For some odd reason, a lot of Italian spots have seemingly cropped up overnight in Echo Park and…read morethe greater region. Out of sheer luck, my best friend decided to chose this spot for our girls' night dinner, and we have decided on consensus that we savored every bite of our meal. We started our meal with the absolutely delectable focaccia erbraica, a cinnamon roll looking starter bread with olives, currant and a generous sprinkle of rosemary and salt. It came with a pad of homemade honey butter and a dab of olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. It was so umami and paired with the butter seemingly melted in our mouths. We also countered that carb bomb with deliciously charred broccolini with walnuts and a squeeze of citrus. Highly cruciferous veggies should only be grilled based on how fast we cleaned our plate. As for the entrees, the plates are meant to share, but I skipped lunch and ate my own bowl of mafaldine short rib pasta (yes you read that right). It was so hearty and satisfying. As a kid, I loved stealing the cooked lasagna noodles and eating them by itself when my mom would make lasagna, so having it on my own bowl of pasta (in the form of mafaldine) gratified my inner child. The short rib was so tender and it was perfectly sauced. I could have eaten another bowl. My friend ordered a steak and a rigatoni alla carbonara, and while I didn't try the former, the latter rigatoni was so delicious as well. For dessert, we ordered the tiramisu, and luckily the last one of the night. It had equal parts espresso soaked cake and cream, and it was the perfect sweet note to end our epically delicious meal.

Bacetti is a beautiful restaurant serving delicious food, but our experience was unfortunately let…read moredown by some confusing and inconsistent service. The restaurant is located near Dodger Stadium in a hilly residential area that isn't particularly pedestrian-friendly. Parking was by far the biggest logistical challenge, as we couldn't find any dedicated parking options beyond residential street parking. It's worth planning extra time if you're driving. We arrived around 7:45 for our 8pm reservation simply to check in, not expecting to be seated early. The host, seeming a little bothered, let us know our table would be ready closer to our reservation time and offered grabbing a drink at the bar next door as an option while we wait. We didn't want to order drinks, so we stood against the wall in the waiting area across the host stand. We were single-file, hugging the wall and not blocking anyone. Nevertheless, we were quickly told we couldn't wait there and needed to either go outside (it was cold) or sit at the tables next to the bar. After taking the indoor option given to us, a server came over to take our order. We explained that we were only sitting there because the host had directed us to wait there until our table was ready. The server responded, "Well, if you're here, it's basically expected you order a drink." Restaurants: please do not play games with your patrons. If purchasing something is expected to use the waiting area you direct us to, it leaves a really bad taste to discover it after you've sat down. After 8, we were seated in the main restaurant for our reservation. Our server was friendly, personable, and never made us feel pressured to order more than we wanted like I've encountered in other places. The menu was explained as family-style, with dishes intended to arrive around the same time. Unfortunately, the pacing of the meal didn't match that explanation. Instead of arriving together, the dishes came out individually over the course of about 1-2 hours, often 10-20 minutes apart. I completely understand that everything is made fresh, but it was disappointing after being told the meal would be timed differently. Setting accurate expectations would have gone a long way. The food itself was excellent and easily the highlight of the evening. While the dishes leaned a bit salty, everything was crafted artfully with quality ingredients. The stuffed fried squash blossoms, carbonara, pesto, and peach & burrata salad were all standouts that I'd happily order again.

Food, incredible. Drinks, amazing. Service, always on point!…read more Always worth the hype when we come to Donna's. Had a booth this time and were one of the first people into the restaurant. Pro tip: the 5pm reservation never disappoints. Street parking was not bad either. Definitely a good date night spot!

Donna's is inspired by the east coast with an emphasis on great red sauce. The menu reflects this…read moreand all of it is great. Make reservations or you will be waiting. You can walk in, but the wait is sometimes too long for me. Donna's is huge. It is just comfortable, spotless and a lot of fun. They have a full bar and you can eat there at the bar if you don't want to wait. The place is just adorable and the service is great, with nice staff who are helpful. They are fast to get to you once seated. The food is so great. We have eaten there and have taken out. We love all their food and their red sauce is the best. Their STUFFED PEPPERS with marinated peppadew peppers, taleggio cheese and the best roasted garlic are a great starter. We also love OLIVE OIL CAKE for desert. It is in a limoncello soak, market berries, and homemade whipped sour cream. Their mains are the best. We love their TOMATO RISOTTO which has blistered sungold tomatoes, ricotta salata and yummy pregano. Everything is great.

I LOVE their Bianchi & Neri, seriously the best pasta dish they offer. I am a big fan of thin…read morespaghetti, the black noodles are because of squid ink. It is tossed with shrimp, mushrooms, and roasted pancetta, all in a rich creamy bisque. Our party of 5 all ordered this and we never regret it (about $25 per plate). We also ordered a seasonal dish called Paccheri Nero Di Polpo featuring squid ink paccheri pasta cut to resemble calamari and served with cooked octopus ragù. They serve free bread as you wait and you can help yourself to olive oil, vinegar, and/or their chili oil. Can't go wrong with an order of calamari. Their meat balls were tasty and more sausage forward.

