MAITO A SAVORY ITALIAN DIVERSION.Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic It's always surprising, and always a special treat these days to stumble on an Italian restaurant that doesn't seem to be a duplicate of another one recently experienced. Maito, in a converted former IHOP IHOP International House Of Pancakes (restaurant chain) iHOP Information Hyperlinked Over Proteins IHOP International House of Prayer IHOP International H2O Project IHOP International House of Pain building on Olympic Boulevard Olympic Boulevard may mean:
Evidently related to the more upscale Madeo in West Hollywood West Hollywood A community of southern California northeast of Beverly Hills. It is mainly residential. Population: 36,600. , Maito delivers forth plate after plate of delicious, very Italian food. And none of it looks or tastes like the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Italian food associated with American-Italian restaurants for so many years. Ask for the ``matuffi'' ($6.50) which is a wonderfully tasting starter dish of polenta po·len·ta n. A thick mush made of cornmeal boiled in water or stock. [Italian, from Latin, crushed grain, barley meal.] Noun 1. from Tuscany made with corn and wheat and smothered smoth·er v. smoth·ered, smoth·er·ing, smoth·ers v.tr. 1. a. To suffocate (another). b. To deprive (a fire) of the oxygen necessary for combustion. 2. in a lively, meaty, mushroom sauce. This arrives after a plate of thin, crispy pizza bread strips are brought to the table to nibble Half a byte (four bits). (data) nibble - /nib'l/ (US "nybble", by analogy with "bite" -> "byte") Half a byte. Since a byte is nearly always eight bits, a nibble is nearly always four bits (and can therefore be represented by one hex digit). on, dipped in olive oil from a bottle provided by request, and while wine from a conscientious list of bottlings is uncorked and sipped. If you arrive here late you'll probably notice a slightly rowdy table of what could be friends and relatives of the owners near the entrance. Their conversation is animated and Italian. It makes the dining experience here seem all the more authentically Italian. Meanwhile, the staff is extremely attentive and very knowledgeable. There's rarely a question about the food or wine that isn't immediately answered. Two of the four soups regularly offered have been tried and thoroughly enjoyed. One is what's described as a seasonal minestrone with rice ($5). Its fagioli (beans) strength is such that it could almost be called a bean soup, yet that's not a deterrent. It's delicious. And so is the kitchen's leek soup ($5) rendition titled zuppa di porri. An intriguing appetizer choice turns out to be what the menu advertises as an artichoke artichoke, name for two different plants of the family Asteraceae (aster family), both having edible parts. The French, or globe, artichoke (Cynara scolymus pie. Tortino di carciofi ($5), a very tasty combination of artichoke pieces and egg could easily be called a frittata frit·ta·ta n. An open-faced omelet with other ingredients, such as cheese or vegetables, mixed into the eggs rather than used as a filling. [Italian, from fritto, past participle of because it's so omelettelike. I'm beginning to believe that you can tell how good an Italian kitchen is by its ravioli. Maito comes through marvelously. Its tordelli ai fiori de zucchine ($10) are, in essence, raviolis - excuse the doubly pluralized word - from Tuscany with a zucchini flower saucing that's incredibly delicate yet surprisingly satisfying. Conversely the ravioli dish of the same Tuscan tordelli with meat sauce ($7.50) and herbs has that element of heartiness that pairs so well with a red wine such as the 1990 Giribaldi barbera d'Alba ($24), mature to the point of an almost-musky finish. This same wine was an appropriate companion one night to the rich, meaty pork ribs ($12.50) swathed in thick, brown sauce studded with small black olives. One should allow for a dessert here. The pastry cart has the usual 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. . But it also displays some superb, freshly baked items such as a homey grandmother's tart made with custard and chocolate, an airy apricot jam flan and an easy to eat chocolate pastry creation. Maito presents a welcome Italian diversion that isn't forced, isn't overly expensive and appears always ready to please. Which is exactly how it should be. THE FACTS The restaurant: Maito. Where: 8925 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills. When: Open for lunch from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 6 to 11 p.m. daily except Sunday. Recommended items: Zuppa di porri (leek soup), minestrone with rice, tortino de carciofi, matuffi (corn and wheat polenta with mushroom and meat sauce), tordelli (Tuscan ravioli with zucchini flower sauce or with meat sauce), rosticciana della beppina (marinated pork ribs), grandmother's tart, apricot jam flan. How much: Starters and salads from $4.50 to $9, pizzas from $8.50 to $11, pastas and entrees from $7.50 to $25, desserts $5 each. Full bar. All major credit cards except Discover. Wine list: Strong Italian selection from 65-label list offering good choices in familiar types and with 15 options under $25, seven of them at $18. Vintage dates listed with noticeable '88s and '90s available at reasonable prices. Reservations: Helpful. Call (310) 657-8445. Our rating: Three and One Half Stars for food; Three and One Half Stars for service; Three Stars for wine. Corkage cork·age n. A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises. corkage Noun a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine bought elsewhere $10. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Maito owner Gianni Vietina, left, chef Allessandro Vasquez and consultant Bruno Vietina display some of the items available at the Beverly Hills restaurant. Bob Halvorsen/Daily News |
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