 Sotto Restaurant Review: Sotto is a partnership between restaurateur Bill Chait (Playa, Rivera), general manager Dina Pepito, and chefs Steve Samson and Zach Pollack, previously from Pizzeria Ortica in the OC. The restaurant's name in Italian means "underneath," and the space is indeed tucked away below Ricardo Zarate's Peruvian spot Picca. Sotto has the feel of an Italian taverna, with great ambience, old-fashioned light fixtures and rustic tables made from thick reclaimed wood. The communal table by the bar offers guests a glimpse into the open kitchen. Start with the shaved beet and lettuce salad or tomato-braised octopus before moving on to handmade pastas like the squid ink fusilli lunghi with pistachios, mint and bottarga (salted and cured fish roe that's popular in Southern Italian cuisine). Larger plates, such as the whole grilled orata, are good for sharing. A custom-built Neapolitan wood-burning oven turns out pizzas with toppings like guanciale (house-cured pork cheek), ricotta, scallions and fennel pollen. Sheep's milk yogurt panna cotta, served in a mason jar with honey, thyme and almond amaretti, makes for a light finish unless you want to splurge on the cannoli. As is to be expected, the small wine list primarily focuses on Italy. Service is friendly and efficient.
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Sotto Restaurant is one of GAYOT's 2013
| Top 10 LA Italian Restaurants
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