Maccheroni Republic - Life is full of pasta-bilities!…read more So if you know anything about me, you know that I love pasta more than just about anything. While I can only officially claim about 12% Italian heritage, I'm 100% down for Italian food, especially homemade pasta, any day of the week. I'm spending this week in Little Tokyo for a conference, and while Japanese food is also absolutely my jam, when Maccheroni Republic slid into my Yelp feed, I knew that I had to hoof it over there immediately after we broke for the day. I saw the front of the building, and my heart sank because it looked closed, but then I noted the sign that indicated that the entrance is on the right side of the building through the courtyard. Thank goodness! I strutted through the courtyard, and observed about 15 people waiting for tables. Unbothered, I went up to the host stand and chatted with the stylish maitre'd - Dino - who indicated that he could have a table for me in 7-10 minutes. I proceeded to wait and I watched how he deftly sat the other waiting parties in order without difficulty or notes. To the untrained eye, it might have looked a little chaotic, but Dino absolutely knew what he was doing. About 15 minutes later, Dino sat me at a corner deuce in the inside dining room where I had a nice view of everything. Angel efficiently took my order and did a very good job of overseeing my table as well as about nine others. The dining room is so cute and homey, and the patio is a welcome respite from the bustle and business of downtown. Since I was "da sola" or on my own, I just tried the shrimp cakes and I ordered the Rigatoni all Norma which is one of of my go to pasta dishes since I don't eat much meat. Incidentally, this dish is named after Norma, the famous 19th-century opera composed by Catanese native Vincenzo Bellini. According to legend, a famous Sicilian playwright, Nino Martoglio, tried the pasta and was so overwhelmed by its perfection that he exclaimed, "Chista è 'na vera Norma!" ("This is a true Norma!"), comparing the culinary masterpiece to the musical one. So says Wikipedia anyway. The shrimp cakes were delivered quickly by a sweet food runner who kindly checked on me periodically during my dinner. The four shrimp cakes were accompanied by sauteed onions which paired really nicely with the crispy cakes that were brightened with a spritz from the fresh lemon wedge. She also brought a basket with four slices of Italian bread which I enjoyed with the EVOO and Balsamic that were on the table. My Watermelon Ciao was also so good. It was sweetly tart and such a nice treat on a Monday! Not long after I polished off the shrimp cakes, the rigatoni was delivered and dusted with a generous layer of parmigiana. The little fresh mozzarella pearls glistened on the top of the pasta and slowly melted and oozed into the sauce as I stirred it up. Yum! The rigatoni were al dente and delicious, and they were perfectly sauced. Of course, the eggplant was perfectly cooked as well, I only wish there had been a few more pieces of it - although by the time I ate the last noodle, I was so full! Alas, I had no room for dessert, but I intend to bring some of my conference colleagues back for a meal before the end of the week because it was THAT GOOD. I also loved that this place is NOT pretentious at all. There were all sorts of folks enjoying their food here from medical professionals in scrubs to college kids in shorts and t-shirts, and I was also very casually attired, but I was treated well and welcomed with graciousness and delicious food! Mille grazie Maccheroni Republic, Dino, Angel and everyone at this wonderfully lowkey yet fabulous trattoria.

This was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. The Cheap Sunglasses cocktail was nice…read more The housemaid buttermilk ricotta with grilled bread was sublime. The prosciutto and arugula salad was without equal. The Cavatelli alla Norcina was so good I thought I died and went to heaven. We ordered one of each dessert and they were all good. But the Vin Dolce Chiffon Cake, sauteed apricots & cherries and vanilla-mascarpone whipped cream, rules over them all.

