THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Il Grano

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Il Grano Restaurant Review:

We have been following Salvatore Marino since he opened his restaurant in 1997. From a delicious family-style Italian restaurant, he has turned Il Grano into a fine dining establishment, and put it on GAYOT’s list of the best restaurants in the Los Angeles area. Yes, he hails from a family of restaurateurs, but he has blossomed on his own. We know that to achieve a delicate dish, you need to start with good, if not very good, ingredients. Marino’s quest for impeccable products is the illustration of this. Over the years, he has developed privileged relationships with his purveyors, including at the Japanese wholesale fish market where he goes himself very early in the morning. In addition, and this is significant, he grows and tends to his garden yielding myriad vegetables like fennel, English peas, fava beans, squash, potatoes, arugula and tomatoes. He spreads his love for tomatoes over some twenty-five different varieties, and in 2005 he created “Tomato Wednesday” in summer when the fruit is at its peak --- a special menu where all the dishes are based around “pomodoro.” On the regular menu, start with the assortment of crudos, grilled Santa Barbara prawns or the zucchini blossoms. Squid ink pasta topped with sea urchin is a must-have. Among the secondi, you may find goat osso buco or oven-baked whole Italian striped bass. Finish with the cioccolato, a layered dark, milk and white chocolate bar, topped with raspberries. The smart Italian wine list includes hard-to-find and rare old vintages, as well as organic wines from Italy and California. There is a good business lunch --- guaranteed in 30 minutes --- that includes a first and second course plus dessert for $25. Vegetarians will be happy to find a dégustation menu just for them. Set in an elegant white, black and beige décor, Il Grano’s tables wear white tablecloths, flowers and candles, which is becoming rare in the City of Angels.