DINING BEAT : A LITTLE BIT OF NAPLES.Byline: Larry Lipson When Il Balcone moved from its original balcony site at 15826 Ventura Blvd. in Encino to its larger Sherman Oaks location, the tiny upstairs cafe was taken over by friends and renamed O' Sole Mio. But many of Il Balcone's customers moved, too, and O' Sole Mio struggled. Now, it has gone, although the song lives on, and a small Italian restaurant has emerged in its place called Gio Cucina Napolitana. Gio is its co-owner Giovanni DiCrici, an alumnus of Ca' del Sole, Prego and Gaetano's. His partner and chef is Roberto Castellana, who has manned stoves at both Chianti and Ca' del Sole. DiCrici and Castellana emphasize the food of Naples on their menu with such intrigues as timballo di tagliatelle ta·gli·a·tel·le n. See fettuccine. [Italian, pl. of tagliatella, diminutive of tagliata, from feminine past participle of tagliare, to cut, from Late Latin ($10.50), a baked pasta terrine ter·rine n. 1. An earthenware container for cooking and serving food. 2. Any of various dishes prepared or cooked in a terrine. [French; see tureen. creation with porcini and regular mushrooms, prosciutto pro·sciut·to n. pl. pro·sciut·ti or pro·sciut·tos An aged, dry-cured, spiced Italian ham that is usually sliced thin and served without cooking. , peas and Parmesan cheese, and a fettuccine fet·tuc·ci·ne n. In both senses also called tagliatelle. 1. Pasta in narrow flat strips. 2. A dish made with such strips of pasta. [Italian, pl. dish with 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, spinach, onions and extra virgin olive oil. Pastas made from scratch are prevalent here, said DiCrici, who noted that Castellana makes his own pumpkin and eggplant raviolis daily. One of the signature entrees will be a grilled, fresh, deboned deboned carcass meat from which the bone has been removed. and marinated whole chicken, a dish that may be large enough to feed two and is ticketed at only $11. DeCrici said he'll be charging only $5 corkage and will have a wine list that includes several rarer Naples-area wines. He said he will keep his prices down, using a ``double wholesale'' formula. Most restaurants mark their wines up at 2-1/2 times the wholesale price or higher. For information on the new Gio, call (818) 905-7446. Goodbye Tartine tar·tine n. A French open-faced sandwich, especially one with a rich or fancy spread. [French, from Old French, diminutive of tarte, tart; see tart2. Look for a new sign to go up imminently on the Cafe Tartine building at 21826 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. The restaurant has been sold and will be transformed from a Cal-Med style bistro to a Persian restaurant called Shirin. According to current owner Sara Tehranpour, the buyers want to move in as soon as possible, so the transition may occur, she believes, before the end of the year. Cafe Tartine, 12 years old, with a strong wine commitment and reasonable prices for its contemporary fare, gradually built a devoted clientele, who saw it grow from humble beginnings into a sleek, modern eating place. Meanwhile, for up-to-date information about either restaurant, call (818) 887-6353. |
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