Tasting Dinner at Valentino
Posted on Dec 26, 2012 under Uncategorized | No Comment
Valentino
Last week I visited Valentino, the Westside LA fixture that has been serving up regional Italian cuisine for 40 years. The sophisticated eatery is divided into three dining rooms in earth tones with travertine floors and glass chandeliers. Oenophiles will savor the extensive 130 page wine list of over 140,000 bottles. Here is what Matt and I enjoyed while we visited Valentino.
appetizer
We were served a nice appetizer of goat cheese wrapped in eggplant and a tasty arancini made with mixed seafood.
scallops
Next came a nice appetizer of scallops carpaccio with baked cherry tomato, pistachios and an anchovy sauce.
grilled octopus
Our second appetizer was grilled Mediterranean Octopus with black Sardinian couscous.
first two wines
Our appetizers were paired with the above two wines, both very tasty.
pasta with broccalini
We were served two pastas, the first a spaghetti with onions, cherry tomatoes and broccolini and the second a nice rissoto with amarone, gorgonzola and caramelized radicchio.
risotto
I had the Colorado lamb chop with red wine sauce, potatoes and asparagus.
lamb
Matt had the veal with porcini mushrooms and a marsala sauce.
veal
wine
wine
These were paired with the above wines. Our fave of the night was the Torraccia del Piantavigna.
wine
Desserts were fantastic and included the chocolate semifreddo with chocolate hazelnut ice cream, caramelized banana, the cannoli and the vanilla and praline pudding with almond orange cantucci.
cannoli
vanilla praline pudding
chocolate senifreddo
Valentino is located at 3115 Pico Boulevard, reservations recommended at 310/829-4313.