of the Mozzaplex at 6P but couldn't manage to arrive on time so I glanced at the OpenTable ap on the drive over to see if by chance chi SPACCA had something, sure enough! a 630P. I snagged it and we arrived on time. Entrance to their dining room is through Mozza to Go. We were seated upon arrival and the excitement quickly built. I immediately loved the dining room, open yet intimate enough for privacy at your table (unlike the experience of rubbing elbows with your neighbor on each side of you, and hearing every word of their conversation while trying to have your own) and who doesn't love a wine wall?!?! Please, seat me as close to that as possible! It provided me with the chance to glance over many of their bottles. We were in a bit of a hurry which is something I surely wouldn't have imagined for our first time here but with 8P show tickets at the Pantages we knew we needed to be on our way in an hour or less, which under normal circumstances I'd classify as completely ridiculous. Our lovely server so gracefully went over the menu in such beautiful detail, second to the food itself this may have been one of my favorite parts of our experience. As first timers, I had an idea of what the favored items were but learned so much more about the restaurant and menu and really appreciated this aspect of the service. Chances are I would have skipped over the salumeria, instead after hearing each described in such great detail I absolutely wasn't willing to pass on this item. I really loved the pâté! And would definitely recommend this, as it's very much a part of dining here. We of course, did not miss out on the opportunity to try the focaccia di recco, served in a copper plate the presentation and detailed description of its history we received upon it's delivery were quite impressive. The dish itself was very nice and a great accompaniment to our meal. The roasted squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta laid atop a bed of tomato vinaigrette were delightful. So yumm!!! I really like the squash blossoms at Pizzeria Mozza but these are prepared in a different way, and so fabulous! Next time, I may need two orders! I'm not a big meat eater and I generally stick to fish or tofu with red meat only a few times a year but I definitely wanted to try some middle menu items although they offer fish. Since we were working with time restrictions our server graciously let us know which items would take approx. 50 minutes to prepare which would not work for us this evening. We opted for the salsa verde porcini rubbed beef short ribs. Oh my goodness! The smell alone when these bad boys hit the table is nearly indescribable. For not eating meat much, it took all of me to restrain from picking these up by each end and devouring the meat off of the bone. I very politely used my knife to slice bites off and enjoyed each bite. While, they may not be the most popular menu item I really enjoyed them and would surely recommend them. We enjoyed our short ribs with a side of roasted cauliflower. I love cauliflower! Well prepared cauliflower and I've had it prepared numerous ways - chi SPACCAs version of this simple vegetable was very well done. Similar to the squash blossoms I probably could have had another order of this as well, for this reason I certainly would advise this is a great choice even for your vegetarian dining companions. This menu offers a fabulous variety of non meat options. I ordered their "Le Volte" by the glass, again due to our time restraint and would have loved to try dessert but sadly our time was up! and we needed to head out. We had our last few pieces of focaccia boxed up for us and we were out the door and onto the line at valet. If you haven't been before and are looking for quiet experience I'd certainly suggest something on the earlier side of the evening but I very much look forward to seeing their dining room abuzz a little later. Until the next time... and I'm positive there will be one (filled with occupying table space for longer than 60 minutes, much more wine and desserts will be a MUST!). This was a very nice experience, tailored to our needs. Godere! read more
My 100th Yelp review, and I wanted it to be special...and it was! Mario Batali's Chi Spacca and Osteria Mozza have always been my go-to special occasion places- and they have delivered each time. Scene- my adopted dad's 76th birthday on a Thursday night. We had dined here last year as well, so this review will cover both. 4/24/14- Our very persuasive waitress, Veronica, talked us into the focaccia di recco (stracchino & olive oil) and we were happy she did- flaky, gooey, cheesey, with the right amount of oiliness. Our appetites whetted, next up was the affettati misti - gorgeously fatted salami, fennel and calabrese, followed by speck, capocollo & trotter/butcher pâté/terrine. Delicious. For our main courses we chose the Moorish lamb shoulder chop with mint yogurt sauce & the Milk Roasted pork loin with shallots and crispy sage. Both were tender and delicious. The lamb had a bit of fire which was cooled a degree by the minted yogurt. The pork was terrifically succulent with a delicate flavor which wasn't overwhelmed by the shallots and sage. We had several wines by the glass, expertly chosen by Veronica. We had also brought our own dessert wine from Israel- and the hostess whisked it away to be properly chilled. The maître d was always nearby to assist with more water, more wine, and also our dessert selection. Dessert was the only dilemma - two items, both with Meyer lemon- so which one to choose? The maître d suggested the panna cotta with huckleberry sauce- a winner! Creamy but firm, and not too sweet, offset by a restrained huckleberry sauce that co-mingled successfully with the essence of Meyer lemon. This time last year, we also enjoyed gracious and attentive service- veal was the spectacular stand-out then, but alas, that particular item is no longer on the menu. Five stars, with maybe a minuscule subtraction for not letting us get the butterscotch budino from the Mozzeria. But, hint hint- now you can get it in the To Go area prior to entering Chi Spacca, so we let the birthday boy take one home. read more
