SQUEEZED into a narrow storefront on a touristy block of the Sunset Strip, the tiny (36-seat) Amarone resembles a North Beach trattoria in its physical layout with just four tables downstairs and another handful located up a steep staircase on the mezzanine.
But unlike those time-worn attic-like San Francisco spots, Amarone Kitchen & Wine is new and fresh and wonderfully date-worthy, with white tablecloths and handsome tableware. And the upstairs dining area has windows and high ceilings, so there's an L.A.-bright feeling.
Amarone is no quick-stop pasta joint; main course prices range from $20 to $40. But it delivers the kind of value that turns a restaurant into a neighborhood institution. The trattoria's combination of sophisticated food, fair prices and welcoming, consistently attentive service removes any fine-dining anxiety that recession-wary consumers bring to the table.
You might not be able to afford to eat here every night, but if you want to demonstrate affection and respect for a friend or lover -- or just promise a guest a good meal -- co-owners Alessandro Polastri (who sees to the front of the house and the wines) and Giuseppe Musso (who's the chef) and the staff will work with you, not against you. Plus, there's parking.
Although the owners are Italian, they've designed the menu for L.A. eaters and, in an appealing departure from tradition, encourage diners to create a two- or three-course meal by ordering dishes in whatever order entices. Start with a soup and have a seafood entree, or forget what you've been told about primi and secondi and enjoy your pasta or risotto as a main dish.
But do allow the Amarone staff to ease you through the Old World art of leisurely dining. As you ponder the wine list, order a calamari alla griglia, bite-sized, piping-hot pieces of grilled squid, toothsome and wonderfully smoky. The server will graciously hold off on describing specials until you indicate a desire to consider entrees. Later, you'll be encouraged to linger over dessert, perhaps with a complimentary glass of Moscato, ambrosial and yet refreshing, that has magically appeared.
Seasonal dishes and specials are irresistible and only the determined will be able to order from the printed list. Starters might include an octopus salad, fresh and colorful with crescents of grilled polipo tossed with julienned strips of green onion and red-purple radicchio. A special fresh burrata appetizer one night is super, the soft, rich cow's-milk cheese plated with prosciutto, basil leaves and olives. It comes with delicious piadina, grilled flatbread that's made in-house (as is the fragrant focaccia in the bread basket).
