Alto Palato Palatable
By Eli Penberthy
Staff Writer
As a general principle, I try to stay away from restaurants
in West Los Angeles, knowing that most of them are far too
stuffy, trendy, and pricey for my simple taste and conservative
college-kid budget. The hundreds of sushi bars, French bistros,
and Italian trattorias that line La Cienega and Beverly Boulevards
are always packed on Friday and Saturday nights with glamorous
Hollywood types who don't mind spending a couple hundred bucks
on dinner and a bottle of wine. I've felt intimidated, if
not downright out of place, when I've tried the restaurants
there. Still, I am drawn to the area on weekends, when the
near-by theaters, comedy clubs, and cafes are all bursting
with energy.
On a recent Saturday night, determined to find a comfortable
place to eat before a show, a few friends and I ventured into
Alto Palato, a small Italian trattoria on La Cienega. With
a small, unassuming storefront, the restaurant is not at all
pretentious or unwelcoming. Inside, past the sleek bar, is
a spacious dining room with high ceilings and huge, splashy
paintings. Circular tables big enough for groups of friends
are interspersed with ones small enough for couples, suggesting
that this is a dining experience as casual or romantic as
you care to make it.
The real reason to go to Alto Palato, though, is neither
the prime location near other entertainment venues nor the
relaxed tone of the place; it is the amazing quality of the
food. Although I was able to explore only the primi
(first courses, mostly pastas) and the dolce (desserts)
on my first trip, I cannot wait to go back to try the antipasti
and the thin-crusted pizze.
This is what I can say about the pastas, which, aside from
the ones my mother makes, are the best I've ever had: the
delicate noodles are handmade daily and then topped with something
plain; seafood, for example, or the trofie al pesto:
small twists of fresh pasta with a simple basil pesto sauce.
I had the pappardelle con porcini, fat ribbons of pasta
with sautéed Italian porcini mushrooms.
Although I am certain the whole dish was made from only a
few ingredients - mushrooms sautéed with olive oil,
and a little garlic mixed with the plain noodles - the dish
was so surprisingly complex that each bite sung with flavor.
The meatiness of the mushrooms played off the silky noodles
so that my mouth swelled with their intermingled textures
and tastes. I had never tasted anything so minimal and yet
so rich.
That is, I had never tasted anything like it until I tasted
the gelato - homemade Italian ice cream - a while later. The
difference between gelato and regular ice cream is that gelato
has no added butterfat and has considerably less air, allowing
for an intense, concentrated flavor. At Alto Palato, the chocolate
gelato is made with Scharffen-Berger dark chocolate, a brand
known for its high cocoa content and smooth, deep flavor.
I had gemeli, chocolate with chopped hazelnuts, and
stracciatella, vanilla with thin shavings of the Scharffen-Berger.
Served in chilled metal goblets, the gelato is so soft and
light, I am quite sure there is nothing more pleasing to eat.
I literally had dreams about it afterward.
If you are reasonable with your order, dining at Alto Palato
doesn't have to break the bank. A pasta dish and gelato runs
about $20 a person so, while it's not cheap, it is certainly
more reasonable than other restaurants in the neighborhood.
For the prime location, welcoming yet sophisticated atmosphere,
and serious, honest food, that price is a bargain.
Alto Palato
755 N. La Cienaga
Los Angeles 90069
(310) 657-9271
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