Pizzeria Vivoli & Italian Grill

Pizzeria Vivoli & Italian Grill Restaurant Review:

Tucked away in a tiny shopping plaza on the Sunset Strip, Pizzeria Vivoli & Italian Grill is one of those neighborhood restaurants we return to again and again for the simple, fresh cuisine and the smiles of owner Donato Ciaraulo and his team. The room is congested but homey, with linen-topped tables adorned with flowers. The menu is quite extensive, with items like cioppino with shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari and scallops in a tomato-based broth, a 12-ounce rib-eye with mushroom sauce, and pork tenderloin with strawberry-balsamic reduction. But we strongly caution that the best way to dine at Pizzeria Vivoli & Italian Grill is to stick with classic comfort dishes. Among antipasti, we like fried calamari, especially when dipped in the very good lemon-tomato sauce; or the prosciutto di Parma with mozzarella. Red-sauced pastas, thin-crusted pizzas and dishes like veal Parmigiana will bring big, bold flavors to your plate. If you want something that is not offered, the chef will be happy to prepare it for you. You might want to try the homemade tiramisu, the almond tart or "mattonellina," an intense chocolate bar topped with orange peel, for dessert.