Gusto Restaurant Review: Chef Victor Casanova, formerly of Culina at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, opened this neighborhood eatery, specializing in approachable Italian fare. The dining room is small, building to a feverish noise level at times, and service is professional and accommodating. Rich veal sweetbreads are flattened and breaded Milanese-style, offset by an acidic salad of wild arugula, sweet tomatoes, Parmesan and lemon. A harmonious dish is the charred and tender baby octopus with a kick of harissa, set atop a creamy foundation of borlotti beans. Pizzas are thin, with the requisite slightly burnt edges so popular with diners these days, while pastas are recognizably homemade. With the shape of long rope, “gargati” is dense and chewy, with a clinging sauce of fennel sausage, rosemary and Parmesan that is just salty enough. Pork braciole is more like meatloaf on bitter Swiss chard, while a whole quail has crisped skin with a complementary blueberry sauce and sausage. For dessert, a chocolate budino has the desired consistency, but lacks a strong flavor; coconut gelato pie is buttery and encased in a crunchy graham cracker crust. An Italian-centric wine list lends easily to suitable pairings.
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