Palmeri Ristorante

Palmeri Ristorante Restaurant Review:

Palmeri Ristorante’s interior hosts three separate areas: a marble-topped bar overlooking the open kitchen, the main dining room with white linen-clad tables, and the private space showcasing the wine cellar. The result is an elegant dining option along San Vicente Boulevard to which the former chef of Il Fornaio in Beverly Hills has given his name. Ottavio Palmeri likes to prepare regional Italian cuisine. The menu is composed of the usual antipasti like beef carpaccio, fresh burrata with heirloom tomatoes, and seared scallops in a black truffle vinaigrette. Traditional salads and soups are on offer, as well as a few pizzas with toppings like tomatoes, mozzarella and eggplant. Pasta options include homemade tagliatelle with bolognese and ravioli stuffed with crab in a saffron-rock shrimp sauce. A grill and rotisserie are used to craft rustic dishes such as veal chop with mushroom ragù, bone-in rib-eye rubbed with sea salt, and swordfish with Sicilian caponata. Popular branzino --- sea bass from the Mediterranean waters --- is also available. Desserts feature Italian classics like a Sicilian cannoli, citrus scented panna cotta, and lemon tart with lemon sorbetto. There’s an interesting wine list, with a selection of organic vino from Italy and California.