A LA CARTE : LAST-MINUTE PUMPKIN POSSIBILITIES.Byline: Larry Lipson All those pumpkins out there, but only a few to eat. Whether they're for decoration or consuming, the pumpkin is definitely in season. Here are a few restaurants worth last-minute consideration for those with pumpkins on their minds: Ca' de Sole Address: 4100 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood. Phone: (818) 985-4669. Cuisine: Italian. Comments: This rambling, rustic, Venetian ristorante possesses a fine kitchen, a romantic patio, a lively jazz bar and one of the Valley's deepest wine cellars. Picks: The delicious mezzaluna (moon-shaped) delicate dough envelopes are stuffed with pumpkin and delivered with a sage and butter sauce. California Pizza Kitchen California Pizza Kitchen (NASDAQ: CPKI, known within the food industry as CPK) is a casual dining restaurant chain that specializes in California-style pizza. The restaurant was started in 1985 by attorneys Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax in Beverly Hills, California, Address: 16101 Ventura Blvd., Encino (and elsewhere). Phone: (818) 907-7783. Cuisine: Californian-Italian. Comments: You won't find a pumpkin pizza here yet. But who knows what'll happen in '99. Picks: This is the 12th year in a row that pumpkin cheesecake is being served during the holiday season. Cambria Address: 11690 San Vicente San Vicente (sän vēsān`tā), city (1993 pop. 28,529), central El Salvador. Among its industries are textile manufacturing and sugar milling. San Vicente is the commercial center of a region that produces coffee and sugarcane. Blvd., Brentwood. Phone: (310) 826-1446. Cuisine: New American. Comments: Formerly known as Porter's steakhouse, the owner and the chef remain the same. Picks: Through Saturday night the seasonal specials include roasted pumpkin risotto ri·sot·to n. pl. ri·sot·tos A dish of rice cooked in broth, usually with saffron, and served with grated cheese. [Italian, from riso, rice, from Old Italian; see rice. with an onion ragout ra·gout n. A well-seasoned meat or fish stew, usually with vegetables. [French ragoût, from ragoûter, to revive the taste, from Old French ragouster : re-, and grilled mushrooms. Gaetano's Ristorante Address: 23536 Calabasas Road, Calabasas. Phone: (818) 223-9600. Cuisine: Italian. Comments: It's an established upscale Italian dining venue that draws a sophisticated and affluent clientele from both sides of the hill. Picks: Owner Gaetano Palmeri repeats his quintet of pumpkin plates this year: pumpkin ravioli with brown butter Noun 1. brown butter - clarified butter browned slowly and seasoned with vinegar or lemon juice and capers beurre noisette butter - an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use and sage, pumpkin soup, entrees with pumpkin vegetable puree pu·rée or pu·ree tr.v. pu·réed or pu·reed, pu·rée·ing or pu·ree·ing, pu·rées or pu·rees To rub through a strainer or process (food) in a blender. n. , pumpkin pie pumpkin pie traditional dish, especially at Thanksgiving. [Am. Culture: Flexner, 68] See : America and pumpkin cheesecake. Gio Cucina Napoletana Address: 15826 Ventura Blvd., Encino. Phone: (818) 905-7446. Cuisine: Neapolitan Italian. Comments: Here's a gem of a little second-floor hideaway with very moderate pricing. Picks: You won't find a better or fluffier version of pumpkin pasta than this kitchen's pumpkin tortelloni with sage sauce. Il Tiramisu tir·a·mi·su n. A dessert of cake infused with a liquid such as coffee or rum, layered with a rich cheese filling, and topped with grated chocolate. Address: 13705 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Phone: (818) 986-2640. Cuisine: Italian. Comments: New ownership has given new life here. Picks: Two pumpkin pastas are available: pumpkin ravioli with a sweet mascarpone mas·car·po·ne n. A fresh soft Italian cheese with a high butterfat content, made from cow's milk enriched with cream. [Italian, augmentative of dialectal mascarpa, whey cheese. cheese sauce and pumpkin cappelacci with a pink sauce. Out Take Cafe Address: 12159 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Phone: (818) 760-1111. Cuisine: Californian-American. Comments: It's uptown quality and presentation at downtown prices. Picks: You'll find tasty Japanese pumpkin among the exotic vegetables in the popular Asian chicken saute sau·té tr.v. sau·téed, sau·té·ing, sau·tés To fry lightly in fat in a shallow open pan. n. A dish of food so prepared. , presented dramatically as a miniature Mount Fujiyama. And look for pumpkin soup on Halloween night. Perroche Address: 11929 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Phone: (818) 766-1179. Cuisine: Contemporary continental. Comments: One of the surprise new hits of this year. Picks: A Halloween champagne buffet and costume contest evening will feature games, prizes, pumpkin seed-crusted Alaskan cod among the many dishes and Veuve Clicquot as its bubbly kickoff. Posto Address: 14928 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Phone: (818) 784-4400. Cuisine: Italian. Comments: Talented chef Luciano Pellegrini welcomes pumpkin fanciers to call him in advance with a pumpkin dish in mind and he'll be happy to cook it for them. Picks: Quail and pumpkin risotto with a port drizzle and pumpkin ravioli with sage are the current raves. |
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