THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Gusto Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Gusto Restaurant Review:

About chef Vic Casanova: We've been following chef Vic Casanova since he landed in L.A. at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, where he ushered in a more approachable dining experience at the property as the opening chef of Culina Modern Italian. He went on to open Gusto, a tiny trattoria on Third Street, and Pistola, the nearby Italian steakhouse whose larger space Gusto has since taken over. (Local diners might also remember it as the former home of a.o.c.) While Casanova still owns Gusto, potential patrons should be aware that he’s now in the kitchen at Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach.

About the décor: Upon entering the low-lit, high-ceilinged space, there is a marble bar on the right and wood banquettes (hard to sit on) and tables to the left. (The dark wood tables are covered with brown paper that we could do without.) Ascend the stairs to discover a mezzanine with more seating and a patio with a retractable roof.

Likes: Approachable, straightforward Italian food.
Dislikes: We were somewhat disappointed, compared with what we know Casanova is capable of.

About the food: At Gusto 2.0, Casanova continues to offer a menu of simple Italian fare. The wood-fired pizzas sport crispy, thin crusts, while the pastas are all made in house by hand. You'll find Casanova's bucatini carbonara alongside linguine with blue crab, sea urchin, zucchini and fresno chili in heavy sauce. Larger plates might range from a dull roasted half chicken with mushrooms and whipped potatoes to salmon with beluga lentils, caramelized shallots and salsa verde. As for dessert, you can opt for the crunchy crust of the coconut gelato pie, or the "affogato," vanilla bean gelato "drenched in espresso."

About the wine and drinks: An Italian-centric wine list lends easily to suitable pairings. For the first time, Gusto now offers a full bar program.