Where is the Best Italian Food in Los Angeles, California?
I love Carmines- they treat you like royalty and make just about everyone feel like you are part of an extended Italian family. All the staples are excellent- caprese, the parms, bolognese, arrabbiata, etc and the specials are usually great as well. Last night we had seafood risotto and eggplant rolltini, both excellent. I thought I was too replete with Italian goodness for dessert, but decided to try the white heart dessert- strawberry sorbet inside, surrounded by vanilla ice cream and a white chocolate shells. Delicious… We typically go to Carmine’s when we have something to do in Century City, but every time I go, I wonder why we do not make a special trip more often,,,Pros + service, food, charm, can’t go wrongCons – nondiscrete location, but convenient
We were looking forward to his as it was my son’s 15th birthday and a year ago at this time we had a great experience. This time was very different. The waiter was very nice, but slow and preoccupied, and the food was all wrong. The squash blossoms were overdone, fried in what tasted like old oil and hot on the outside and cold on the inside. The grilled calamari salad missed the mark with overly grilled (and therefore way too chewy) calamari. Finally, when I cut my knee on a really sharp, unfinished piece of the table, no attempt was made to “make it right.” All in all, there are way too many really good Italian restaurants in LA (like Cafe Angelino and Angeli) to bother with Terroni.Pros + Good atmosphere, close to homeCons – Mediocre, over-priced food
Carlo, the owner, immediately greets you as you walk in the door and you know this place is special. Simple, but special. With a full bar, wine menu, and food menu, I was able to ask my questions directly to the owner for some great advice. He is from Sardinia, so there are several different Sardinian Specialty items on the menu, such as the Veremtino white wine (delicious) and the Fatti in Casa (homemade) pastas. I highly recommend these pastas and reading over the menu thoroughly because it all seemed delicious. Carlo helped me decide on a Sardinian specialty pasta which was incredible (but i forget the name of it). I’ve also had drinks and appetizers here on occasion which is nice too. They had a tapas menu to facilitate this. Overall, a nice place to eat if you want a mellow good place to have good food and enjoy your company.Pros + Very friendly
It has been a while since I came to this restaurant but I am pleased to report that the food and service remain consistently good. The food is authentic Italian and reminds me of my trip to Italy a few years back – fresh ingredients, simple preparation. This time, we had a lovely seafood salad appetizer, the whole fish (roasted with garlic, olive oil, salt) – absolutely delicious, mushroom pasta (again, simple but delectable) – accompanied by some lovely cakebread sauvignon. The service was attentive without being intrusive. This is not a trendy place, but is a lovely gem of a restaurant that does not disappoint. Pros + Delicious Italian Food; Consistent Service
