Locanda Veneta Serves Up a Positive Experience

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LOCANDA VENETA

Where: 8638 W. Third St., Los Angeles, 90048. Cross Street: S. Willaman Drive

When: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday; 5:30 to 11 p.m., Saturday; 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday

What to Try: Lobster ravioli with saffron cream sauce, filet mignon Tartufo, apple tart

Noise Level: Low

Meeting Room: No

Parking: Valet, $6

Price Range: Appetizers, $8-$15; entrees, $15-$42

Reservations: (310) 274-1893


By Lindsey Styrwoll

In a town where the celebrity chef is king and hostesses have the paparazzi on speed dial, a place with a little humility is refreshing. As restaurants open and close at a pace that seems more and more frantic with each passing year, it’s nice to revisit old favorites you know, the ones that don’t rely on their celebrity clientele, just good, old-fashioned home cooking. Locanda Veneta fits that bill. The restaurant opened to acclaim in 1988, and this low-key trattoria knows how to keep them coming back even though the shine has gone.

Driving down Third Street, it is easy to miss Locanda Veneta among the dozen or so restaurants that occupy those few blocks west of La Cienega Boulevard. As a matter of fact, I did just that on my way to lunch before a quick U-turn landed me at the valet stand. A few years ago, the adjacent Cafe Veneta served as a more casual option and also accomplished the dual function of creating a higher visibility for the twin Venetas, but the two have since been consolidated into a single location.

The exterior of Locanda Veneta is endearingly generic, housing a tiny dining room with a certain familiar quality, not unlike the living room of a friend’s house or the set of your favorite sitcom. There is nothing trendy about the velvet-lined booths or the black-and-white prints that adorn the burgundy walls, but a homey feeling pervades the room, beckoning one to while away the afternoon over a plate of pasta. Indeed, we do just this in a cozy booth hidden behind the tiled perimeter of the open kitchen.

When dining at an Italian restaurant, no matter how inventive or appetizing the options, I am hard-pressed to find anything more enticing than the simplicity of a classic caprese. Locanda Veneta has this staple down cold. Slices of red and yellow tomato are fanned across the plate and squirted with dollops of balsamic vinegar, then topped with a creamy hunk of burrata. Our server thoughtfully delivers this with a bottle of balsamic, just in case. The only issue is the tomatoes. Although passable, the flavor and consistency are nowhere near the ripe fullness of the ones my grandfather grows, which serve as my gold standard. Still, it is a satisfying choice.

The shrimp salad is less of a hit. The salad itself a mixture of spinach, radicchio and endive in a light, tangy dressing with cubes of avocado and tomato is pleasing enough, but the warm shrimp are tough and tasteless. It is a shame, but also strange since the shrimp are, at first glance, obviously overcooked. The server is so gracious we haven’t the heart to point out the shortcoming.

Thankfully, the pasta course is more than redeeming. Though we are a little wary of the black pasta colored by squid ink, one taste and we are believers. The ravioli is stuffed with shredded lobster meat and placed on a bed of saffron cream sauce. The colorful dish is pleasing to the eye and rich without being too cloying. We sheepishly regret the politeness that led us to waste our appetites on that substandard shrimp.

What comes next is every bit as exciting: the broiled sea bass special recommended by our waiter. After lugging over a chalkboard and reciting a dozen or so dishes in detail, he has earned our admiration and we rely heavily on his well-informed opinions. And he is right about the fish. Marinated in balsamic and mustard, it is delectable. Moist inside with a slightly crispy crust, it is served atop lentils and covered with spinach leaves and diced tomatoes. The flavors are all so delicately harmonious that not one note is lost.

The finale is the filet mignon Tartufo, another daily special suggested when we have trouble deciding between several beef entrees. The cut is drizzled in a truffle cream sauce, and while I find it a bit salty for my palate, my companion is in heaven. The sauce may be a bit much, but the butterflied filet is top notch, as are the roasted potatoes that are served alongside. The green beans are a bit overcooked for me, but my dining partner insists that they are just right.

Not wanting the affair to end, we extend our meal with a couple of Locanda Veneta’s made-to-order desserts. At my companion’s and the waiter’s insistence, we order the chocolate “souffle” with the molten center. I have tried this dessert at least a dozen restaurants and its appeal eludes me here, too. Instead, I am left craving the airy lightness of a real souffle. The apple tart, however, does the trick. With an unbelievably flaky crust, the thick chunks of cinnamon-dusted apple are the perfect texture.

Locanda Veneta has survived and adapted over the last 20 years, an impressively long period in an industry where style regularly trumps substance. Sure, there are a few issues with the quality of ingredients, but overall the experience is overwhelmingly positive, owing much to the quietly assured staff. This trattoria offers a warm respite from the harried braggadocio of those brightly shining new stars, but unlike those more faddish spots, Locanda Veneta’s light won’t be dimming anytime soon.


Reviewer Lindsey Styrwoll can be reached at [email protected].

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