In order to get a good representative sampling of the carnivorous comestibles at Chi Spacca, it may be best to have about 6 people at the table and sharing the various orders "family style". Some of the individual meat orders are 38 oz - 50 oz. We started off with the Affettati Misti ($24). Speck (Germanic bacon), Coppa (Italian dry salame), Pancetta (Italian bacon) wrapped Grissini, Pork Butter (terrine), Prosciutto. We also added in Pane Bianco (white crusty bread) with Lardo Mantecato (whippped seasoned pork lard) which was sweet and unctous. Instead of getting a second order of Affettati, our knowledgeable and friendly waitress suggested ordering a Pancetta wrapped Sweetbreads (Ris de Veau) to round out the starters. The sweetbreads were crispy on the outside, but soft and meaty on the inside, and they were nicely flavoured from the juices running out of the outside Pancetta wrapping. Intermezzo: Squash Blossom Ripiene stuffed with ricotta cheese and swimming in a light tomato sauce vinaigrette was the least interesting of the dishes that we ordered. The ricotta was too heavy and dull flavoured and did not contrast at all well with the delicately flavoured Squash Blossom. The brilliant, glowing red/orange tomato vinaigrette was a good gastrique, but could not lighten up the plodding texture and taste of the Ricotta. The Tomahawk Pork Chop weighed in at 42 oz. There were two extra long ribs with thick generous cuts of fatty pork belly slices that were infused with garlic and sprinkled with fennel pollen. This meat flavour reminded me of eating at a street stand in Milano. The one in Milano was full of garlic, rosemary and chopped fennel root, but it had no fennel pollen since it is expensive. Our waitress told us that the chef wanted us to eat the rib meat & the pork belly at the same time in order to meld the different textures and flavours together. The fennel pollen added a nice licorice/anise-like herbal scent to the succulently fatty meat. The Tomahawk is certainly not for people on Statins. Bistecca Fiorentina was a 38 oz T-bone steak that was almost 2 inches thick. It too had two kinds of steak, filet mignon and a New York strip like meat. So there were two textures: chewy and meaty and the other was soft and velvety. The steak was charred and drizzled with fine spring yellow/green olive oil. The brown/black charred outside meat contrasted well with the red rare meat within. The huge T-bone was stood up on end to serve as a sentry to protect the precious meat on the plate. It was a very satisfying, beefy experience. There were accompaniments to the meat: butter and cream infused mashed potatoes, and fat white beans cooked in a light tomato sauce. We over ordered by a bit. The beef and Bone Marrow Pie had a flavourful (probably butter infused dough) crust. The interior hid what seemed to be a classically done Boeuf Bourguignon with a red wine sauce with chunks of beef. A bone morrow pierced the center of the pie like an old industrial smoke stack. A small spoon was placed in the hole of the bone so you could scoop out the bone marrow within to add even more fattiness to the meat pie. This is a great dish for a rainy, cold winter or early spring night. All the above was paired to Orbello, a DOC wine from Lessona, Piedmonte, Italia, which is made from the Nebbiolo grape. But to soften the harsh tannins & acids of the Nebbiolo, Bonarda & Vespolina are added. Orbello is fruity with hints of black berry, blue berry, with a hint of smokiness. The good tannins and acid balances out the fruitiness so that it pairs well with meat as well as cleansing the palate of too much fattiness. Dolci: After all this, only two of us split a wonderfully constructed Tiramisu with a large French Presse coffee to share. The Tiramisu was large, powdered with bitter chocolate on top, hiding a creamy ricotta, lady fingered, coffee flavoured, creme chantilly infused goodness. The French Presse was so strong, that it was almost Espresso in strength. It was a great contrast of bitter richness and the sweet richness of the Tiramisu. read more
4 years ago
More info about Chi Spacca
Chi Spacca Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - Chi Spacca
Can they accommodate for a gluten allergy?
Is this restaurant reservation only?
Is there a suggested dress code?
No but most people who go are on dates or anniversary or business
How many dishes / what assortment would be suitable for a party of 2?
If you ordered an appetizer, salad or side dish and main entree it would be a nice balanced meal for two. So 3-4 dishes.
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
70 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
3 years ago
9 years ago
8 months ago
3 years ago
2 months ago
4 months ago
12 years ago
9 years ago
3 years ago
12 years ago
12 years ago
9 years ago
10 years ago
12 years ago
13 years ago
2 years ago
12 years ago
11 years ago