I ate at Bestia several years ago, before COVID, and I still think about that dinner today. I had…read moreflown from New York during a dreary stretch, and landing in sunny Los Angeles felt like arriving on another planet. California offered an immediate rush of light, space, and possibility. My memory is that when I turned my phone back on at LAX, my friend messaged to say he'd gotten us the hookup at Bestia. That dinner belongs to a chapter in which I spent considerable time in California and felt energized by the contrast with New York. My friend is highly discerning, with impeccable taste in food, design, and culture. He notices details most people miss, so when a place impresses him, I pay attention. From the moment I saw his message, I knew the reservation meant something. Even before we entered, Bestia's character was evident. Faded lettering crossed the corrugated metal facade, while brick walls and old loading doors preserved the warehouse's industrial history. Inside, enormous windows and garage doors brought light into a room shaped by glass, exposed ductwork, and warm amber pendants. When I fantasize about living in a loft, many of the attributes I picture are here, especially the incredible windows and connection to the street. Inside the restaurant, the dining room achieved a combination I rarely encounter. It had the table density and collective buzz of a great New York restaurant, but within a large, design-forward space closer in scale to something found in Chicago. New York creates energy through tight rooms, while Chicago excels at ambitious spaces with strong architectural identities. Bestia captured both advantages and made its considerable footprint feel alive and unified. We sat shoulder to shoulder at a pale stone counter facing the open kitchen. Golden era hip hop was playing, and A Tribe Called Quest still rings a very specific bell. I ordered the squid ink pasta, and it was exquisite, with enough depth and precision to command attention amid everything happening around us. We also spotted an unmistakably A-list celebrity, whom I will leave unnamed, making the night feel quintessentially Los Angeles. During that period, I often stayed at the Ace Hotel downtown, and the Arts District felt vibrant, raw, and full of possibility. The proximity to Skid Row could be deeply jarring, with severe hardship existing beside ambitious development and expensive restaurants. That contrast kept the neighborhood from feeling like a neat story of urban renewal, even as Bestia seemed to anchor its evolution. The warehouses and loading docks gave the area a character that no new development could convincingly recreate. Nearby, I also remember the American Apparel complex during its demise and the rise of impossibly cool Los Angeles designer John Elliott. His Escobar sweatpants and Villain hoodie helped define the kit of that moment; loyalists will understand. Los Angeles is a fickle city, drawn toward whatever is new and shiny, which makes Bestia's longevity especially impressive. Scene without substance is plastic, and Bestia earned its electricity through exceptional cooking, assured service, and a remarkable space; if I lived in Los Angeles, this would be one of the places I'd rely on whenever I wanted to impress someone. This is absolutely one of my favorite restaurants in the world.

Basically if you know you know I can't say anything bad…read moreabout EastSide deli From the spicy Italian to the tuna forgettinoutit.

What a great tasting sandwich!! If you seen my post before, we did sandwiches and this is a great…read moreplace for Italian sandwiches. The place has an old school nostalgic feel with cool classic signs. They definitely represent Los Angeles and the Dodgers. What's the best thing overall is their great sandwiches. I ordered an 11: ham, turkey and cheese sandwich, and it hit the spot. The service is great. The staff is friendly and the sandwiches come out quickly. It's usually busy around lunchtime because there are a lot of offices around there, but the great thing is, you can order online and just pick up the sandwiches so you don't have to wait around! Love Eastside deli!!

I was looking for Italian restaurants near Griffith Observatory and found this cool family run spot…read morein Silver Lake. The decor inside was cute and unique, with an area of the wall displaying their certificates from the city. There is also a good size patio and a small parking lot for guests. We came in shortly after they opened for the dinner shift so our server was a nice lady who ended up being the owner's sister. She was very attentive and friendly. To start off, we ordered some $9 cocktails and $11 martinis on their Happy Hour. For an appetizer we enjoyed the Insalata Cesare, which was simple yet tasted unique and delicious. For our mains we ordered the Pappardelle Alla Domenica and Beef Lasagna. The Pappardelle Alla Domenica is a must try, being advertised as Mamma's special that was featured in the Los Angeles Times. The sauce was light, yet garlicky and packed with flavor from the sausages. Also the Beef Lasagna was delicious with a nice ratio of all the layers.

I am sad to say it, but this place just isn't good. First and foremost, the staff was very friendly…read moreand mostly attentive. The one nice thing I have to say is that the bread was yummy and warm. I was very delighted by that. Other than that, I'm bummed to say: their house wine is $16(!) a glass, the caprese was only kinda decent - the tomato was cold/ refrigerated and had no taste. I also ordered a vegetarian lasagne (I'm a vegetarian) that I was happy to see on the menu, but then they served me the meat one. It wasn't until I was able to get a straight answer from the second server I asked that I was able to confirm they served me the wrong one. The veggie lasagne had potential but it was absolutely smothered in soooooo much cheese (yes even for a lasagne) that it truly felt like a thick stringy choking hazard - the cheese became super tacky/sticky. I did not find that their food quality matched their prices. I truly don't understand how they have such a good rating, so I came here to give my honest assessment for future patrons to weigh as well.

Read the other reviews for food. Mine will solely be for info I wish businesses were upfront about…read more This is my fight against hidden restaurant fee-flation and for price transparency. price as of 7/16/26 Extra service charges or fees (other than tax and tip): $5 min for credit card, big sign by register where you line up to order, very visible Tip lowest default: N/A, write in Allows bill split/itemize: yes Fee transparency/fairness score: 5/5

The pizza and wings are really good and don't forget to grab a pasta.. they are all really good and…read morecreamy. They have an awesome selection of beer that I would recommend to grab.

We had an amazing experience at Bottega Louie! Our waiter, Theron H., was absolutely outstanding,…read morefriendly, attentive, and genuinely caring throughout our visit. He took the time to explain the menu in detail since it was our first time dining here, which made us feel very welcome and comfortable. The service was exceptional from start to finish, and the food was delicious. Employees like Theron are a huge part of what makes customers want to return. Bottega Louie is lucky to have him on their team. He truly deserves a raise, for the level of service he provides. Thank you for making our first visit so special. We will definitely be coming back!

The food was excellent and the service provided by our waitress Grace was top notch and elevated…read morethe overall experience greatly!