I was so excited to try this little neighborhood gem; nestled in a fantastic foodie area, with lots of charm, Il Piccolo Verde promises to be your new favorite Italian restaurant. They treated me like a queen and served me everything I requested, my experience was filled with mouth watering enjoyment!
It’s bright with lots of ambiance; just the perfect place to enjoy some fantastic regional Italian food right here in this little village called Brentwood.
Brentwood is one of the most sought after real estate in Los Angeles, with lots of celebrities buying up the million dollar properties, it is a very affluent neighborhood in the Westside of Los Angeles, California. The stars have a place with no paparazzi to enjoy a great home cooked meal. Well, I am here to say the Il Piccolo Verde is right up there with the best of Italian cuisine here in Los Angeles.
Jeff Kantor, aka DJ Gold Dust, has been with Il Piccolo Verde for the past 3 months. He is the managing partner and came from a lovely seaside area called Malibu. Jeff knows his way around restaurants and events, creating some very cool past events, where he was the DJ. Now he brings his expertise to Il Piccolo Verde. They have live jazz on Thursdays with some famous players; Robby Krieger, and David Marcus to name a few. On Fridays they have Karaoke until 3am. I’m going to have to come back with my singing voice in tow.
My server Eduardo Gomez from Mexico City had the best dimples, as well as the best demeanor. Eduardo made my experience great, with his no nonsense style.
Chef Pablo Merida, was just honored as Culinary Visionary at the Flavors of Los Angeles at Taglyan Center in Hollywood, he worked at Tutte Bene in Beverly Hills before this. His timeless classics will make you become a regular, it is just that good, and most of their customers are locals, go figure.
Owner Michael Schwartz, who is in real estate saw Il Piccolo Verde as a good business deal and decided to take it over in 2014, a great decision for him. The night I was dining his kids were keeping it real by eating just the basic pizza and spaghetti and meatballs. Michael says they always order the same thing every time; they just love their traditional favorites, so why change a good thing? He is looking into opening another location in downtown Las Vegas.
Appetizers:
They start you out with delicious house made flat bread and black olive tapenade.
Melanzane – Baked eggplant parmigiana. This is a small portion because it’s an appetizer, it just makes you want to come back for more.
Calamari Friti – Fried calamari rings in a spicy marinara sauce. These little daring’s are light and crispy, no big long tentacles, just little bite size pieces of succulent breaded calamari.
Homemade Carrot Cauliflower with Tarragon Soup, and organic unrefined coconut
oil. I just loved this soup. It is thick and creamy but with no cream, what a concept.
Pablo’s Homemade Meatballs, the sauce is the best thing about this dish, a traditional red sauce, and the meatballs are the icing on the cake.
Salad:
Tre Colore – Arugula, endive, blue cheese and house vinaigrette. A light healthy way to start your dining experience. There is a very fresh nice mellow dressing.
Pizza:
Quattro Stagioni – tomato sauce, homemade mozzarella, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, olives, and mushrooms. This is a great pizza; they have a Caputo pizza oven, which came from Naples. This oven really makes a difference, the crust was thin and crispy with great flavor, a must have.
Pasta:
Pappardelle Mare e Monti – wide noodles with mushroom, spinach, clam, shrimp, and truffle oil. The clams just pooped in your mouth and the pappardelle noodles are luscious.
Arugula Aglio Olio – with sautéed arugula, garlic, shrimp, extra virgin olive oil with a touch of lemon juice. The sautéed arugula is something I had never tried before; you could mistake it for spinach. The bitter arugula flavors melt away when it is cooked, and the shrimp was cooked to perfection, a nice dish.
Gnocchi Alla Cardinale – Homemade potato dumpling with peas and prosciutto in a Parmesan cheese sauce. This is an outstanding dish, the cheese sauce the peas and prosciutto, all things I adore about this dish. A great gnocchi that I would highly recommend.
Entrees:
Filet Mignon – 8 oz. prime cut filet mignon served with roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach. This is a melt in your mouth steak, perfectly cooked rare, tender and flavorful, just wonderful.
Fish and Crustacean:
Scampi Limone – Tiger shrimp with garlic, capers, and lemon white wine sauce with a side of mixed vegetables. These are huge shrimp served with lovely carrots. The flavors are astounding, with lots of garlic, parsley; it’s just the perfect scampi.
Side Dishes:
Mashed Potatoes, simple but tasty, these potatoes are a no-brainer with the beef.
Millet Verde, organic gluten free millet, cauliflower, carrots, Celtic sea salt, and organic unrefined coconut oil. A rich nice flavor, a great side option.
Spinach, healthy, smart a good side choice.
Dessert:
Crème Brûlée, a great rendition of this super popular dessert. Rich, flavorful just delightful. What a great ending to my truly fantastic dinner.
Wine:
House Selection Sparkling Wine, a great pairing with the calamari.
Talley Estate chardonnay 2015, Arroyo Grande, Central Coast-CA, Organic. A bright bold Chardonnay, I would pair this with any of the dishes that have shrimp.
CADE sauvignon Blanc 2016, Napa-CA. A very fruit forward, it was a good combination with the Tre Colore salad and the blue cheese.
Montepeloso “A Quo” Tuscana 2014, Tuscana-IT, Super Tuscan Cabernet, Blend, and biodynamic. Big hearty, jammy, cherry flavors, worked so great with the filet.
Adaptation Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Napa-CA, Second label from Stag’s Leap’s Odette. I can’t say enough about this wine; it’s a bit pricey, but worth every cent. I just love that at this tasting I got to try a new Cabernet that I truly fell in love with.
Kristine Morcos is their Sommelier, she picks boutique labels, and small purveyors. Their wine list is really user friendly; you can tell that their customers are well versed in all things wine.
Their Interiors are modern Italian, with orange and yellow walls. A small patio with hand painted blue-sky ceiling with heat lamps. The dining room has wood floors, and wooden modern chair and table clothes. They play mostly Italian music that adds to the overall appeal.
I am smitten, a great find in a very upscale neighborhood, with super friendly staff, that makes you feel right at home. The perfect combination!
Il Piccolo Verde
140 S Barrington Place
Los Angeles, CA 90049
310 472 4939
https://ilpiccoloverde.com
